Alien Planet (2005)
The dynamic meeting of solid science and futuristic simulation culminates in a dramatic exploration to another inhabited planet seven light years away. Alien Planet creates a realistic depiction of creatures on another world, where life is possible, if not provable, according to scientists' theories. Take this fascinating journey created by state-of-the-art animation and photo-realistic effects.
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just watch it!
Good idea lost in the noise
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
I felt like a kid again watching this flight of fancy. I liked the interspersed animations and real world interviews of some top scientists, making it feel real though of course (and alas) it is pure invention.How could someone watch this and not be enthralled, not wish for us to support pure science and space exploration? It makes me want to run right out and do something to further the possibility that such a mission might one day be undertaken.I don't care if the biology is imperfect; I do care that it's a dozen times better than the typical Hollywood s-f flick that has all its creatures looking like they evolved on earth. Still too many pairs of eyes over mouths here, but a distinct improvement over big-eyed gray aliens.
I just love this program and watch it quite a bit. Not only is it full of very imaginative creatures, but it does so logically. The makers realize that a biosphere of a planet must follow the rules of evolutionary descent and unity of common body plans. Things like bipedalism, bioluminescence and facial shape are kept consistent through all of Darwin IV's creatures. Their oddly shaped "eyes" are really creepy looking, kinda looks like the thing that Alec Baldwin turned himself into in BEETLEJUICE. Some of the creatures are bordering on the far-fetched, but they're so well-conceived and fun, who cares. My only criticism would be the name Darwin IV. It just seemed a little too obvious.
Ordinarily, I hate documentaries. And I mean *hate*. So why is it that I love "Alien Planet"?Simple. Using cutting-edge animation technology and fascinating (not mind-bogglingly boring), jargon-filled interviews with experts in various fields, the makers of this real winner have successfully created an interesting testament to the fact that mankind is not even a drop in the bucket, cosmically speaking. This fantastically done doc almost plays out like a motion picture as it interweaves the documentary with pieces of interstellar adventure and drama. Particularly interesting is the segment featuring an alien life form called a "groveback."Take it from someone who is usually bored stiff by documentaries-- one look at this astounding, mind blowing extravaganza, and you want more. Immediately.
I'm not sure if my previous review was submitted so I'll try again. I disagree with those who found fault with Alien Planet. I thought the creatures and environments were well realized. No one does aliens better than Barlowe. He invests a lot of energy in thinking about how his creations would actually interact with their world. With all the cookie cutter stuff out there it's great to see someone try something different. I would love to see more programming of this type that combines visionary science fiction with scientific speculation. Traditional science fiction films tend to focus on what would happen if aliens came to earth. It was nice to see that reversed a bit for a change.