Stage play style with too many effects

Rating: 7/10 (12 September 2014)

This is a mixed bag. It's obviously the events that precede the ALIEN movie, with loose ends purposely implanted to show that there is more before and after.
The acting and the characters are the strong point. Most of the characters are fairly likable and identifiable. This looks like pure stage drama in the script, which is good.
However, the weaknesses really weaken the movie. The first and chief weakness is the kowtowing to the geeks with too many stupid special effects that just clutter up the story, and look like they're there just so Beavis and Butthead can guffaw at the gore and the many excessive actions full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
An apt quote, as there is a bit of King Lear in the drama. Not much, but a bit.
This is a common weakness of modern movies. This movie also contains the second most common weakness of modern movies. You really need closed captioning, because you can't understand what the actors are saying most of the time. It's mostly poor enunciation from modern actors. That said, the actors did a decent job of emoting.
It's watchable, and has a few good moments, and has a decent theatrical air. It's too bad it's cluttered up by poor modern film making.