Alien Hunter

This is an exceptional Sci-Fi Network Production. Decent F/X and a story line that is not too far fetched to enjoy. A team of government scientists conducting botanical experiments at the South Pole stumble upon what is believed to be an extraterrestrial black box. After further examination and disregard for a decoded warning an alien tries to communicate. A terrific finale out of the ordinary. James Spader leads an apt cast that features:Leslie Stefanson, Janine Eser, Roy Dotrice, John Lynch and Keir Dullea. A don't miss for Sci-Fi fans.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Alien Hunter". I didn't ponder whether it was drawing upon other films, or harshly criticize the actors. I simply enjoyed the plot and people and the entertainment it provided. I thought the cast all did a fine job. It's pretty good science fiction! I do wish the producers had found a more meaningful name for it.

The premise of the film had an element of originality that made it gripping and entertaining. The finale was a complete surprise to me. I had envisioned quite another resolution.

The director sets an overall somber, brooding tone with the consistently drab surroundings of the Antarctic lab. The plot develops well, and holds interest. There were very few slow spots, and those could have been my own perception. I liked the characters, and flowed right along with them. I would recommend this film to any science fiction fan. The beautiful girl in the white bikini, wading into a cornfield in an Antarctic lab, was irresistible. Just the right touch.

The film is thoughtful and poignant, with elements of intellectual science fiction that made viewing it fascinating for me. Its the kind of film that one can just lean back with, and imagine being right there with the cast, living it all with them.

An unoriginal, overly predictable and only mildly entertaining low budget rehash of a sci-fi formula that we've all seen a hundred times before - a group of scientists in isolation confronting some unknown alien something, and in of all places (surprise, surprise) Antarctica!

The film features James Spader and an almost nameless supporting cast (with the exception of Carl Lewis, who's actually not that bad for a non-actor) - who deliver ho-hum performances that do little to invigorate the script's unimaginative dialogue. To make things worse the film's pace is slow, there's almost no subplot, and the few action sequences are stereotypical and not that exciting. Its little wonder that this thing went straight to DVD. What is a wonder is why Spader - an excellent actor at times, who won the Cannes Best Actor award for `Sex, Lies and Videotape', and did a splendid job in the innovative sci-fi flick `Stargate' - chose to sign onto this lackluster project. Or maybe not, if you look at his career, for it seems he has invested his talents in more misses than hits.

The most remarkable thing about `Alien Hunter' is how they managed to cram in so many elements from so many great sci-fi films, and still have the thing turn out so listless and contrived. There are huge borrowed bits from `The Thing' (both Howard Hawks' original and John Carpenter's excellent 1982 remake), `Contact' and `Outbreak'; a few hints of `Alien', CE3K', `The Andromeda Strain', `Kubrick's `2001' (i.e. the `alien black box') and `Mission To Mars' (i.e. the mystery message); and even a little dash of `Sneakers' and `A Remarkable Mind' (although not sci-fi films, they share a `cryptology' connection). Hell, there's even cornfields and Antarctica, just like the recent `X Files Movie'. And the luminous translucent spaceship at the end looks exactly like something that was plucked from an outtake from `The Abyss'.

Its all been done before and done a whole lot better, although I will admit there were a few mild surprises towards the end. I could say a little bit more about the plot, but there's absolutely no need. You already know over half this movie without ever seeing it. (5 out of 10)

I wasn't expecting much from this film since I've never heard of it and the cover of the DVD is cheesy, but I was pleasantly surprised that 2003's "Alien Hunter" is a worthwhile sci-fi flick.

James Spader plays the main protagonist in this story about a small group of scientists at an Antarctic station who find some kind of alien pod emitting a repeating transmission. Should they open it or shouldn't they?

As you can probably tell, the plot borrows heavily from "Alien" and "The Thing." In fact, the film even includes footage from the original "The Thing;" no doubt an homage. You'll also see aspects of other films like "Outbreak," "Close Encounters," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (the classroom scene) and Star Trek (the mind-meld). Despite its lack of originality "Alien Hunter" is an interesting, well-done sci-fi flick. It's not as good as "Alien" but it's almost as good as "The Thing" remake and blows drivel like "Independence Day" out of the water.

The film has creepy elements and good suspense, but hardly any hardcore horror or gore, so if you're a horror/gore hound you might want to pass.

As stated above, I thought this would have been more of a "B" movie, and I suppose it is, but it's technically impressive (in other words, this isn't the work of amateurs) and has a serious vibe; the score's great too. Another reviewer insists that it's a parody but this isn't even remotely true. "Alien Hunter" is an intelligent and fairly austere sci-fi story with almost zero humor (regular, black or satirical). Does he even know what a parody is? The film's only sin is that it borrows too heavily from other films. If it had been released in the late 70s it would be deemed a great film like "Close Encounters" and "Alien."

James Spader plays a good protagonist. I like him for some reason. The rest of the characters are likable except one antagonistic scientist and Spader's ex-student/girlfriend, who comes off bland and lifeless. This is made up by the appearance of Leslie Stefanson who plays Nyla. Leslie is a hot girl-next-door type who will melt any man's heart in seconds. Watch out for the visuals of her in the "cornfield."

The film runs an hour and a half.

Bottom line: If you're not an exclusive horror/gore aficionado and appreciate intelligent sci-fi films like "Alien," "Close Encounters" Star Trek and "Outbreak," be sure to check out "Alien Hunter," as long as you can forgive lack of originality.

GRADE: B

Ever reliable James Spader plays a professor named Julian Rome, dubbed an "alien hunter" because he used to work for S.E.T.I. He gets called in when a mysterious alien "black box" is discovered in the Antarctic. Some of his colleagues are eager to open this thing, and naturally when this thing - which could also be called a Pandora's box - is touched, it sets off unforeseen circumstances. Circumstances which could be dire for the whole planet. Meanwhile, a bunch of political bigwigs in Washington are meeting to discuss the implications of the matter, and the possible end result.

At the risk of sounding unoriginal, this reviewer will say that what hurts "Alien Hunter" the most is its derivative nature. It plays like an amalgam of ideas borrowed from "Alien", John Carpenters' "The Thing", "Warning Sign", and even "The Abyss". It also succumbs to an unfortunate common cliché in having a Complainer character in the form of a scientist played by Irish actor John Lynch. This guy does so much bellyaching that one prays for him to be dealt with expeditiously. You know if the character doesn't become a menace himself, he'll at least be a major nuisance. The screenplay by J.S. Cardone (based on a story he concocted with Boaz Davidson) is uninspired (and, for a while, threatens to choke on its "science fact" style exposition), but director Ron Krauss (who also appears on screen) and his crew are competent enough to make this a passable viewing. The production design and cinematography are well done and atmospheric, and the music by Tim Jones is quite nice.

Other than Spader, the rest of the acting is basically decent. Co-stars include Janine Eser, Leslie Stefanson ("The General's Daughter"), Aimee Graham ("Jackie Brown"), Stuart Charno ("Friday the 13th Part 2"), Anthony Crivello ("Spellbinder"), Roy Dotrice ('Beauty and the Beast', "Mozart"), Joel Polis ("The Thing" '82), Keir Dullea ("Black Christmas" '74, "2001: A Space Odyssey"), and Bert Emmett ("The Forsaken" '01). It is nice to see a bunch of these familiar faces here.

Worth it for fans of "The Thing" to see the Norwegian video footage from that film, used here in a somewhat different context. What also makes this a little above average is that ending; while somewhat predictable, it is an interesting touch. (One has to dig those trippy visuals.)

Six out of 10.