The Viking space capsule returns to Earth from its journey
to Mars bringing with it something potentially dangerous in the film LIFEFORM
(1996). When the Viking lands within
restricted military space Dr. Case Montgomery (Cotter Smith) brings in his most
trusted colleagues Dr. Gracie Scott and NASA’s Michael Perkett (Deirdre O’Connell
and Leland Oser, respectfully) to help him assess the authenticity of the
capsule. Just as Colonel Pratt (Robert
Wisdom) and his men show up to take over the discovery, Montgomery and Scott
learn that the capsule was carrying an alien creature that threatens the safety
of them all and everyone on the planet.
The base is ordered quarantined and Montgomery & Scott have a
limited time to find the alien and make sure it isn’t a threat to national
security. This is made more difficult as
the alien is highly intelligent which makes finding it a problem especially
when Colonel Pratt and his men have no idea the danger they have now find
themselves in.
LIFEFORM is a fun science fiction film in the tradition of
CREATURE (1985) and CRITTERS (1986) and the monster holds up fairly well even
today. Although it gets repetitive at sometimes
and characters react in that “horror film” way, it’s charm is in the fact that
it tries so hard to make the science in the film so believable.
The film is written and directed by Mark H. Baker and this
is his sole directing credit although I am surprised that he didn’t continue to
direct given that this wasn’t an entirely un-entertaining of a film.
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