Lifeforce

I didn’t like this at all. The promising premise is literally killed by bad acting and an excessive runtime – there are some scenes that I would simply delete. The story changes locations constantly, which affects the already weak atmosphere – it basically never manages to build one – and the stupid behaviour of the characters doesn’t help, either. The special effects didn’t look that good, quite the opposite, actually. I didn’t like the ending, either, it’s too predictable and kitsch. Lifeforce was a disappointment. 45% (12.05.2008)

Lifeforce is definitely one of the weirder sci-fi films out there, with its bizarre alien storyline and a plot that literally drains the life out of its viewers (in a good way). There’s not much more to say—other than being surprised this film isn’t talked about more. For a horror sci-fi flick, it must have given Alien some solid competition back in the day. (25.12.2010)

Only at Cannon Films could Tobe Hooper get a three-picture deal and, what’s more, funding for a bizarre, big-budget project that combines the style of the classic British sci-fi horror movies Quatermass and the Pit and The Day of the Triffids with spectacular special effects and grandiose sets. Though the result ranked among infamous flops and foreshadowed Cannon Films’ financial demise in the second half of the 1980s, its tremendous charm cannot be denied. For its time, it was actually an utterly unique fanboy project in which Hooper enjoyed paying homage to his favourite old-school movies. Like those earlier works, the foundations of Lifeforce are composed of dialogue passages and talking heads. However, these attributes cause it to fail as a spectacle, so it remains merely a tribute for a knowledgeable audience. The colossal deep-space sequences, the apocalyptic destruction of London and the bizarre premise of a nude space vampiress sucking the life force out of men do not in any way change that. (03.09.2015)

The film is based on the novel "Lifeforce" by Colin Wilson, which was inspired by Stoker's classic "Dracula." The book is a modern cosmic paraphrase of the classic vampire story in the style of a gothic novel. Combining vampire themes, zombie horror, and pure sci-fi in one film may seem absurd at first glance, and that's exactly how contemporary criticism perceived it, literally tearing it apart. From my perspective, surprisingly, it all works quite well, mainly because the creators constantly strive to stay in the realm of pure sci-fi and only draw ideas and props from other genres. The space scenes are skillfully filmed and strive for maximum authenticity, and the shots of the burning city and panic-stricken people are equally impressive. The quality of the effects naturally corresponds to its time, nothing can be done about that... There were no big stars in the film, only Patrick Stewart from Star Trek got one of the supporting roles. This dark horror sci-fi with a B-movie charm is worth seeing. Overall impression: 55%. (06.01.2008)

Lifeforce was one of the three most expensive productions by the Cannon Films studio, which on the one hand spewed out soulless cheap action movies with an easy return on their investment, and on the other hand from time to time they embarked on seriously risky projects like this one, in collaboration with particular directors. Of course, it turned out to be a huge flop that didn’t even recoup half the money. However, today we can at least enjoy a relatively unique work. Tobe Hooper’s movie is based on a book with the more stylish title The Space Vampires and has a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and co. It is an extremely intense take on the genre of classic British sci-fi movies like The Quatermass Xperiment. The result is a truly extreme and magnificent B-movie spectacle: the subject matter is total garbage, yet Hooper tried to give it a bit of a bigger-budget A-movie feeling. I must admit that the first viewing left me completely cold, but the second screening years later resonated in an excellent way - in fact, this is the type of movie that I can shamelessly enjoy and appreciate to the fullest today. (28.01.2020)