Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'The Last Scout'

Written by Scott Edwards

I do remember plenty of things from my childhood, but one of the craziest memories I have is going to the planetarium and finding out more about our solar system. Being given information about the other planets to help keep the presentation moving along, there was something that I took to heart when the person running the show gave us a look at the Big Bang. While being amazed by what I was seeing, mind you this was many years ago before CGI was mainstream, I was also worried about what would happen if some kind of interstellar disaster came to our planet. While I am sure that there is some sort of plan for us once the Earth hits it’s expiration date, I don’t know how many people will be able to make the voyage to a different planet.
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In the year 2065 the Earth suffered its fate and was destroyed by man with the use of nuclear weapons.  Being able to get as many people off of the planet as they could, the race to find a new habitable world is in the works. Sending out scout ships to different ends of the galaxy to further examine the best candidates, seven years have passed, and Captain Jon has heard of a couple of the missions heading back home after striking out. But there is something is something different about the Pegasus and its crew that will change the fate of the human race forever.

While working on some much-needed ship repairs, Pete comes clean to his little friend Lila that the outlook of them finding a place that could house the human race is a one in a million shot. Not wanting to make things seem so bleak for the little girl, Pete offers to show her a movie that shows how beautiful the sea on Earth really was. Getting shot down at dinner to show the girl Jaws, Pete goes along with his repairs and reports to the captain that there is bad news on the horizon. With the ship barely running the way it currently is, they have met the point of no return as they are burning through fuel faster than expected. Not wanting to let down his crew, the captain comes clean with the crew about the situation and also that another scout ship has struck out on a place to live. With attitudes starting to dwindle, the crew is up for a surprise when they find another ship in their new search territory. 

As Jon takes to the helm and finds out that the ship is from China, the group is ready to see what this ship is doing at their respective target. Excited for the chance to get more supplies the crew tries to board the vessel as quickly as possible, but Gerry is not happy with the plan. Finding a parentless child aboard the ship, the crew bring him back over against the advice of their scientist. As it seems that nobody is on the same page as the captain, it does not matter since they have just pulled up to what might be their new home, but the surprises do not stop for the crew as they find out that there is another planet on the same rotation, but with the ship in shambles, they have no choice but to take the first steps in seeing if their first target is the right one.

I don’t want to give everything about this movie away so I only mentioned a couple of characters when there are plenty of good ones here. I must admit that I loved the banter between the characters, especially Pete and his buddy Mike who are always looking for a way to annoy one another in a fun way. This movie really showcases people in their different stages of life aboard a never-ending journey to the stars. You really get to jump inside of some of the characters minds and see how crazy the idea seems to them and why they are willing to kill one another if that becomes an option. With a seven-year journey coming to an end, conflicting opinions, the promise of a new start and a ship that talks back to you, this is really a good movie overall if you are looking for something with a little disaster, along with a scene or two that include just a little bit of blood. Enjoy!

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