Alien Hunter (2003)

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

ALIEN HUNTER turns out to be nothing more than a low budget, TV-movie-style version of THE THING, with a bunch of no-name scientists (and James Spader, repeating his geek-guy STARGATE role) recovering a crashed UFO in the Antarctic and coming upon something decidedly unpleasant within.The problem with this production is its look, which is completely unappealing throughout. The whole film is dark and dismal-looking, which makes for a pretty depressing watch. Combine this with the unoriginal plotting, clichéd script and by rote performances (aside from the reliable Spader) and you have an entirely disappointing movie. The low budget CGI effects also scupper whatever good intentions were buried here somewhere.The ending offers something a little bit different to the norm, albeit in the form of something silly and entirely over the top. Never mind; with such a generic title as ALIEN HUNTER, what else was I expecting from this?

A NASA Antarctic Station which is working on an experiment with corn have discovered a "vessel" of some sort encased in ice and store it inside a docking area for further study. "Language expert" and cryptologist ( a professor who had ties to a NASA project dedicated to extraterrestrial life which was shut down) Julian Rome is sent to the station to see if he can "uncode" a form of language emanating from whatever is inside the quickly-melting ice. Spader does so by using mathematics and eventually succeeds making a startling discovery which says not to open the vessel which contains an alien life form that has a pathogen which infects humans. Unable to stop crew members who did not know what was awaiting them inside that vessel, open it with a cutting blade unleashing the pathogen which kills some immediately while others' immune systems develop resistance to the infection. But, the US government could not take the chance of total annihilation of the earth and so must fire a nuclear weapon into the Antarctic Station, informing Julian and the remaining survivors that they have three hours before the weapon blasts them to kingdom come. While "Alien Hunter" does "borrow" material from other science fiction from the past, it is not a complete replica of "The Thing" or "Alien". The Alien inside the space pod which crash landed on Earth isn't a menace, but there were plans to "integrate" with the human race. It is recognized in the dialogue of Julian's mentor, Dr. John Bachman (Roy Dotrice), that Mars suffered extinction because of the Alien race which threatens Earth in the plot. A fascinating conclusion, however, offers a chance for that integration, as well as, grants a possible reprieve to condemned members of the crew as the time for the station's bombing looms near. Janine Eser is Dr. Kate Brecher, once a student—and lover—of Julian's, wanting him to put aside their past feelings in order to work together on board the station. John Lynch is brilliant geneticist, Dr. Michael Straub, who becomes a hindrance because he does not want to die and the notion of awaiting his death inside the station causes him to act irrationally, leading to a gun going off (after it is stolen from a crew member during an altercation, with the use of a fork leading to Straub getting a hold of the gun and shooting frantically at anyone who threatens to stop him from trying to escape), with victims caught in the crossfire. Nikolai Binev is geneticist Dr. Alexi Gierach, an old colleague of Julian's, the wise scientist whose opinion is of the utmost importance to those around him. Leslie Stefanson is Nyla Olson, a member of the crew along with Aimee Graham, which also includes Carl Lewis as the radio operator and Anthony Crivello as a helicopter pilot forming an alliance with the frightened Straub (the one responsible for the fork attack towards the end during his attempted escape with Straub).Some of the special CGI effects are decent for what is basically a syfy channel product. Of course, Spader's presence in the cast adds major star power to a film—he must've agreed to perform in the film when he read the script and noticed dialogue of a sexual nature (with subtle innuendo included), along with how women are drawn to him. I don't necessarily mean that as a slight against him, but most of his films always feature a college girl desiring him or other women attracted to him. "Alien Hunter", though, doesn't develop any sexual complications, settling into a sci-fi story about possible apocalyptic gloom and doom for humankind if the alien pathogen is released into the earth's atmosphere. Spader's characters often keep their cool, are rational and logical, approach difficult situations without indulging in histrionics, and that is no different here. Julian, such as when he meets the freed alien on the loose somewhere in the station, doesn't wish to harm it but greet the life form, as others, like Straub, want to kill it out of fear. The screenplay, written by JS Cardone, does seem to carry an influence from 50s sci-fi, while containing modern techno-babble we are accustomed to in the "X Files age".

Though the film was very exciting and informative I did wonder if the ending was a little abrupt, some of the questions as to why the Aliens had visited where answered but I for one would like to know what next? I hate movies that come to a starting end and leave too many questions to be answered. Debating this with others we were all giving different conclusions as to why? and whats next?Otherwise a thoroughly entertaining film a must see. James Snader did however seem to more like Daniel Jackson (Stargate)fame. This film desrves to be watched and will show that science fiction is getting better all the time.

I would not necessarily consider this to be just a throw-a-way Sci Fi flick only suitable to pass the time and consume your popcorn. I agree that the plot definitely "borrowed" from several other movies, some of which were no where near as good as this one. Among these of course were "Alien"; "The Thing" and "Cocoon". There are, in my humble opinion, only so many plausible or semi-plausible plots in any movie and this especially holds true for a Science Fiction movie. Having this in mind, it is rare if not impossible to write about something that has not been written about before. I feel that this movie was excellent for what it was trying to accomplish, was well written, acted and photographed. It was well paced and exciting. And the special effects were first rate. I think most viewers have given an excellent movie a bad rap.