I really enjoy the fact that director Peter Leon has access to these incredible special effects, and pretty much just stages a murder mystery aboard a space ship. This premise could have been set anywhere, and that’s why the movie is so fun and creative. The humor doesn’t always land, but when it does, it’s pretty good. The special effects for the most part are spectacular (including the green screen), and I enjoyed how the establishing shots in space put you in the atmosphere of this science fiction comedy.
It also has some fun with the genre, including the captain walking to the end of the hall to the hologram room when he could have just opened the hologram by his ear piece. To which he reasons why even have a hologram room then? “Heavy Nova” is a science fiction comedy and a gory murder mystery that works for its unconventional meshing of genres and sub-genres. Director and writer Peter Leon along with writer J Patrick Ohlde manage to concoct a unique and often exciting genre amalgam that uses the tropes of the genres to the benefit of the narrative. I also really enjoyed the “RoboCop” flavored promos for television. This allows us a chance to explore the new world before us where now mining companies have entered in to the galaxy and the world’s countries are competing for resources.
When crew members begin turning up dead around the ship in very gory manners, the crew of the local mining corporation tries to figure out who or what is committing these horrible deeds. Director Peter Leon’s “Heavy Nova” is based around some often inexplicable humor, and I enjoyed that barely any of it is explained. Who knows why “Grey’s Anatomy” has been on for decades, but it made a doctor? Or some facsimile. I was also never sure why Charles Lynch’s character had the voice of Macho Man Randy Savage, and I didn’t care. It was just so funny. Luckily while the humor isn’t always a win, “Heavy Nova” is a recommendation for its creativity, great direction, and top notch performances. If you come across this in the festival circuit, look it up for an outside the box treat.