Movie Review: “Space Sweepers”

Every scene in this Korean popcorn film feels recycled from previous sci-fi movies, but the collective result is fresh and fun enough to be worthwhile for fans of the genre

Someday, in response to the current era of IP-based mass production at the movies, I believe a major studio will produce a title in the science-fiction genre with enough boldness and new ideas to stand on its own in a way that the contemporary slew of sequels, re-packagings, and rip-offs simply doesn’t. Until then, I’ll settle for something like Space Sweepers, a charismatic Korean space opera that veers in the opposite direction by wearing its countless tropes and familiarities like a badge of honor. Nothing is new in Jo Sung-hee’s space opera, but the world and characters have enough charm to make the ride fun enough to stay on.

The year is 2092 and, wouldn’t you know it, climate change has made the Earth a wasteland that the human race is inclined to leave. A corporation called UTS has successfully relocated its “citizens” to outer space, forming a globalized society living on satellites in the planet’s orbit — shockingly, the corporation and its one-dimensional CEO (Richard Armitage) turn out to have evil intentions. In this future, “space sweeping”, known better in the present…