Outland (1981)
Apparently this is a remake of High Noon. I have as yet to see that particular western film because pretty much every western I've seen has Clint Eastwood in it. Why see Outland before High Noon? Well, partly because I'm a big sci-fi fan and partly because I actually saw "Outland" before many many years ago and I cannot remember a thing about it.
I actually remembered it being slower paced than this and I didn't grasp at the time quite what the role of Sean Connery was supposed to be in the mining colony. He's a police marshall, but normally you can expect the police to request backup if the job turns out to be too much for just one individual to handle. While naturally this is paralleling the trope of the single gunslinger taking the law into their own hands, there is at least some sense that it might make sense in the context (Though I still think Sean Connery's character gives away too much to his main suspect too quickly. Not great at keeping secrets it seems.)
Another thing I remember confusing me before was the people exploding. It's the whole question of what happens to a human being when exposed to the vacuum of space, without any kind of atmospheric pressure. I've heard that "Even Horizon" has a rather more accurate (and certainly more convincing) demonstration of this. But Outland's response is that people in zero atmosphere will explode. The plot even requires it, because if they had sufficient remains to analyse there wouldn't be the same level of mystery. (Considering modern forensics, this is seeming more far-fetched than ever.)
Moving the renegade cop-on-the-edge trope into outer space seems to be a pretty cool idea, since the inevitable claustrophobia of a space station helps to increase the tension. While I never get the impression that I'd be particularly fond of Sean Connery in real life, he always has a strong presence on screen. However, while Connery plays the typical stoic protagonist, my favourite character was that of Dr. Lazarus played enthusiastically by Frances Sternhagen with all the cynicism and sarcasm the role required. She really embodies the heart of this cold and sinister setting.
I should note that, while this film takes its time, it has a fair bit of action too. Sean Connery gets to pursue and occasionally get into some violent tussles with runaway suspects.
One thing though. Sean Connery is Scottish, the woman playing his wife is English and yet their son is most definitely American with that especially whiny kind of accent that it's hard to ignore. Why is that? (Seriously, it's not because of the kid's acting talent...)
This isn't the most plot heavy film, but it's well-acted, it's got interesting characters and I think putting it in space gives it a distinct atmosphere.
B+