Sean Connery’s flawed sci-fi Western Outland is ripe for a remake. Peter Hyams is one of the great unheralded filmmakers of his time, having helmed many genre greats like Capricorn One, 1986’s Running Scared, Narrow Margin and Timecop. Hyams’ Outland is a stealth remake of 1952’s High Noon, and cast Sean Connery as a Marshal ᴀssigned to a bleak mining facility on Jupiter’s third moon, Io. Outside its Western trappings, Outland is very inspired by Ridley Scott’s Alien in terms of production design and general mood.
Outland sits at 55% on Rotten Tomatoes and wasn’t much of a success, though it has developed a cult following since its 1981 release. Connery’s performance is one of the movie’s highlights, with the Marshal being a man torn between his job and love for his family. Hyams’ direction is taut and suspenseful, while Frances Sternhagen steals the show as the facility’s acerbic doctor who allies with Connery’s Marshal. Outland is a solid thriller with a lot to recommend; still, its relentlessly dour tone and relative dearth of action until the finale hold it back from greatness.
Sean Connery’s Outland Feels Ripe For A Modern Remake (To Do The Premise Justice)
Ghosts of Mars can’t be the only Space Western in town
The “Space Western” subgenre Outland belongs to is woefully underserved. The original Star Wars falls under that category, as does 2005’s Serenity, the Cowboy Bebop franchise or John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars. Outland would be one of the more notable Space Western examples, especially due to its High Noon comparisons; both feature an isolated Marshal targeted for ᴀssᴀssination while his calls for help go unheeded, and their finales feature a showdown with a trio of killers. Outland feels ahead of its time in many ways, and a modern remake could fix some of its issues.
An Outland remake could fully dig into what life and civilization would be like so far away from Earth, and the idea that space exploration is the new frontier…
The original still looks great, but a reboot could make use of advancements in VFX to really sell the inhospitality of its setting. Outland is rich in atmosphere and mood, though the story itself is pretty straightforward and carries no real surprises. A remake could fully dig into what life and civilization would be like so far away from Earth, and the idea that space exploration is the new frontier. It would be tough for a modern update to replace actors like Connery and Sternhagen, but there are a few areas it could improve on the flawed original.
Why Sean Connery’s Original 1981 Outland Movie Didn’t Work
It’s still much better than Sean Connery’s other Western
After exiting the James Bond franchise with 1967’s You Only Live Twice, Connery set out to play roles that were far away from 007. Connery’s only traditional Western was Shalako, a 1968 outing that paired him with screen icon Brigitte Bardot. Sadly, the film was a dud and Outland was the closest Connery ever came to a return to the genre. Again, there’s some great stuff in the film, but while individual pieces work (the acting, the production design, the score, etc), Outland still feels clunky in places.
The slow pacing helps build tension, but it can be hard to engage with its rhythm too. It visually resembles Alien to the point where it’s almost disappointing a Xenomorph doesn’t turn up, and there’s a poo-faced self-seriousness that can feel stifling at times. If it wasn’t for Sternhagen the film would have almost no humor at all. Intriguingly, a remake of Outland was announced in 2008 by Shoot ‘Em Up director Michael Davis, but word of the reboot soon went cold.
Peter Hyams later reunited with Sean Connery on 1988 thriller The Presidio.
Outland is the type of movie that remakes exist for; an entertaining but flawed project that didn’t reach its full potential, but one that could sing with a fresh take. Again, it’ll be tough to find a replacement for Connery in the lead, but the James Bond series managed to do it, so it’s not an impossible task.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
