A lunar base is hit by a meteor storm and severely damaged. Whilst carrying out repairs a female crew member comes into contact with spores whch lead to her giving birth to a creature which is able to shape shift into the form of the crew members. The four of them have to work out a way of containing the creature, destroying it or escaping whilst fighting for their own survival.
It's been a very busy year for Christian Slater - four movies released, and three more in post production. Does he need to pay the bills that badly? Stranded is directed and co-written by Roger Christian, the same man who gave us the John Travolta disaster Battlefield Earth back in 2000. However, I can't hold a grudge forever and I eventually plucked up the courage to put his latest effort into the player.
After a very slow start (it might have made a better short film or anthology episode), Stranded isn't actually that bad once the creature appears and things get moving. Sure, it's derivative, with obvious debts to The Thing and Alien, whilst also coming across like an outer space version of It's Alive at one point. The astronauts don't seem a particularly bright lot and make the kind of decisions that suggest they aren't really qualified to be up there. However, if space creatures are your thing and you want something undemanding on a Sunday afternoon, you could do worse. The actual lunar shots are very nicely done, just don't expect anything in the way of a plausible story or exceptional effects and you'll enjoy it just fine.
Canada/UK 2013 - Mind's Eye/Moving Pictures Media
84 Minutes
Certificate - 15 (UK)
DVD: Signature Entertainment (UK), Image Entertainment (USA)
Original Trailer:
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