Is it as good as Aliens? Not quite but...

Rating: 9/10 (10 October 2000)

Okay, I've seen it four times and it's pretty clear to me that the persons making this movie didn't want comparisons to other movies. So what happens? Same thing that happens to every movie that comes out, it's compared to the classics. *sigh* This is NOT Aliens by any means. Sure, it has alien critters taking the cast out one at a time (the only comparison that it's fair to judge by) but these creatures aren't as menacing as the creatures from that movie. These creatures are more like buzzards than calculating terror. Anyhow, it's got a VERY UNIQUE feel to it and feels like two movies in one. The first half is science fiction and the second half is horror. A rather pleasing aspect is the utter gloom I felt when the cast lost their daylight. Very ominous, indeed. But, to sum it up: Vin Diesel's character is an instant legend. This character belongs in the same file folder with some of Arnie's and Sly's best personas. The special effects and plot were fine. The real joy really came from how "old school" this film felt, though. This was a tribute to the pacing and predictability of some of the best movies in the genre, all while abstaining from directly ripping any of them off. See this one with the lights off and the sound up for the full effect.