Alien Hunter (2003)

For the NASA-funded research team stationed at the most desolate reaches of Antarctica it's another routine day - until the communications satellite picks up a mysterious signal coming from a strange object lodged several meters beneath the ice. Suspecting it may not be from Earth the lead scientist immediately places a call to Julian Rome (James Spader) an old friend formerly employed as a cryptologist for the U.S. government's SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program. Catching the next flight to the South Pole this former "alien hunter" is soon led to the unidentified object which is still encased in a large block of ice. After constructing a makeshift decoder Rome quickly cracks the complex mathematical code only to discover the message is an alien warning. Now it's a terrifying race against time to prevent the total annihilation of the planet in this pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller.System Requirements:Running Time: 91 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: R UPC: 043396007345 Manufacturer No: 0734 Product Description

Ho-hum

What is it that separates stars from also-rans? For example, in all the films that I have seen with Tom Cruise and James Spader I can conclusively say that Spader is better looking, a better actor, and exudes a charm, and depth on-screen that the mannekin-like Cruise never does. Yet, the dwarfish dark actor is a sex symbol, who opens at least one blockbuster film a year, and has been nominated for the Academy Award. Spader, before his latest tv gig on Boston Legal (a spin-off from The Practice) was stuck in mediocre filmic sci fi fare like Stargate, Supernova, or the titular film, with the occasional low budget good film (Secretary) shining through. Why? I simply do not understand it.
Is Spader just the relentless artiste while Cruise a no-talent sellout? That's my guess. Anyway, in this film Spader plays Julian Rome, another misfit, outcast, rebel scientist-type, with a shady past in the SETI community. He is sent to Antarctica, where he has a woman from his romantic past. In a sense, this film is highly derivative of The Thing From Another World, Alien, The Abyss, and many B films from the 1980s. Yet, Spader was coming of age in Steven Soderbergh's sex, lies, and videotape, and seemed that he was going to be a major star, at that very time.
In a way, he is the Julian Rome character, fallen from grace, yet phoning in a performance- Spader as the smirking, devil may care, ladies' man, and Rome as that within the film. Is there a plot? Yes, there is an alien that's cheesy, a couple of humans who betray the others, a denouement of sorts to the romantic angle of the film, and an end meant to invoke wonder. It makes the failed ending of The Abyss seem like 2001: A Space Odyssey's, by comparison.
You may be wondering as to why, in this review, I've not given many details. Well, that's because utterly nothing stuck with me about this film- it is wholly generic. Even Spader's flashes of brilliance (which are there) seem, somehow, rote and forced. In a sense, I felt like this was a vanity film, made merely so that Spader's small legion of fans would come out and see it. There are other actors and characters- Janine Eser plays Dr. Kate Brecher and Leslie Stefanson plays Nyla Olson, but I cannot even tell you which was the love interest or not. The rest of the cast was generic, as well.
Oh, did I mention that there's a nuclear explosion, too? No. I guess because little of this film makes sense, although, if what I've read about this year's flop film extraordinaire, Alien vs. Predator, is true they borrowed heavily from this already unoriginal film. Oh, yes, more returns. Spader's Rome is a linguistics expert whop, in a matter of a few minutes, breaks down a wholly alien secret code- one that even his Antarctic super-computers can't. I want to be a film star, please. And the title- clearly playing off the aforementioned two film franchises that co-developed the box office bomb mentioned above.
I'm in a haze. Is not film supposed to entertain? I mean, even Plan 9 From Outer Space and Robot Monster were fun. Films that are simply bad and dull, well, they star the James Spaders of the world, and folk write about how disappointed they are to see such a good actor in them- what the hell was his agent thinking? Can't Tom Cruise die on set? Like when they did that Twilight Zone film in the 1980s? Wait a minute, Carl Lewis, the sexually ambiguous ex-Olympic track and field champion, is in the film. But, he's black and- well, he dies well before the end of the film. See what all your gold'll get ya', brother!
Somehow, I was waiting for Jose Ferrer to show up, to be a good bad guy. Or Mel Ferrer, or Juan or Pablo. Someone, get a Ferrer in this film to spice it up! Or, at least, they could have put a scene of Lewis's coming out in the flick, to give it some relevance as the first Alien ripoff film to deal with homosexuality, but no. I'll bet Spader ixnayed that!
Take the money and run, eh, Jimmy? wait, now I get the title- it's post-modern. It's so banal and endebted to other films that it all makes sense, now. But, I drift back to Supernova, a film Spader made a few years earlier. At least there he got to get close to Angela Bassett. Why can't I? Get close to Angela, I mean....And then I remember where I first saw James Spader....the early 1980s, some meager tv melodrama called The Family Tree, or something. He's a rebel teen. It reminds me of Family. With Kristy MacNichol. Sexually ambiguous- you know what I mean. Carl Lewis. They're coming to get you, Barbara. No, watch the skies! You'll enjoy yourself more than this film. Goodnight, Gracie.
September 6, 2008

Wonderful

I watched this movie for the first time on the Sci-Fi Channel this morning and I thought it was spectacular. Good plot, lots of suspense, great acting. I came to purchase it here on Amazon but find it's in French, why is that ? It was run in English on TV. I won't be buying it if its in French, lol, but would love to have a copy in English. Wondeful Sci-Fi film for ones collection. March 1, 2008

Lacklustre mish- mash of top ten list of sci-fi movies

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.
July 22, 2007

An Excellent Sci-Fi Flick

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! March 16, 2005

Beam me up Scott! There are no intelligent reviewers here!

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! September 7, 2004

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