Space: The final blockbuster frontier. By the looks of this upcoming film, it seems Hollywood hasn't given up on scaring the crap out of us with the prospect of learning we're not alone in the Universe
Life tells the story of the six-member crew of the International Space Station that is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected.
Don't get me wrong. I love me some Ryan Reynolds as much as the next bro, and wouldn't mind laughing at his jokes about how the ISS smells like ass because of Jake Gyllenhaal's lack of hygiene. But there's just something that's really bugging me about this apparent thriller concoction that seems 1 part Alien, 2 parts Gravity, one table-spoon of Mission to Mars with a pinch of Lovecraft to add a bit of tentacled flavor.
That brew seems just too bland to swallow. Not after seeing how Hollywood is capable of serving us masterpieces like Arrival, and exploring the discussion of life outside of Earth in much more interesting ways than your typical space-based thriller. Here's what *I* would like to see for a change: A Sci-Fi story in which humanity finds extraterrestrial life and feels deeply threatened by it, but NOT because ETs want to either eat/enslave/assimilate us, but because their very nature and existence proves Mankind is irrelevant in the larger picture of the Cosmos. Think about it: If we humans and everything we can see, touch and smell all around us amounts to less than 5% of the observable universe, then that means we're basically cosmic dandruff.
What if aliens haven't made open contact with us because they would find such an idea as ludicrous as ourselves trying to establish relationships with the bacteria inhabiting our large intestine?
All I'm saying is we deserve more intelligent Sci-Fi narratives, and Life seems just like a flashy mashup of tried-out themes.
But if you're not dissuaded by my ranting –and in fact you shouldn't and make up your own mind– then you'll be able to catch it on your nearest cineplex on March 24th.
