Survival of the fittest. , now freshly available (and ripe for a ), is full of monsters. From the opening few minutes, it’s clear the show’s creators put a lot of effort into concocting beasts of all shapes and sizes, ones that would stand out even amid the crowded genre of “science-fiction creatures.
” However, this approach to fauna (and flora) extends far beyond littering the planet Vesta with creepy-crawly window dressing. invents a full-fledged ecosystem from the various critters and their habitats, and it makes the show all the more effective. The animated series is most frequently compared to the original , and it’s easy to see why.
They both share a sci-fi/horror atmosphere, one where intricate wonder is just as prominent as lurking dread (with the former often giving way to the latter). ’s Xenomorph, a creature that evolves from a deadly symbiotic attachment to an large, unstoppable hunter, has become the preeminent space monster of the modern age and one can find traces of its influence not only in but throughout the genre. But while the Xenomorph remains terrifying, we’re rarely granted the chance to see what it can do when it’s not hunting down humans.
Our heroes encounter a massive (and deadly) insect. , on the other hand, is devoted to a world that would be interesting to watch even if there were no crash-landed astronauts. One can practically hear the David Attenborough narration as Velociraptor-esque birds hunt for worm-like lifeforms or “Holl.