Spooky season gets upended when a new kind of alien invasion leaves friends Mac (Robert Carrera), Dean (David Minard), Amanda (Leah Bernard), and Skyler (Shelby Broadnax) fighting for their lives – dodging danger at every corner. Unlikely friends becoming unlikelier heroes is the story director Jason D. Morris and screenwriter Robert Carrera are pitching in The Space Rodent, and for what it’s worth, this low-budget sci-fi caper packs a nostalgic punch.
Set in a small town in Illinois, All Hallow’s Eve is in full swing as we catch up with Skyler and Amanda, dressed appropriately for the occasion, while their homebody boyfriends Mac and Dean lounge around without a care in the world. The latter pairing are nerdy, clueless caricatures of classic teenager portrayals, save for the fact that Carrera and Minard are fully grown men in jerseys and hoodies. Between the costumes, trick-or-treating, and generally childish disposition, the premise takes a little getting used to, especially with the idea of a cosmic force on its way to wreak havoc.
The film takes its sweet time building up to that moment, using that interval to develop its characters with some rather mixed results. Amanda and Skyler are well within their right to worry about their significant other’s irresponsible behavior, but the writing insists on making these conversations forced and insincere. As if Mac draining years worth of financial savings doesn’t warrant an intervention, there are plenty of other instances that make the characters of The Space Rodent feel shallow and lacking… until the action gets going and the blood gets flowing. The performances match this sentiment, with Dean and Mac finally taking some much-needed agency. Minard and Carrera shine while defending their home turf, homemade pitchfork weapons and all.
When it finally delivers on its promise, The Space Rodent excels. While not every stride lands, there’s a satirical edge to the film that’s inherently evident. Almost like both you and the team behind The Space Rodent are in on the joke. The cast and Morris are clearly having a blast with this, and that infectious energy goes a long way toward making it a frequently entertaining watch. It’s campy and edgy to the max, featuring a plethora of gross-out sequences that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination. The effects can sometimes look rough around the edges, which is where that inherently campy charm comes into play. It’s almost like a homage to B-movie cinema, akin to the likes of Troll or Birdemic (although this is far better conceived and made). Needless to say, when it comes to these moments, viewer mileage will probably vary. But if a scene featuring the Kryptonification of a sentient space rat society didn’t clue you in, the warning signs were there from the beginning. You simply have to credit the filmmakers for taking this concept and running with it regardless of its inconsistencies.
Recurrent uneven pacing and writing aren’t enough to deny The Space Rodent’s contagious fun factor that arrives just in time to kick the plot into high gear.
