SPACE SWEEPERS: The First Korean Space Blockbuster
SPACE SWEEPERS (2021) is a bonkers yet wildly entertaining SF action-adventure film that has so much heart, cool special effects, and found family goodness that it will leave you starry-eyed, tearful, and craving another round by the end of the film. This space opera Korean film (original title SEUNGRIHO) debuted on Netflix and wow was that the best decision they ever made—in my humble opinion, of course. I love this film!
Directed by Sung-hee Jo, SPACE SWEEPERS stars Song Joong-Ki (as Tae-ho), Kim Tae-ri (as Captain Jang), Seon-kyu Jin (as Tiger Park), and Hae-Jin Yoo (as Robot, a.k.a. Bubs). Here’s the description, which belies how much action, adventure, social commentary, and angst the filmmakers packed into this movie:
“Chasing after space debris and faraway dreams in year 2092, four misfits unearth explosive secrets during the attempted trade of a wide-eyed humanoid.”
SPACE SWEEPERS features one of my favorite SF tropes: waste management adventures in space—although it’s one I haven’t seen enough of in film and television (however, the trope has appeared plenty in books, videogames, and anime). QUARK (1977), an American network comedy show about a garbage scow crew who collects space trash, barely counts because it was such a crap show. If you’re going to spoof STAR WARS and STAR TREK, shouldn’t it be funny, or something? Thank goodness someone at NBC had the sense to throw that rubbish into the trash can cancel the show after half a season.
This image makes QUARK look way cooler than it actually is, so there’s that.
SPACE SWEEPERS: the first Korean space blockbuster
SPACE SWEEPERS more than makes up for the lack. This dystopian movie is the perfect blend of old school and new school science fiction. It has thought-provoking themes of environmental breakdown, classism, oppression, and child exploitation. It’s hopeful, not grimdark, and wow is that aspect ever refreshing.
The Victory’s ragtag crew is comprised of four loveable anti-heroes: the badass, grumpy, alcohol-swigging Captain Jang; ex-gangster with a heart of gold Tiger Park; disgraced former commander of the Space Guards Tae-ho, who harbors a dark secret; and the snarky card shark android Robot* (a.k.a. “Bubs”).
The story is anchored by an adorable character whose codename is Dorothy. No spoilers here except to say that actor Ye-Rin Park does an incredible job portraying a mysterious child with an even more mysterious destiny.
SPACE SWEEPERS swept up lots of standard sci-fi tropes and bundled them into a whole new glorious package. It feels fresh and edgy as well as familiar and comforting. Even better, it showcases a truly diverse, international, and multicultural cast of characters who speak various languages.
In some ways, SPACE SWEEPERS is a game-changer because its very existence challenges Hollywood studios to improve their diversity and inclusivity, especially if they want to compete in the global film market.
Where to get that SPACE SWEEPERS vibe in a book
If we can’t watch awesome trash-collection-in-outer-space movies like SPACE SWEEPERS very often, at least we can read similar stories in books!
Author Jody Wallace wrote a stellar sci-fi romance called Catalyst (Cat Ship #1) about a scrapyard picker heroine who lives on a trash-filled planet called—wait for it—Garbage Planet. How much pulpier can you get?! Anyway, the heroine meets a mysterious dancer with a dark secret and there’s also EPIC cat action in this sweet romantic adventure. Read it as a companion to SPACE SWEEPERS and you’ll be one happy camper.
Dance teacher Wil Tango, adopted by a cat who needs to make use of his opposable thumbs, knows all too well the primary rule of their arrangement: never reveal the cat is a genius. Their clever scheme to win all the jackpots on Gizem Station works until a bigwig gets suspicious, and he finds himself stuffed in a stasis box and shipped to Garbage Planet. At least he’s got the cat for company.
Sulari Abfall, scrapyard picker extraordinaire, thinks she’s scored when she earns access to the latest offload from Gizem Station. Their trash is her treasure, and the profits from her recycling program should provide more than enough to upgrade her clunky garbage scow into a clunky tow ship, a huge step up in trash hierarchy. When she’s drawn to a hazardous waste container, she finds more than she ever bargained for. A naked man. And a sentient cat.
But unsealing the stasis pod sends an interspace signal back to Gizem Station—and the vengeful VIP who thought Wil was dead. It will take all the wits of a lovely garbage scow captain, a down on his luck dance instructor, and a brave orange feline to defeat a gang intent on mayhem, murder, and a galactic catnapping that could change the course of the future for the entire Obsidian Rim.
I seriously can’t wait for the Netflix adaptation of Catalyst. Well, a gal can dream.
*Spoiler alert, but this footnote is important to mention: I’m not sure how Robot will appeal to trans viewers. Their character seems to be progressive and is normalized in this universe, which is fantastic, and I think it’s a positive portrayal, but as a cis person I could have missed something. I await the input of trans reviewers to help me put one aspect of the android’s character into proper context.
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