Not bad, but suffering from "Coles Notes" syndrome

Rating: 7/10 (18 August 2004)

Perhaps the best word to describe this movie is "competent". It isn't bad. It isn't terribly good, either, but it isn't bad.
The first act is perhaps the weakest, and is filled with scenes that feel as though they are the Coles Notes of longer scenes. Once the main characters reach the pyramid, however, and the second act begins, the movie stops being choppy and flows very well.
The story is fairly well thought out, and areas where I expected a plot hole (such as where the aliens come from, anyway) didn't have one. The scenes in the pyramid are suspenseful to a degree, and each moment flows logically toward the next.
Perhaps the thing that keeps the movie from standing up proud with the other Alien movies is the distinct lack of depth compared to every other entry in the series. Far too many characters aren't fully developed, and only one of the two that are actually spends time dealing with anything. This makes the movie an interesting diversion, popcorn if you will, but nothing more.
At least it is entertaining popcorn.