Done Before and Better

Rating: 6/10 (13 June 2017)

If I had to sum up this movie in one succinct sentence it would be this: A poor mans remake of Alien with a rich mans budget. The reason for that is visually, this is a really cool film. While Alien had very pushing the envelope effects, any older movie will have a tough time standing up to current day graphics (2001 notwithstanding).
As a story, it is exactly what you expect. A space station just brought back some rocks from Mars and have found life, which they incubate and grow on the space station. Turns out this life is not nice and wants to kill. The race is then on to not only kill this creature but to make sure the space station and this threat does not reach earth.
I found myself constantly comparing the film to Alien, and while there is no central character, the plot cannot be ignored. That is not to say it is a bad movie. The opening title shot was really cool and Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gylenjelloronalddalh were both fantastic. The suspense was also great and I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat as this creature grew and killed. What was cool was the creature was never portrayed as evil, just as someone else trying to survive in this crazy thing we call space.
What I did not like was there were constantly frustrating parts as people didn't do what they were supposed to do to ensure the safety of earth. One scene in particular where a certain character ruins really smart plans was particularly irritating. With that said, the ending was a surprise. I saw it coming a little early but still found myself happily shocked. The movie, beyond Alien, looked as though it took some inspiration from Interstellar, 2001, Gravity, and Passengers. Some parts making you roll your eyes and others making you smile.
This is the perfect movie for those Alien fans who are already creating their rubber costumes of the alien in preparation for Alien: Covenant. It should whet their slimy appetites, but if you are spooked by space or broken dangly hands or slippery strong alien squids with ambivalent agendas then you might skip this one.