the ending was one of the film's few redemptive qualities.

Maybe because of Jake Gyllenhaal's performance, but that was it for me. I thought it was sad that he ended up the way he did even after he expressed that he didn't want to return to Earth.

Yeah, and Jake's phobia of Vietnamese fishermen was never covered in the movie but it seems they really freak him out.

No he was saying "No" because he didn't want the fishermen opening the pod because Calvin would escape. I have no idea what Calvin was trying to achieve by putting David in a cocoon. Ugh. I hated that nasty creature.

Sign of a good alien monster movie when people have such a strong reaction... It was a lot of fun

@rarebreed said:

No he was saying "No" because he didn't want the fishermen opening the pod because Calvin would escape. I have no idea what Calvin was trying to achieve by putting David in a cocoon. Ugh. I hated that nasty creature.

Thank you! I came here to ask the same question regarding Jake's phobia of Vietnamese fishermen. I'm so glad you cleared that up.

If you weren't expecting an ending like that, you clearly haven't seen enough horror movies.

The whole movie was crap, not just the ending.

If Jake Gyllenhaal hadn't been in this movie, it would have made eleven dollars and some change. I'm ashamed I wasted my time watching a CGI jellyfish tip up on people. Mess.

I actually enjoyed it on first (and only run), but after a few minutes to analyze it, I agree that many things didn't work. Super-smart, unkillable creatures that basically can't lose and have no weaknesses aren't that fun in the end. Plus, I totally saw the end coming and was really hoping they didn't do it, but they did... It did make sense with the clear struggle for control of the ship, but how the hell does the thing know everything it knows without any learning? That creature never learned a thing in the film; it knew everything already! Plus, as mentioned above, the ability to get into the ship through the thrusters really doesn't make sense.

Finally, if they had rescued the black guy (sorry, forget his name, but I'm terrible with names) before the creature broke out of the science pod it was originally in, even after the dude's hand was broken, they would have successfully trapped it! But no, a quarantine rule had to take control, though there was, as of that moment, no exposure to the ship!

@mav100000 said:

I actually enjoyed it on first (and only run), but after a few minutes to analyze it, I agree that many things didn't work. Super-smart, unkillable creatures that basically can't lose and have no weaknesses aren't that fun in the end. Plus, I totally saw the end coming and was really hoping they didn't do it, but they did... It did make sense with the clear struggle for control of the ship, but how the hell does the thing know everything it knows without any learning? That creature never learned a thing in the film; it knew everything already! Plus, as mentioned above, the ability to get into the ship through the thrusters really doesn't make sense.

Finally, if they had rescued the black guy (sorry, forget his name, but I'm terrible with names) before the creature broke out of the science pod it was originally in, even after the dude's hand was broken, they would have successfully trapped it! But no, a quarantine rule had to take control, though there was, as of that moment, no exposure to the ship! Finally, if they had rescued the black guy (sorry, forget his name, but I'm terrible with names) before the creature broke out of the science pod it was originally in, even after the dude's hand was broken, they would have successfully trapped it! But no, a quarantine rule had to take control, though there was, as of that moment, no exposure to the ship!

Yes! I was thinking the same. Hugh (the black scientist) could have been rescued because Calvin's guard was down once it realised that it had incapacitated the immediate threat and busy exploring its environment and probably thinking of a way out. And I agree. How did Calvin know using the broken end of the probe would tear open the glove? So far fetched even with the explanation that Hugh told the others about Calvin being all muscle and brain.

@BarkingBaphomet said:

the ending was one of the film's few redemptive qualities.

This is what I thought this thread was going to say. I would have been OK if it had gone the other way, but since it didn't it was the only thing that surprised me about this movie. It was Mr. Predictability Pants.

The ending would have been so much better if the fishermen opened up the pod and Calvin triumphantly escaped into the ocean. Only to immediately shrivel up and die because a creature that evolved over millions of years on a barren, dessicated planet turned to have no natural defence against salt water. Thus revealing the futility of losing an entire space-station and crew when a toy water gun could have saved them all.

@Dali Parton said:

The ending would have been so much better if the fishermen opened up the pod and Calvin triumphantly escaped into the ocean. Only to immediately shrivel up and die because a creature that evolved over millions of years on a barren, dessicated planet turned to have no natural defence against salt water. Thus revealing the futility of losing an entire space-station and crew when a toy water gun could have saved them all.

Okay. You've said that already.

@Dali Parton said:

The ending would have been so much better if the fishermen opened up the pod and Calvin triumphantly escaped into the ocean. Only to immediately shrivel up and die because a creature that evolved over millions of years on a barren, dessicated planet turned to have no natural defence against salt water. Thus revealing the futility of losing an entire space-station and crew when a toy water gun could have saved them all.

I like this ending better.