Lifeforce – Die tödliche Bedrohung

Die Stärke des Lebens war eine der drei teuersten Produktionen des Cannon Films-Studios, das einerseits geistlose billige Actionfilme mit einfacher Kapitalrendite produzierte und andererseits gelegentlich mit eigenartigen Regisseuren riskante Projekte wie dieses unternahm. Natürlich war das Ergebnis ein Flop mit nicht einmal halber Rendite, aber heute können wir zumindest das relativ einzigartige Werk genießen. Tobe Hooper drehte basierend auf der stilvoll benannten Vorlage The Space Vampires und dem Drehbuch von Dan O'Bannon und Co. eine stark aufgeladene Variation des klassischen britischen Science-Fiction-Krimis, die mit ihrer Vision der bevorstehenden Weltenvernichtung zwangsläufig aus der Reihe fällt. Die Show ist wirklich grandios und extrem B-Movie-lastig, denn das Thema ist totaler Schrott, aber Hooper hat versucht, ihm ein wenig A-Liste-Feeling zu verleihen. Ich muss zugeben, dass mich die erste Betrachtung absolut kaltgelassen hat, aber die zweite Vorführung nach Jahren war großartig - tatsächlich kann ich solche Filme heute hemmungslos genießen und schätzen. Besonders wenn Mathilda May eine so beeindruckende Rolle hat. (28.01.2020)

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)

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)