Give it a second chance after reading Lovecraft

Rating: 10/10 (14 September 2007)

I admit that I felt frustrated after watching this film for the first time, mainly because, like a host of other fans of both franchises, I expected to see a high action duel with a satisfying conclusion. (In my opinion, the perfect closing sequence should have featured an unceremonious decapitation of the Alien Queen).
However, something clicked in the back of my head. I was pretty sure I had seen the elements of this story before... the Antarctic setting, the grand expedition, the discovery of a subterranean structure of alien manufacture, a previously unknown alien culture with a history of having visited and even dwelt on Earth in previous eras, and of course, the ill-fated intrusion into a conflict between a feral alien life form and the more cultured one. I then swiftly browsed my science fiction collection, and sure enough. While perusing an H.P. Lovecraft anthology I reread the story "At the Mountains of Madness" (which by the way, is an homage to Poe's "The Narrative of A. Gordon Pym of Nantucket", which I also reread). There it all was! Even the detail about penguins accidentally frightening a human character was included. What a joy! Imagining Predators as the Ancient Ones and Aliens as unruly shoggoths... breathtaking. And quite hilarious, too, of course. Excellent! So, this movie fans contend should not have been made is actually a little gem which makes Lovecraft, and to a lesser extent Poe, accessible to audiences who may find reading these grand masters poorly suited to their tastes. Director Paul W.S. Anderson deserves a standing ovation for his courage to attempt not just the merger of two sci-fi action franchises, but an increase in their collective quality. Not to mention that he deserves vindication for all the opprobrium he has endured. Bravo, Mr. Anderson, bravissimo!