Thought-inducing sci-fi mixed with epic scale. It's about damn time this made a resurgence. The documentary feel is a nice contrast to the conventions of the genre. I'm sure the alien came in very unexpectedly to the audiences as a result of it. Which is good, because it's very rare to see aliens/monsters seen under a "realistic" light, as opposed to cinematic form.
Oh, and can I also say that MS and Fox are morons for not letting this team handle Halo? I'm actually happy they canned it, because now we get this original piece of art. I almost want them to make their own franchise in spite of being screwed over, just so these imbeciles realized they passed on a golden opportunity.