Matt Alvarado’s I Am Spaceman is a sci-fi comedy mixed with the flavor of a whodunit. We follow a space crew: Captain Zeke (Alex Niforatos), First Mate Phil (Andrew Scites), Dr. Bains (Jack Alejandro Young), Ratchet the robot (Tyler Stephen Hunt), and ship technician, Nedry (Omid Dastán Harrison). Also on board is newcomer Robbie (Justin Stuart). Zeke and his crew fight space pirates as they must deliver a beneficial germ to the Federation in order to save planetary crops across the galaxy.
One of their missions goes south when a barrage of pirates attack the ship as Zeke and Nedry are retrieving the germ from a toxic desert planet. Unfortunately, the mission becomes a life-or-death situation as the captain’s space suit begins to lose oxygen. Nedry is able to rescue him at the cost of losing the germ. Chaos ensues as the crew must fight off the rogues. Dr. Bains is able to sedate them with special technology. After the madness has settled down, Zeke is furious at First Mate Phil. He demotes him to Nedry’s position. Phil expresses his frustration to Robbie, who understands his anger. He tells him that he has always wanted to be captain.
“…the mission becomes a life-or-death situation as the captain’s space suit begins to lose oxygen.”
Robbie relates to this, as he has been demoted and blamed for issues on other ships. As these two bond, Captain Zeke is mysteriously sedated in the middle of the night, and now the crew must figure out the culprit. Dr. Bains is accused of the crime due to his familiarity with sedation technology. Despite this accusation, he advises the crew to take sleeping pills to avoid causing trouble in the middle of the night. It fails as more crew members are sedated. Phil must take command and find the real suspect.
I Am Spaceman is excellently paced. All the characters are believable, and the cast conveys strong camaraderie. Jack Alejandro Young has great comedic timing as Dr. Bains. His exaggerated facial expressions stand out during the fight scenes. Kyle Hanchett’s cinematography is effective and elevates the film from resembling a typical brightly lit comedy. The desert planet scenes are tinted in light orange and have moody lighting. It makes the film feel more cinematic.
I Am Spaceman also features easter eggs for sci-fi pop culture fans. Iconic books and superhero figurines are peppered in throughout the spaceship set. Also, make sure to stay through the credits as there is a teaser for a future sequel. Alvarado delivers a great ensemble comedy that will have you hooked from beginning to end.
"…features easter eggs for sci-fi pop culture fans."
