Customer Reviews

Lifeform [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

LIFEFORM is one of the best if not underappreciated alien attacks earth movies ever filmed. Director Mark Baker has borrowed liberally from THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, ALIEN, and other films that have as its basis the theme of a hostile, mobile, and agile alien creature in deadly competition with human beings. Most of the actors, with the exception of Cotter Smith and Ryan Phillipe, are unknown, yet the acting is of a uniformly high level. The fears of both scientist and inexperienced soldier are palpable. What the creature feels is by implication more directed and except for a brief expression of what looks like happiness on its alien face at the end, it goes about its business of survival in a way that punctuates an earlier claim by one of the scientists that it was preprogrammed on a DNA level to survive even in a hostile environment like the earth.

The plot involves a Mars exploratory craft that returns to earth carrying an incubated life form that soon hatches to carry out some undetermined purpose. What this purpose is the creature does not make clear. At one time is is a brutally effective killer, but at another time it confronts the female lead in a scene that brings to mind Sigourney Weaver's face to face encounter with her own alien, and in both cases, the creature allows the woman to survive. Much of the film deals with the standard 'let's kill it first' theme that we first saw directed against James Arness as the plantman in THE THING (1951). In this case, the claim by the scientists that we should understand what we face before resorting to violence does not ring as hysterical pacificism as it did in THE THING. What this film makes clear is that when humanity ever does confront an alien life form, either right here on earth or up there on another world, we had better look carefully at what we are pointing our weapons at before we pull the trigger.

when I first rented this, I think about two years ago, I instantly fell in love with it. It had all the elements of a Hollywood movie: intellegent script, great acting, and exellent special effects.

The story: A viking lander sent to mars quarter century ago, misteriously lands in the mojiave dessert and a Alien lifeform escapes from it, only to end up in a military base. Like "metamorphosis: the alien factor" (1993), "The Gate" (1986), and "endless descent" (1989), this is another great movie that, for some reason, Has not yet gotten a DVD release (even though it should have, by now) This definitly made my top ten list. a must have.

I first saw part of this movie on the Sci-Fi Channel and was totally interested in seeing the whole thing. I watched the movie a second time when it came on the Sci-Fi Channel and was happy with the whole movie. This movie is a little slow at first, but if you take the time to watch the whole thing and enjoy it for what it is worth, then I am sure you will like it.

this movie was great watching it as a kid. the only thing that bugged me abaout this movie was how it was on a military base and the soldiers were all limted to a small amount of ammo. and after being in the military in a while i see movie flaws but i wont go into that. i still love this movie though.

The best thing about this flick is that it does not insult the audience. We are told enough to be both scared and fascinated by the alien, but we are not really told HOW to feel. Instead, we experience things that excite feelings and thoughts without taking away our involved choices. Most movies like this are insulting: The alien is presented as EVIL or MISUNDERSTOOD or some such silly generalization. This alien is REALLY COOL: intricate, unique, intelligent and just plain amazing. It is also morally neutral as a grizzly bear. It wants to survive and so on. This is so refreshing given all the insipid, canned monster-moralizing to which we are usually subjected. A sequel would be nice if it extends this film with integrity like the Alien sequels have done.

I was very impressed with Mark H Baker's writing and his use of the mystery creature. You never hear the Lifeform and it never speaks. I like the indescribable behavior including it's dual electronic software form and it's mobile form. I am sure you can't kill it because it also exists as computer impulses. It easily infiltrates the humans, but we are not sure if it is benign or malignant. We must have the sequel. WE MUST HAVE THE SEQUEL!!

When I first saw this movie, I really didn't know who Ryan Phillippe was, I just rented it because it looked interesting.(ANYWAY) This movie had an interesting plot that was fairly deep for a "B" movie. The acting was fairly decent. It was far more than I expected from a budget film. The only thing that would make it a truely pheonomenal budget film would be Christopher Lambert! For die hard fans of the Sci-Fi genre,this movie definately deserves some attention.

I have never seen the movie, but if Ryan Phillippe is in it, then the movie must be good. Even if it stinks, who cares all I would do is watch Ryan the whole time.