This is a movie that I kept putting off. I love Science Fiction so I knew it was something to check out. I just thought it looked low-budget and that's something that can cause problems within the genre. My delay in viewing kept the plot entirely unknown to me, which surprisingly ended up hurting my overall rating. Because as it turns out, the threat to the astronauts is zombies.

You see, I am sick of zombies. I've always found them to be totally boring. Disgusting and slow, the only thing threatening about them is that they keep coming. However, that's neutralized by how easily they are stopped. Contrast that against other truly unstoppable forces of Horror like "The Shape" in the original "Halloween", the alien being of "The Thing" or even the sexually transmitted entity of "It Follows". They all can't be stopped. Zombies, though great in number, are usually defeated en masse with a shot or stab to the head. The evil in this movie are basically zombies. They are a little more determined but still escapable.

There is much to like here. The score is quite good. It's atmospheric and electronic with elements of a building dread, but with none of the screeching cues found in most Horror scores. I do hear the usual Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard shadings. Mash up "The Dark Knight" and "Signs" with moments of "2001: A Space Odyssey" and you'll have the recipe.

The design of the mother ship, the mobile transports, the Aurora, were all very good. The Tantalus Base outpost was what I imagine a functioning Mars laboratory and living quarters would look like. A lot of this is very imaginative and creative.

What isn't so good is the dull, zombie-oriented plot and the just serviceable cast. There are no memorable characters other than Kim, played by Olivia Williams. Her character's strong leadership and resourcefulness is impressive.

I did like the ending. It caught me off-guard and ticked up my overall satisfaction with the film.