Very well done

Rating: 8/10 (24 March 2017)

It's rare for me to watch commercial movies; I decided to take a break from the ordinary. While in reality this film is technically a work of fiction, it is quite possible that similar events could happen in the future. You don't stand to learn extensively from it, but at the same time it touches on some very real and important concepts. I'm taking the time to review it because I thought at minimum it was well worth my time to buy the ticket.
This is essentially a tale of man's desire to explore, and a journey into outer space that turns violent due to the unpredictable nature of life beyond earth.
I think that visually they did an excellent job of simulating spacecraft technology, as well as conditions beyond the earth's gravitational pull. The scenario present certainly reinforces the climate of isolation in space, and challenges involved for humans to exist there.
Several astronauts and scientists recover specimens from Mars and attempt to study them. A particularity specimen initially appears to be in suspended animation, but awakens after being provided conditions that may support life. The specimen slows grows and takes own a life of its own, proving to be both highly adaptable, as well as willing to kill to accomplish whatever agenda it may have, if possibly nothing more than survival, though this is left as speculation to the viewer.
Conditions inside the International Space Station become lethal very quickly, and the astronauts are forced to fight for their lives. Yet at the same time they must balance the need to fulfill their mission as well as their duty to protect the rest of mankind on earth from hostile alien life. This is a very interesting prospect; the idea of a cause great than yourself. Anyone with a conscience would realize that sacrificing a single person is for the greater good when you would otherwise be putting billions of people at risk. And in reality some people, such as those who venture into the frontiers, are occasionally confronted with this decision.
I personally think the ending was more predictable than it should have been. Other than that I would say this is an intriguing and suspenseful piece of entertainment at the very least.