LORCA AND THE OUTLAWS

US, 1984, 100 minutes, Colour.
John Tarrant, Deep Roy, Joy Smithers, Cassandra Webb, Ralph Cotteril.
Directed by Roger Christian.

Lorca and the Outlaws was filmed under the title 2084 (in the year 1984, on Australian locations, with some Australian character actors - although the production was British).

Director is Roger Christian, art director on some of the Star Wars films. He also directed the excellent Academy Award-winning short, The Dollar Bottom. He also directed the John Travolta- Hubbard film, Battlefield Earth.

However, Lorca and the Outlaws is rather difficult to follow, the stars are not entirely sympathetic - and the narrative is not well drawn or presented. The film has echoes of Outland and Dune with planets in the 21st century supplying minerals to Earth. There are strikes and revolutions, brutal putting-down of uprisings, substitution of androids and robots for human activity in the mines. There is a young hero and heroine (who, unexpectedly, is killed at the end). There is a sympathetic robot called Kid - echoes of Star Wars.

The production qualities are at times quite spectacular - but not enough to sustain the complicated and poorly told narrative.

1.Entertaining science fantasy? The 21st century and the future? Intergalactic wars and travels? Hero myths?

2.The special effects and stunt work? The planets? The technology? The use of Australian landscapes?

3.The pace of the narrative, complications, loose threads? Audiences finding it difficult to follow?

4.The planet, the mines, the strikes and protests at the beginning, their being put down brutally? Captain Jowitt and his mandate to put down the revolution, to substitute the androids, to kill the humans? His methods, his mercenaries? The robot soldiers?

5.The protesters (very much 1980s)? Their being killed? The children and their rescue (and not heard of again)? Lorca and his mission, the outlaws? His relationship with Abbie and her attempts to save people? The friendship with Susie?

6.The attempts by Lorca and his friends to sabotage the landing craft, to get the spaceship going to return to Earth? The various adventures, dangers? Wending their way through the buildings?

7.Kid - the robot with the human touch, teaching the children history? Rescuing them? The hole drilled in the head? Friendship with Lorca and Abbie? With Susie? Sabotage, Captain Jowitt and his mercenary? The destruction, the betrayal? The final rescue?

8.Lorca and Abbie, youthful, their background, leadership? Adventures? The suddenness of Abbie's death? The friendship with Susie? Going to the spacecraft and taking off?

9.Captain Jowitt, human, cruel, putting down of uprisings? The messages and his mandate? The mercenary, dealing with Kid, pursuing Lorca, the huge earthmoving vehicle, Lorca and the pursuit and crashing the vehicle?

10.The popular ingredients from the Star Wars era? Blended to stories about the future?