Customer Reviews

Alien Hunter

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Gosh, am I the only person to like this film? I am forced to come to the very cynical opinion that the more intelligent a film is the more people will pan it!

I get the distinct impression that if a film is full of blood, guts and gore, and heinous acting, along with fantastic special effects then people suddenly exclaim, "OH WOW! What a mind blowing film!" totally forgetting the only intelligent conversation between any of the characters in the film are "ARRRRRRRGH! I'm being eaten alive by acid green slime..."

The storyline for Alien Hunter wasn't complex but it was intelligent and this is where it fell down big time because it didn't appeal to the cranially challenged.

Alien Hunter has the excellent actor James Spader taking the central role of Julian Rome, an expert in the field of Cryptology who ends up in the South Pole when a friend of his Dr Gierach, a Botanist working on a government project in a remote part of the Pole asks for his help.

Deep in a huge block of ice that has been dug up some sort of Alien "black box" has been found and it's transmitting a signal of surprising complexity that has its origins in Roswell.

As Julian struggles to crack the signal code the Botanists decide to break open the "black box". Too late Julian finds out what the code is saying over and over again, "DO NOT OPEN" and it here when the true psychological and physical horror is unleashed upon those in the wrong place at the wrong time. As the "black box" is opened and its contents exposed the first people start to die, melting away swiftly and painfully.

Pretty good special effects, not too gory, and very realistic. However this film relies more on YOUR imagination rather than what it shows you.

The film jumps back and forth between the Pole and NASA, where government officials tell Julian's Boss Dr John Bachman the truth about horrific truth about Roswell and what actually as been found in the South Pole and persuade him to tell Julian and the others, as they know Julian will believe his boss over them.

The Aliens who landed all those years ago were not unfriendly but they were carriers of a highly infectious pathogen that wiped out life on Mars millions of years ago and now they have accidentally ended up on earth and the Botanists are all infected. Some died instantly the pathogen got into their system but the survivors appear to have some sort of immunity to it, but this does not mean they are not infected by it.

There is no cure for the killer pathogen and only one way to stop the contagion from spreading. A Russian nuclear submarine is sent forth with the unhappy mission of wiping out the remaining men and women left alive in the underground bunker in the South Pole.

Of course we have one selfish scientist who won't accept his fate, the excellent John Lynch plays Dr Michael Straub a man with a built in self preservation gene and he legs it at the first opportunity, hoping to get out of the bunker before the missile from the Russian Submarine hits the complex.

Julian races after him, trying to convince him that the blood tests they have all taken and appears to be clear of any viruses doesn't mean that the pathogen isn't hiding in their DNA, waiting to explode at the first opportunity.

Of course Michael doesn't believe this but as they race through the underground sterile field that the Botanists had been working out, the corn that they have been growing instantly dies, withering away as they brush past it proving that Julian was right, they are all infected, carriers of the pathogen, it won't kill them but it will kill any other living creatures they come in contact with.

Michael gets outside via the field's drains but he and Julian are trapped in an Alien force field that appears to be protecting the outside world from infection. It seems that by opening the "Black Box", they have sent out some sort of distress signal, and the Aliens have come to collect those who have been infected but have survived the initial release of the Pathogen. Michael panics and subsequently dies but Julian realises that help is at hand, not from their fellow man but the Aliens who know that the infected humans cannot stay on earth. Obviously there is no way that they pathogen can be cleared out of their system, or this is the implication you get, like I said you have to think and use your brain on another level that isn't always visual.

By then only Julian, Dr Gierach, Julian's old flame Dr. Kate Brecher and a young female Botanist Shelly Klein are left alive and they leave in the Alien ship before the Bunker is completely obliterated by a nuclear missile.

There is a hint in the beginning of the film, when we get a glimpse of the Roswell incident, that the Aliens "want to assimilate with humans" but this is never fully explained, which makes it all the more tantalising and I got the impression that the Aliens hoped that some of the humans might be immune to the pathogen that they were immune to and that the survivors of the Bunker would be those that would help them in an evolutionary way to move forward, to help THEIR (the Alien Race) survive.

All in all, for me, this was a very satisfying film, with good acting, good special effects, and a good story line too.

I know that Alien Hunter isn't everyone's cup of tea and I guess I can understand why some critics gnashed their teeth over it but films that make you think aren't necessarily those with the most blood, guts and gore.

Give this film a chance, it's pretty good and its short falls, are fewer than you might think.

Except one.

I bought this movie used solely because James Spader was in it. That man is a consummate actor and I love everything he's done. I had no problems following this film; the DO NOT OPEN sequence was a bit hokey but otherwise the film made a lot of sense. The idea of friendly aliens accidently landing on earth is a belief I have held for a long time. Why does everyone look for hostile like in Signs? Anyway, despite some of these reviews, I considered this to be an enjoyably viewable film with an interesting premise and the alien ship coming to rescue the escape pod finding instead of a comrade, these unintentially infected humans reminded a bit of coccoon. They offered a sanctuary rather than obliteration by their own government. Spader's Julian is the only level headed one in the bunch, much as he was in Stargate. Sure, it has elements from other movies, every sci fi flick does. This is one film I am proud to have in my collection. Hey, I cried at the end, I wanna go too!

If you are a science fiction fan, you are probably fed up with the formulaic evil aliens jumping out of the dark. This movie is refreshing on many levels. Yes, it has a few problems, but for the scientifically-minded, this movie has only subtle fallacious science in it, as opposed to the travesties in other sci-fi films. Also, this is a must-see for any James Spader fans, as he performs brilliantly yet again. It's a good movie!

Ordered Alien Hunter on the recommendation of a fellow sci-fi pal. Short opening scene of desolate, dark Antarctic station, but inferior to opening clip of wind blown, forlorn Arctic landscape of The Thing From Another World. Pretty derivative movie of The Abyss meets ET meets Alien. Great acting juxtaposing playboy lead with sniveling scientist. Enjoyable, and inexpensive entertainment, and I am not sorry I purchased it, because sci-fi set in polar regions is my favorite, and outside of ICE, the X-Files episode, they are hard to come by. The Terror, another polar tale, is a good bet if you like cold, chilled, desolation as a setting. Or try reading the non-fiction describing the race for the poles during the so-called Heroic Age of nineteen hundred to about nineteen fifteen.

This is one of the early SyFy channel movies that actually works pretty darn well. I don't like going into plot points in my reviews so it'll suffice to say that they snagged James Spader for the lead and an excellent supporting cast including Keir Dullea (Dave in 2001 - A Space Odyssey) in a small role. From the era of Alien encounters this is one of the better efforts and is entertaining all the way. I'd recommend it over the current crop of SyFy Saturday Night 'B' movies by a mile. Grab it while you can.

Alien Hunter: 4 out of 10: First of all, is it me or does every movie that starts in Roswell, New Mexico suck?


All right second, take Alien mixed with The Thing, mixed with Contact, mixed with of all things On the Beach. Then throw in The Andromeda Strain, the classroom scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark and a little Stargate. Mix thoroughly and let rest. You now have the recipe for Alien Hunter.


Derivative does not even begin to describe this movie. Of course, with a non-original screenplay one would hope they amp up the gore and sex right? Nope. Gore is a blink and you miss it affair and sex is all tease. (James Spader causally mentions he needs a shower and the delectable Leslie Stefanson asks to join him'. he then turns her down. AGGH!)


In fact, if a movie ever needed a shower scene to liven things up, this is it. If you are going to place, impossibly good-looking women, in white bathing suits, wandering around an Antarctica research base, why not go for broke?


With about 30 seconds of actual thrill, for an entire movie, Alien Hunter is remarkably serious and slow going. It also needed a much better plot twist to liven things up. In addition, as an aside, the titular Alien is a horrible banalité and has virtually no screen time for someone who shares half the title.


Also what is with the Children of the Corn in space motif. (In all fairness since Jason, of Friday the 13th fame, Pinhead from Hellraiser; and that Leprechaun have all traveled to space to slay nubile teenagers why not the cornfield from Children of the Corn?) The characters in the cornfield dress like Logan's Run extras and I was just waiting for the stalks to come alive and announce someone's birthday.


That however would have been exciting, and apparently against this movies covenant. The acting is passable, as Spader reprises his Stargate role, while Stefanson and Janine Eser model the latest in Antarctic beachwear. John Lynch however read the whole script and acts the like the insane bad guy well before the story would indicate it.


Alien Hunter is a disappointing derivative slog that makes me pine for a proper Children of The Corn in Space movie.

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 trasmission. 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.

PERSONAL GRADE: B

James Spader brings an element of class to an otherwise derivative sci-fi.
It's not quite as B-movie as the title suggests, however, with a reasonably interesting story which rises above the expected B-movie excuses for bared flesh and gore..
Basically, as the plot progresses you realise are watching a remake of The Thing, as a bunch of ill equipped scientists discover a mysterious craft which unleashes something unexpected.. only then you realise it is in fact morphing into a remake of Predator, as you get the first person perspective of the alien stalking the scientists, only to discover you are watching a weird version of Outbreak, as a strange virus... oh, why bother, you get the idea.. At least it nicks ideas from the best.
Suffice to say, it does hang together plot wise, although action movie buffs will likely be disappointed - the ending is more Abyss than Alien...
Barely passable effects and decent acting hold things together enough for a watch, but its not particularly a credit to anyone involved.

In Alien Hunter, an alien pod; is found on earth; an alien version of our "black box", it emits a strong beacon signal, transmitting on a very powerful frequencey. One is found close to the desert "AREA 51" and one buried in the ice in Antartica. Each one was discovered many years apart. Here your imagination can just run wild with assumptions and all kinds of scenarios. The mention of "Area 51" conjures plenty of imagination.
This film was good, in the sense that it kind of deviated from other sci-fi stories but it could have been so much better. From the included director's commentary it took only 32 days to make this film and they used black and white footage from the movie "The Thing"...(if you've seen the film "The Thing" you will recognize the scene when you watch Alien Hunter..it was just the portion showing the antartic excavation team cutting the ice..) The producer and crew must have had a very tight budget to work with which would be reason enough to keep the film short and simple. The way I understand the plot, it's simple but unique. The order of events in the film could have been done better...what came in the middle maybe should have come first to better educate the viewer, a hint of what's to follow, a nice orderly continuance of events. I hate muddled, unordered events in a film...it's not fair to the viewer if the film can not keep a good track record....BUT I would buy this film if I had not gotten it for Christmas! Enjoy, Blanche

I think this was ahead of it's time. Very well done and enjoyable!! Not blood and gore!! Which in my opinion adds to the appeal. :)