Life, the movie, is a let down. Been done, cliché, a non-science science fiction monster movie. Predictable to the end.
One thing I learned from watching… “life” is precious, don’t waste it watching Life (2017).
That said, allow me to explain with a bunch of spoilers. Be warned.
Aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in the not too distant future, a team of astronauts and science fellows intercept a capsule with a sample of life from the planet Mars. (I swear someone in the film said the year was around 2300 something, IDK and DK). Indeed, a single cell organism was found. A scientist coaxes it to animate with glucose. Aside from mentioning using glucose as a basis life itself, science pretty much ends there.
Like Shin Godzilla, we see the monster fairly quickly in story… but in its first stages.
Most of the early film is carried by Ryan Reynolds playing a toned down Deadpool-esque space repair guy. His character was the only one to swear, speak the common-person’s opinion on things. Like any good monster movie, the funny guy dies, and with that dead most of the enjoyment goes out the airlock. It turns into a thriller, chase, jump scare monster flick.
A thought on the monster: When I first saw its octopus/star fish form I knew immediately it will end up in someone’s mouth. And I was right. A few times too!
Like something out of Prometheus or Alien Covenant, the monster’s evolution is far too rapid and inconsistent. Or, maybe Life is just a poor knockoff? If it could do everything it could on the station, then it could have done all that on Mars itself. So, Mars should be thriving with these creatures!
People heroically sacrifice themselves to save others, over and over. Some, more important than others, it seemed. I found that a bit unfair. All twists and turns in the film were predictable. Like the end of Prometheus you’ll say “what?” I ask this, how much energy is needed to rapidly evolve?
Also, I immediately thought “Life” reminded me of a childhood favorite film “It! The Terror Beyond Space” (1958). In which an unstoppable alien from Mars boards a spacecraft of some sort. It systematically kills almost everyone. It goes through the ventilation and other areas like the creature in Life (2017). The people try similar tactics to stop the terror using traps, the airlocks, flamethrowers etc. Eventually, they try to suffocate it by sending it into space. Similar to Life!
Coincidentally, It! The Terror Beyond Space directly inspired the movie Alien (1979). Alien’s sequel is Prometheus (2012) and featured an evolving unstoppable octopus monster. Each of these movies featured a way to track the monsters electronically. All of this seems to be directly copied in Life (2017). Much than I care to mention was copied! Evolution is definitely not a real-life trait here, what’s old is new.
Lastly, the CGI was terrible. You could tell people were in harnesses. Only the shots of the ISS and the Earth were cool.
I give Life a 1.80 out of 5.00
Why such a high score for something I clearly didn’t care for? Most of the acting didn’t make me cringe or sigh – a common reaction to bad sci-fi.
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