THE SHERIFF OF YRNAMEER

Picaresque first outing for former Daily Show writer/producer Rubens.

Gambler and petty criminal Cole owes large amounts of money, and indestructible, tentacled alien lobster Kenneth is determined to collect it. To make matters worse, Cole's spaceship's been disintegrated by a punctilious robot traffic cop. Cole steals another vessel, though he's not at all sure he knows how to pilot it, and acquires the usual array of unwelcome passengers. Bacchi, one of Cole's alien rivals in crime, attractive but irritatingly self-righteous social worker Nora and her cargo of freeze-dried orphans must all be delivered to the nonaligned planet Yrnameer. Cole scrapes up a conscience from somewhere and heads for Yrnameer with Kenneth in hot pursuit. An unfortunate navigational error deposits them in orbit next to Success!Sat 1, a corporate seminar satellite whose inmates have been given illegal implants that have turned them into zombie cannibals. After various adventures aboard the satellite, Cole finally reaches Yrnameer, only to find that he's signed up to be the sheriff and defend the peace-loving colonists against a motley band of bloodthirsty bandits.

Broadly amusing characters and situations, although the yarn never quite clicks as laugh-out-loud comedy.