"Space Cadet" is spry but comically lost in space

Space Cadet (2024)

Doing for NASA what "Legally Blonde" did for Harvard Law School, "Space Cadet" is the dumber, less-charming cousin. Whereas Reese Witherspoon’s underestimated sorority girl Elle Woods was smarter than she looked, Emma Roberts’ underestimated bartender Tiffany “Rex” Simpson only seems like she’s playing stupid. An airy no-brainer is clearly hard to get right because "Space Cadet," while spry and sweet-natured, is just not very funny. 

Rex is a fun-loving Florida party girl who has always dreamt of going to space. She even had a full ride to Georgia Tech, but then her mother died of cancer. Now, she’s mixing drinks, partying on the beach, sometimes wrestling alligators for fun, and making little inventions in her backyard. One night after a high school reunion, Rex decides to just go for it and apply to an astronaut training program at the Johnson Space Center. Before sending it, Rex’s wacky, very pregnant best friend Nadine (Poppy Liu) takes a look-see and embellishes Rex’s resumé, complete with a degree from MIT in mechanical engineering and field research in marine biology. 

Before you know it, Rex’s application gets seen by NASA recruiters Logan (Tom Hopper), a British, bespectacled hunk who will have to become Rex’s love interest, and Pam (a caffeinated but underused Gabrielle Union). They like what they see with this unconventional candidate and take a chance on her. Cut to Rex landing in Houston, entering training, and shaking everything up before becoming an aspirational figure for being “zigzaggy and out-of-the-box.” And it’s not to be believed for a second.

Rex really isn’t to blame, nor is Nadine, for this charade, but apparently, it’s a cake walk to forge credentials on an application for the U.S. federal government without a background check and make sure the legitimacy of winning a Pulitzer is overlooked. None of these logic hiccups would matter, of course, if any of the situations were actually funny. Suspending your disbelief to make the implausible premise work is one thing, but it’s annoying when every character (especially those at NASA) is forced to be incompetent. Read the full review at GuyAtTheMovies.com

Grade: C -

Amazon MGM Studios released "Space Cadet" (110 min.) on Prime Video on July 4, 2024.