Emma Roberts stars in Space Cadet, a new Prime Video comedy directed by Liz W. Garcia. Roberts plays the fun-loving Rex Simpson, a Florida bartender who dreams of becoming an astronaut like her late mother.
When her friend Nadine sneakily enhances Rex’s application, she’s accepted into the NASA space program. Rex faces tough competition from fellow candidates as she strives to prove herself. The movie draws inevitable comparisons to Legally Blonde for its story of an unconventional woman achieving her goals.
Defining Rex
Space Cadet introduces us to Rex Simpson, a fun-loving bartender living in Florida with dreams of becoming an astronaut. Played by Emma Roberts, Rex comes across as lively and likeable from the start. She clearly enjoys her work, tending the bar, and hanging out with friends. We also get a sense of her playful side through activities like wrestling alligators.
While Roberts imbues Rex with warmth, it’s fair to say the character isn’t too deeply developed at first. We learn she used to dream of space travel with her late mother, but not much else is revealed about her background. Rex seems content working as a bartender, yet he still yearns to reach for the stars. It’s a simplistic set-up, but it serves to propel the story forward.
The script does provide some definition for Rex through her relationships with others. Close friend Nadine helps flesh her out, whether tending bar together or submitting a doctored application behind her back. Their bond feels genuine. Rex also has a fun dynamic with her ghost-hunter father, showing her playful and caring nature.
Once in the astronaut program, Rex faces harder tests of her character. Doubters like Stacy question if she’s serious enough. Rex must prove her intellect and team skills and doesn’t back down from challenges. Roberts sells Rex’s resilience well, from tough training to calming jittery crewmates.
We also see Rex’s softer side emerge through her connection with British scientist Logan. Their chemistry gives Rex’s quest for the stars more emotion. Logan begins to see the depth beneath her free-spirited façade.
While not without flaws—reliance on stereotypes of nerdy classmates—the film provides Rex arcs of growth. She becomes more confident, whether answering tricky questions or following her dreams, showing inner strength beneath her surface fun. By the end, Rex feels like a whole person we’ve come to know and root for, ready to reach new heights.
Despite Efforts, Humor Falls Flat
Space Cadet has a fun premise, but the attempts at comedy often miss the mark. There’s plenty of situations ripe for laughter, from Rex’s unorthodox entry into NASA to fish-out-of-water moments in training. Unfortunately, too much of the dialogue lands with a thud. The writers stuff in one-liners and play up character quirks, but rarely mine genuine humor from realistic situations.
This is a shame since the cast is quite game. Emma Roberts brings her usual effervescent charm and commits fully, even when handed mediocre material. As Rex’s buddy, Poppy Liu looks ready to steal scenes—if only her exaggerated hijinks went anywhere interesting. Their scenes together show promise but lack the nuanced laughs of truly funny friend duos onscreen. Even veterans like Dave Foley are wasted, his comedic talent reduced to thrown-away bits.
Much of the blame lies with a script trying too hard to be zany. Jokes about a classmate’s fanfiction habits or a colonoscopy reference aren’t very funny and certainly not original. The attempts at comedy through over-the-top figures like Lydic’s uptight rival also fall flat. Without humor emerging organically from characters, the movie risks becoming an uneven mess of ill-fitting funny bits rather than a cohesive comedic experience.
Pacing issues don’t help, as scenes meander without building much momentum. There’s also a tonal disconnect, pitching more toward family fare at times but veering into raunchier jokes you wouldn’t expect. Technical aspects are standard streaming fare too—competent but forgettable visually and lacking in polish. Focusing more on character and story could have paid off where attempts at humor fell short.
With so much comedic talent in the cast, Space Cadet was poised for lift-off. But between an underdeveloped script and misfires in funny bone targeting, the movie never quite achieves escape velocity to quality comedy orbit. There’s potential here left on the launch pad rather than fully realized in this enjoyable-in-spots-but-ultimately-flat streaming flick.
Not as Sharp as its Inspiration
Space Cadet borrows heavily from the playbook of 90s female-fronted comedies like Legally Blonde. And while it aims to feel breezy and empowering, writer-director Liz W. Garcia’s attempt comes up short compared to its inspiration.
The similarities to Legally Blonde in the plot are hard to miss, down to a last-minute crisis proving our heroine’s skills. But Elle Woods was a richly drawn character we truly cared about, with Reese Witherspoon imbuing her with wit, warmth, and steely resolve beneath the perky façade. Rex simply isn’t as fully realized, more an idea of a character than a person we fully understand.
Where Legally Blonde mined inherent humor from its fish-out-of-water legal hijinks, Space Cadet grasps for jokes that often fall flat. Scenes are hit-or-miss rather than consistently landing laughs, failing to match the replay value of their comedy predecessors. The talent both in front of and behind the camera on Legally Blonde ensured near-perfect execution of its light-but-smart formula.
Space Cadet shows glimpses of recapturing the inspiration and empowerment of titles like Working Girl or Ghostbusters. Emma Roberts is charming and clearly committed. But a lack of creative vision and weaker set-ups surrounding her fail to fully unleash her comedic abilities. With a sharper script, this crew could have achieved true escape velocity.
Overall, Space Cadet demonstrates good intentions to celebrate its heroine’s pluck and intelligence. But it remains just outside the orbit of greatness traced by its genre trailblazers, unable to quite match the fun, warmth, and inspiration of the movies that lit its own rocket engines. With refinement, it could have been a summer streaming delight. As is, it’s enjoyable in spots but no revolution in female-led comedy.
Rising to Reach the Stars
Space Cadet aims to spread messages of empowerment by telling Rex’s story of chasing her dreams. She wants to become an astronaut despite obstacles, proving a woman’s potential isn’t defined by predictions of what she “should” do. The film intends to feel inspiring, showing Rex overcoming challenges through intellect, passion, and perseverance.
Does it fully accomplish this? There are certainly inspiring moments as Rex surprises naysayers and discovers her talents. We see how much it means to her, and we hope she triumphs. However, the movie doesn’t always handle its ambitions realistically. Rex faces a few true hurdles outside of clichéd rivals, and it’s implausible she could become an astronaut so hastily. The plot requires belief-straining leaps.
This isn’t entirely disappointing; it’s a breezy comedy, not a NASA simulator. But younger viewers, whom the film aims to empower, might come away with an unrealistic sense of easy achievement. While the message of striving despite adversity rings true, its execution makes fulfillment seem readily available to anyone with gumption rather than acknowledging the larger barriers women often face.
Still, there is value in Space Cadet’s themes of determination and expanding one’s dreams. And Rex’s passion for science, journey of self-belief, and ability to inspire teammates with her spirit are admirable. For those able to look past unrealistic conventions, it shows exploring interests without regard for expectations. Rex finds her place and proves dreams can launch you higher and farther than imagined, if only we shoot for the stars instead of avoiding the risk of falling short. Maybe the film’s gift is showing such a rocket’s-eye view that it can light your own fuse.
Overall, while not entirely credible, Space Cadet intends to spark inspiration. And it’s hard not to root for Rex, thanks to Emma Roberts’ vibrant performance, which brought her spirit to shining life for young women to see and feel empowered to reach their own heights without limitation to what others predict or allow. Perhaps that’s enough mission control.
Lighting the Fuse
Space Cadet certainly aims high with its aspirational story, but technical areas prove less energetic. Cinematography relies heavily on studio setups, struggling for liftoff in capturing excitement. Scenes within NASA feel constrained, lacking scope befitting the subject. Much dialogue takes place with characters sitting across from one another, dulling impetus. Outside sequences are a little better, with locations like Florida beaches and alligator swamps failing to ignite visual passion. Budget limitations are evident, with cramped quarters insufficiently expressing expansive dreams.
Where the film finds footing is in performances. Roberts brings contagious gusto, lighting up any scene she’s in. Her charisma alone propels the story when less inspired technicals might deactivate it. Visual effects demand a willing suspension of disbelief, but they don’t cripple the mission. Simple tricks pass muster for a fun feature, if barely lifting off Hollywood’s VFX launchpad. Soundwork proves sturdier, buoying scenes with rousing scores that stir enthusiasm. Music assists considerably in generating the feeling of adventure this tale aims toward.
Overall, while production values lack NASA-grade resources, strengths in acting and sound design salvage the experience from being DOA. Creativity and passion for the project shine through, even if machinery sometimes misfires. For a direct-to-stream feature, quality remains decently playable. With a tighter script and bolder visuals, higher orbits might become attainable. But for spawning dreams of impossible feats, wispy technicals here still spark hearts to dare dream beyond sensible constraints. Ultimately, imagination remains the most graceful fiction anyone can shoot for.
Fuel for Further Flights
Overall, Emma Roberts shines as the charismatic lead, Rex, keeping viewers engaged with her plucky spirit. Her passion lights up every scene and helps make NASA’s training program an enjoyable experience. Where the film excels most is in spreading the message of chasing one’s dreams against long odds.
Yet weaknesses are also apparent. Static direction and flat dialogue stunt character development. Predictability dampens humor and suspense. The technical elements feel rushed, lacking scope to match the story’s grand setting. With a tighter script and bolder visuals, there was room to achieve a higher altitude.
Still, Space Cadet’s heart seems in the right place—inspiring audiences, especially kids, to break norms and never stop learning. And it deserves credit for spotlighting female role models in STEM. Despite flaws, the movie succeeds mildly as fun popcorn entertainment. Its softer landings mean the rewatch value isn’t stellar, but casual viewers may find notes of optimism that lift their thoughts beyond terrestrial constraints.
Ultimately, Space Cadet sends off a payload of goodwill more than gut-busting laughs. But for stargazers seeking feel-good flights of fancy this summer, its earnest endeavor to ignite wonder remains fuel enough for further imaginations to find their launch sequence. Maybe sequels, with polish, could one day reach satellite status. For now, this film coasts entertainably, if inelegantly, to its destination.
The Review
Space Cadet
While Space Cadet never fully escapes its own low orbit, Robert's vibrant lead performance and the film's good-spirited encouragement of following one's dreams make it a pleasant enough way to spend an afternoon up among the stars. Formulaic storytelling and limp comedic touches hold it back from achieving liftoff, but banked positives help it coast enjoyably for casual viewing.
PROS
- Engaging lead performance from Emma Roberts
- Heartwarming message about pursuing one's dreams
- Family-friendly entertainment for summer viewing
CONS
- Predictable, formulaic storyline
- Two-dimensional supporting characters
- Lacks comedic timing and technical polish
