It doesn't take long for them to manage this and they discover a single-cell organism which they feed gases and nutrients to and before long they have a little creature that behaves pretty much like the starfish from 'Finding Nemo' - quite cute and curious and largely chilled out.
The 'expert' on board (A British guy that would otherwise be stranded in a wheelchair) turns out to be a bit of a knob and forgets that he's a very well paid scientists on board the ISS. He's supposed to be super intelligent and is told that 'he's the only person on Earth that can do what he does' but he promptly forgets to seal something which leads to the onboard odd-job-fella to have to seal a seal with a spanner.
The crew aren't really arsed about the now seemingly dead/dormant life form as it's a bit creepy although the British guy loves it (It's now been named Calvin by an American school).
The 'intelligent British Guy' decides it would be a 'good idea' to prod it with an electric charge which is when the fun begins. He gets his hand crushed and passes out. In the meantime Calvin engineers an escape from his cell and promptly murders the science projects rat. The odd-job fella decides to rescue the British guy and predictably ends up getting killed.
The next bit of the film is largely stupid with stupid people making stupid decisions and dying in stupid ways. For instance, the captain goes outside, gets clobbered by the escaped alien, does her best to get back in and then decides not to get back in - because she's got a massive alien on her that would kill the crew. The crew go from stupid to moronic to Howard Webb. They are aware that they have a hungry, angry alien on board and pretty much ignore it skulking around for most of the film.
Earth sends out a capsule when contact is lost (The alien really enjoys scoffing coolant) to push the new ISS into deep space.
This is where things get really stupid. The Japanese propulsion expert opens the capsule door (thinking it's an escape) pretty much clambering over the now dead British guy who is spewing blood everywhere (And an angry Calvin) and dooms the crew to crushing/absorbant death. He then tries to run away and then gives his life in a futile attempt to - look. I don't know any more - they guy has a death wish. Who would climb over the floating blood spewing body of... ah.. OK. Well. Never mind.
The two last people alive think that an amazing idea would be for one to leg it in a space pod back to earth while the other one (Donny Darko) decides he'll lure the alien in and pilot the pod into deep space.
Probably the only twist of the film happens here, so I won't mention it.
Good effects. Surprisingly cute little alien and then not-so-cute angrier bigger alien later on.
Would it have been chilled out if the British guy hadn't killed it then zapped it? Who knows. I expect a part two to follow. But if it does and humanity is as stupid as these dickheads they had in the Space Station then Earth is fucked.
