It’s fascinating and strangely enthralling. And funny too, in places.

[Dark Star] can be praised for imagination and effort, if not for results... The story is mostly turgid, the acting is nothing special, and the waits between the bright spots seem interminable.

Hats off nonetheless to young whippersnapper John Carpenter, whose studenty tale of space tedium, aliens and molasses-black humour remains approximately a thousand times better than the director's last 15 years.

It's great fun, and the ending makes gleeful hash of pretentious, "metaphysical" science fiction.