“Stowaway”

(USA/Germany)

Metacritic (3/10), Rotten Tomatoes (*+)

When making a film with a taut dramatic premise, the picture requires an equally taut treatment to be effective. Unfortunately, writer-director Joe Penna’s space-based, molasses-paced morality play is a tirelessly tedious slog padded with lots of filler and more than a few incredibly dull sequences. The chief culprit here is the script, which is rife with easily spotted plot holes and whose very title doesn’t even accurately reflect the story’s central scenario. The result is indeed unfortunate in light of the fine ensemble cast and the picture’s stellar visual effects, attributes that are sorely undermined by the shortcomings surrounding them. Don’t waste your time with this one.