A missed opportunity for what should have been the iconic sci-fi of the decade

Rating: 4/10 (16 June 2012)

This is a mess of a movie that uses grand visuals to make up for poor characters and incoherent story telling. It has the theological ambition of 2001, but lacks its technical perfection and absolute believability; it sets us up for another Alien-style horror, but can't keep us interested, let alone scared. Its characters are cartoonish and stereotypical, paper thin. For science fiction fans, there isn't a lot of science. For horror fans, there isn't a lot of suspense. Characters who are purported to be scientists are just not believable in the least. In typical fashion, when they announce not to touch anything, they quickly proceed to touch everything, only to later predictably regret it. The corporate stiff who's there to watch over her billion+ investment is completely uninterested in the mission, and I'm not sure what her purpose on the ship is supposed to be other than being a good looking, nasty control-freak. The captain acts like some bored truck driver dude who just wants to get laid. The android is the only redeeming feature, but that's just not enough to save this mess. Many of the scenes in the 2nd half of the movie have been done before, and the whole thing smacks of just a setup for the next movie. There is no depth, no tension, no story, no pathos to this movie: it's a lot of eye candy, but we have seen a lot of this stuff before, and little seems truly original. This was an opportunity for the next iconic science fiction movie of the decade, and it misses badly. Goes to show that no matter the quality of the effects, the grandeur of the vision, or the money spent on actors and sets, without a great story it's just another forgettable McMovie, empty calories. Shame on you, Mr. Scott, you know better.