‘G-LOC’ Review

Stars: Stephen Moyer, Tala Gouveia, Casper Van Dien, John Rhys-Davies, Mike Beckingham, Alana Wallace, Shayne Ward, Spencer Collings, Toby Osmond | Written and Directed by Tom Paton

It’s pretty obvious by now that I am a fan of this man and his crew… I always look forward to seeing what he has cooked up in his labyrinthian mind and knowing that this time he had a well known studio (Goldfinch and Lionsgate) and some pretty big names onboard I was somewhat excited to check out G-LOC… Oh and did I mention we were treading on some straight up sci-fi territory this time! of course I say straight up but when has Paton ever let his movies be confined to just one genre.

Of course this time we have what looks to be more of a tastier budget than we are used to and with that comes some bigger names and an all round sexier scope to deal with. What I love about his crew though is that yes we shall add some bigger names like Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers) and John Rhys-Davies (LOTR, Sliders) but hey we are going to throw some of our favorite Paton alumni in the mix too. Giving this BIGGER and GRANDER feeling with a canny sense of familiarity.

Bran Marshall (Stephen Moyer) has made his escape from Earth after losing everything to find a new home on Rhea. Guided by his AI companion Edison (voiced by Mike Beckingham). Bran has been drifting through space for 8 years, when he comes across a seemingly deserted Rhean ship. He is soon forced to team up with self proclaimed Rhean human killer Ohsha Rainer (Tala Gouveia) as they realize all is not how it seems with the early settlers having decided that Refugees from Earth are no longer welcome. Bran and Ohsha must team up to stop the ship which is hurtling towards the planet acting essentially as a huge death bomb. Leading to a quest of self discovery as they seek to thwart the nefarious plans with Edison’s help while another dark force in the form of Decker (Casper Van Dien) will stop at nothing to complete his mission. Could Bran be every ones last great hope?

OK, lets get it out of the way. I’m a big fan… Big, big fan of G-LOC. And I’m going to say it (again), one of the BIG studios just needs to throw a bag of cash at this director and let him spread his wings like the majestic peacock. Seriously, we discovered Mr Paton a few years back with Pandorica and I fell in love with what this guy and his team had created on a LOW to NO budget. With each release they have elevated and elaborated, taking huge leaps in substance and style which has brought us to G-LOC.

Cast wise what can I say, I mean how am I supposed to sit here and pick faults with Casper Van Dien, Stephen Moyer and John Rhys-Davies. These guys have been at the top of their game for a number of years BUT what I can do is tell you how much of a revelation Tala Gouveia was. The PatonVerse is full of strong as hell leading kick-ass ladies and Tala more than meets the bar set before her. Truthfully I had only seen Tala in an ITV drama before and this was a pretty big departure from that, whereby she got to show many different sides to her acting and mix it up with the best. Keep an eye out for her… I definitely see a bright future ahead for Tala.

Of course we have some of our regulars returning with roles for Alana Wallace (I will never tire of seeing her on the screen), Shayne Ward returns for a small role alongside stunt choregrapher turned actor Spencer Collings; Toby “AYE” Osmond makes a brief appearance and Mike Beckingham lends his voice this time to AI character Edison. Now let’s briefly talk about Edison, because when I had this character explained to me I couldn’t help but think “a computer program that looks like a stick figure… Ohhhkay” however this is another case of you cant beat simplicity and if I am honest with you I want an Edison in my life. Props to Moyer and Beckingham for making a scene with a stick figure the emotional core of this flick!

There is a lot to unpack in G-LOC, in terms of story and what – on the face of things – seems like a fight for survival in space. However this movie can be stripped right back, revealing some real world, of the moment, social commentary – which is great for those who want those layers. A great sci-fi is one that makes you unknowingly think about world circumstances through a different lens and I thought G-LOC did this in spades but at the same time its a 90-odd minute space romp that keeps you entertained and who doesn’t want that?

I am going to give two last shout outs here because I don’t think enough gets said about these guys and they have been part of this team since way back. George Burt is rapidly becoming easily one of the best DOPs to still be called “independent”. His eye on this flick and his movements are just gorgeous, really reminding the audience of some of those great sci-fi shots from the likes of Alien, Moon and 2001. Honestly, this film looks insanely gorgeous! To accompany that we have Max Sweiry on the score and oh my christ, he always impresses me but some of the music in this flick actually takes hold of the screen and steals the scene!

Out now in the US and hitting UK shores in October, I advise you all to grab a copy of G-LOC as soon as possible. If you have been following along on this journey of the TPU with us, I guarantee you wont be disappointed. Top notch sci-fi with solid performances and an intriguing story. Yeah… G-LOC is a HUGE recommend!