Not an Alien clone, more of a nod and a thank you.

Rating: 7/10 (15 December 2017)

Life
This movie is always going to be compared to Alien.
No matter how much restraint a film reviewer has. Eventually the comparison will be highlighted.
So I'm not going to beat about the bush. I'm just going to come out and say it. This movie is the closest thing to an Alien remake as we are going to get, and by no means is this meant as a negative.
Life compared to the recent Alien sequels is a masterpiece.
However if you compare it to Ridley Scott's original Alien movie or James Cameron's slightly superior sequel then we may have a problem.
In isolation Life is bloody good movie.
Director Daniel Espinosa has sculptured a taught nail biting suspenseful horror thriller. The likes of which hasn't been seen since the first two Alien movies.
While the plot is very similar to what has gone before I can't help but admit I thoroughly enjoyed this modern take on an old formula.
You all know how it goes. A group of overly curious scientists find a life form from another planet. They proceed to poke and prod it until it becomes rather pissed off and then sets about offing each one of them in a progressively more gruesome fashion.
It's been done before countless times but that doesn't stop the audience having a good time.
The good time had is down to the superb cast, the mostly excellent CGI and fine direction.
The script is a mediocre affair that generates enough interest in the characters to have the audience care.
A fine actor such as Jake Gyllenhaal is given just enough to do even if his character is the most under developed.
Ryan Reynolds plays himself, yet again this is not a criticism. I could watch the guy in anything.
Come on he's Deadpool for goodness sakes.
This is a fine looking movie.
There's hints of films that have gone before. The likes of Gravity, Sunshine and even Event Horizon.
One particular scene involving the female lead Miranda played by Rebecca Ferguson and an escape pod is almost identical to the scene with Sandra Bullock in Gravity.
Once again not a criticism, just an observation that the director has a fondness for the genre.
The creature causing all the havoc is wonderfully realised on screen and is most visually effective in its juvenile state.
The first attack inside the lab involving Hugh played by Ariyon Bakare is very creepy and gruesome.
This is where it is apparent that suspense is going to play a key role throughout this movie.
The creature loses some of its realistic texture as a it becomes larger. Becoming just another CGI creation that fails to trick the eye.
A real positive regarding SFX is the attention to detail the CGI wizards have taken in regards to the creatures movement. It is very close to that of an octopus and its frantic scurrying is most unnerving.
There's a claustrophobic feel to the entire production which adds to the suspense. The feeling of helplessness oozes from the screen as the Alien creation outwits the cast at every turn.
A particular scene involving Hiroyuki Sanada's character and a sleeping chamber further exaggerates the sensation of claustrophobia.
I believe this movies biggest asset is the lack of expectation that was placed upon its shoulders.
If this movie had indeed been presented as an Alien sequel or remake then I think it would have failed on the same level as the recent Alien Covenant.
However having this film marketed as a vehicle for Gyllenhaal, Reynolds and Ferguson it allows the film to demonstrate its own attributes.
As aforementioned this is a taught suspenseful thriller with just enough individual ingredients added to make a satisfying end product.
It's not a clone of what's gone before, more of a nod or thank you to Sci Fi greats of the past.