Inevitable science fiction faux pas' abound

Rating: Null/10 (13 May 2000)

I have just seen this movie for the first time and I can't say as I'm ecstatic about it. It was enjoyable, but then again, I find about 90% of the movies I see enjoyable--in some way.
As the movie plays out, I couldn't help but think that this might have made a great book. The reason is that the screenwriters seemed to want to gloss over any type of inherent tension they could have built upon, and revelations come very off-handedly. There is no time that you will be surprised or elated by anything that happens in this film.
As for the typical SF pitfalls, they are here in spades. First are the terrible special effects. How the same movie can have such a great sequence as the eclipse, and have such terribly rendered, computer game-like creatures is beyond me. I groaned every time the aliens came on screen. (Can they really be aliens on their own planet?) Next are the obvious plot-holes dealing with the eclipse itself, the character's interactions--would you tell a psychopath you'd trust him if he behaved himself?, and the cliched ending top the list.
I would advise to see this movie if you are in a pinch for a SF fix, otherwise, you may just want to wait for it to appear on cable.