The Apocalypse

The Apocalypse; Science-fiction action, USA, 1997; D: Hubert C. De La Bouillerie, S: Sandra Bernhard, Cameron Dye, Frank Zagarino, Laura San Giacomo

In the future, a woman in a sleeping dress starts her spaceship and programs it to collide with Earth that counts 22 billion inhabitants. Female Captain J.T. Wayne gets the assignment to stop the possible apocalypse, but her ex-boyfriend, macho guy Wendler, decides to kidnap the spaceship and thus kills almost the entire crew with his gang. The only survivor is the waiter Lenon who somehow manages to get back into the J.T.'s vessel. Together they enter the infamous spaceship and kill the gang, but Wendler puts them in prison. Lenon and J.T. escape, kill Wendler and ignite an explosion that destroys the lethal spaceship.

Considering it was made in an extremely cheap C-production and with a trashy tone, Sci-fi action thriller "The Apocalypse" is a reasonably acceptable failure. The intensity and identity of the film are given by cult actress Sandra Bernhard, the eccentric version of Julia Roberts, who managed to get the main role. Some segments of the mediocre story function exclusively thanks to her charisma and a few accidental quirky touches, like in the wacky scene where Lenon gets wounded and says: "Now I finally have something to show!"; when Bernhard's character J.T. is arguing with the bad guy, her ex-boyfriend, while they are separated by a glass map with numbers or when he gets infuriated when he spots her having intercourse with someone else besides him. Director Hubert C. De La Bouillerie didn't get an opportunity to shine in the midst of all the hopelessly tiresome writing - a few unusual camera angles can't save the thing, whereas there is no anxiety, but also no humor either. It's a weak version of "Under Siege" in space with a lot of plot holes and irritating moments, thus the best part is actually the ending.

Grade:+