Astro Loco, released in 2021, is a strange experience.

Ostensibly, it’s like a bizarro version of 2001: A Space Odyssey, except instead of an AI trying to kill the crew, it’s desperately trying to stop them from going insane. That’s the plot, anyway.

But the actual movie? Well, this thing had zero budget. And I mean almost nothing. They paid the actors, but nearly everything else is CGI or shot in front of a green screen.

Because of this, the actors pretty much gave up on playing it seriously. They knew they were in a B-grade movie, they knew it wasn’t going to be good, so they just went hog wild. Not a single person delivers a straight line or a serious performance—everyone is either intentionally overacting or clearly doesn’t give a damn.

Some actors are just here to pick up a paycheck, and in the process, they’re having the time of their lives. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were high on set, because I have no idea how anyone involved could get through this film completely sober.

The result? One of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a while. It’s almost like a really long episode of Red Dwarf—except there’s no laugh track, no direct jokes, just constant winks at the camera. And the special effects? Beyond horrendous.

Then there are moments that happen with zero explanation. Like, for some reason, when the astronauts go on a spacewalk, they put animal onesies over their spacesuits. A bunny onesie, a dinosaur onesie—you name it. No one ever acknowledges this. No one reacts. It’s just a thing that happens. We, the audience, are left thinking, Okay… I guess that’s normal in this universe? There’s no reason for it. The film never explains.

Then there’s the “alien” lifeform, which is just a guy in a bug costume, complete with visible sweatpants and sneakers poking out from underneath. Clearly, CGI wasn’t in the budget—even bad CGI.

It’s as if the entire cast and crew collectively agreed: This will never be Star Wars. It won’t be Dune. Hell, it’s not even Star Trek. But they do love sci-fi—at one point, they even quote Asimov’s Laws of Robotics. Still, the attitude is very much screw it, let’s just make something ridiculous and cash the check.

As for availability? You can watch this pretty much anywhere—Prime Video, Tubi, YouTube. There are multiple uploads floating around. Did the filmmakers make their money back? No idea. But hey, I watched it.

Would I recommend Astro Loco? Not if you’re a serious sci-fi fan. If you want anything resembling good sci-fi, you’re going to hate this. But if you enjoy low-budget B-movies that lean into their own ridiculousness, it’s worth a laugh. Like I said, it has Red Dwarf energy, but I wouldn’t call it a satire. It’s just… a sci-fi comedy that doesn’t take itself seriously. At all.

https://youtu.be/HPls6UGJKsk

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