The movie is presented as an episode of a show hosted by Jack Strange (Dirk Benedict). This exposé deals in the unexplained and supernatural. While Benedict is fun as the host, the wraparound does not add much to the proceedings at hand. What does work in director Scott McQuaid’s script are the characters.
Everyone has a distinct personality, and no two sound the same. This makes their interactions and predicament all the more believable. There is an early reliance on stereotypes to establish everyone but are quickly broken as the fatal night takes its toll. Tammy asks Stanlei if that is her actual name, in a snarky manner. But, upon seeing the body of one of the victims, she breaks down. Not only because she’s scared, but because she realizes that these people had more going on with them than she realized, and being killed this way is horrible. All the characters, at least those who survive past the 30-minute mark, have similarly engaging arcs.
“…action and stunts throughout are great and make for an energetic watch.”
What is less than stellar about the characters in Space Ninjas is the acting. It is all over the map. Yi Jane as Stanlei is fantastic as the feisty punk. Her deadpan comedic timing at the beginning of the movie is perfect. She handles all the action scenes well and shares good chemistry with Damien Zachary, who plays Zack. While not all the line readings are 100%, she delivers more often than not.
For his part, Zachary is the second-best actor in the film. He makes the audience believe his awkward shyness and slowly watching a more assertive person emerge as the body count rises to add dramatic weight. The only actor that is better is Brian Narelle as Professor Rosencrantz. He delivers the absurd projects his character has been working on with a straight face, which is no easy task. The fun he is having is infectious.
"…people who upon hearing the title Space Ninjas shake their heads..."
