Affleck boosts bland space drama Slingshot

Casey Affleck flexes his lifting power again as he shoulders the load of Slingshot’s flat outer-space theatrics.

The Oscar winner stars as an astronaut on a crucial mission to tap the resources of Saturn moon Titan for a climate-ravaged Earth.

The three-man mission, along with co-stars Laurence Fishburne and The Boys’ Tomer Capone, sees its crew threaten mutiny after a collision damages the ship’s integrity.

The long mission and prolonged hibernation leave the men mentally fatigued and delusional.

With each prolonged sleep, we are given a glimpse of an Earth-bound romance with a fellow astronaut (1899’s Emily Beecham).

There is a real lack of feeling to these scenes. Nothing wrong with either Beecham or Affleck’s chemistry, but the writing just isn’t there.

Director Mikael Håfström (1408) displays some fantastic visual transitions when flashing back to Earth.

But his data dumps for exposition are extremely sloppy. Christopher Nolan, he is not - no matter how much Håfström craves it.

The drama reaches for the heights of Interstellar. Gravity, and Ad Astra, but it never really ignites.

What does keep the film orbiting above mediocrity is Affleck’s smoldering intensity, with another towering leading performance in a small indie film few will see.

It has become his M.O. despite Oscar success and clear talent.

Astronaut lovers and fans of Ben’s little bro will find some positives here.

All others may safely skip this launch.

6 out of 10