Escape from DS-3

ANOTHER sci-fi film from the Robert Emenegger/Allan Sandler team, once again produced by Anne Spielberg. Boy, these guys really churned them out, didn't they? ESCAPE FROM DS-3 is one of their lesser works that plays a lot like LABORATORY except without the quirky charm. There are no aliens in this one, for a start.

The tale takes place on a prison ship where a number of prisoners are plotting their escape. That's all there is to it. For 90% of the running time the viewer is merely forced to sit and watch the guys go about their daily routines, following them as they take exercise and go through their ablutions. It hardly makes for gripping viewing, and as soon as it starts gathering momentum, it finishes.

While I admire the enthusiasm and dedication of Emenegger and Sandler for making their sci-fi oddities on a budget clearly unable to cope with the demands of the script, ESCAPE FROM DS-3 is nobody's idea of entertainment. They couldn't afford Cameron Mitchell this one, or even his daughter Camille, so instead we Channing Mitchell, his son (and the least talented of the acting family). Novelty value comes from seeing a pre-POLICE ACADEMY Bubba Smith in support.