Alien Hunter

Contrary to its misleading title, there's not much extraterrestrial hunting going on in this flimsy and derivative sci-fi thriller. In fact, the stereotyped characters do more sitting around and talking than anything else, as cryptologist James Spader helps unfeasibly good-looking polar scientists decode radio signals emitting from a mysterious object discovered in the Antarctic ice. Though an engaging Spader's hardly stretching himself (basically reprising his Stargate role), he and his fellow cast members make the most of the limited material: earnestly rising above the mounting implausibilities and stitched-together ideas, stolen from the likes of Alien and John Carpenter's The Thing. Claustrophobic visuals and an urgent soundtrack provide a reasonable splash of atmosphere, while the special effects and criminally underused alien are surprisingly decent for a TV movie.