Europa Report

There is something refreshing in the decidedly downbeat "Europa Report," a science-fiction film with the emphasis on science that doesn't cheat on the tension.

Low key and earnest, Sebastián Cordero's "Europa Report" makes compelling use of familiar genre material to create an intelligent science fiction thriller.

There are scenes of unutterable beauty in Europa Report, a low-budget space exploration sci-fi suspenser from Ecuadorian director Sebastián Cordero.

What isn't straightforward about the plot is either hackneyed, implausible, or both.

The idea that life evolved independently on Europa is perfectly plausible-and that makes what would be a fun and exciting film in any case all the more worth watching.

I'm not qualified to judge the accuracy of the scientific detail, though the filmmakers convey a genuine respect for hard science instead of the cursory interest shown by most science fiction movies.

Despite tried-and-true formula (technical failure, one-by-one pick-offs, etc.), a number of creative enhancements make for an original and appropriately-scaled film.

As the action progresses, this quickly becomes Marinca's film, as she uses her body language as much as the script to suggest more subtle forms of angst.

One of the most immediately involving science-fiction films in recent memory.

In most modern science fiction, scientists are not depicted as noble. In the tradition of Frankenstein, they are often depicted as villains. This movie presents real science and scientists at their noble, courageous best.

An exciting but subdued sci-fi thriller about astronauts on a fouled-up mission to find out if there's life on Jupiter.

There is an earthbound integrity and deeply respectful approach to the science in Europa Report that imbues the story with a gritty intensity, lifting it beyond its B-movie framework.