If you have a scientific mind of any capacity you shouldn't find it dull as some people do. I wasn't remotely close to being bored at any point, and there's a point where it's more intense than _Speed_. The experimental score seems primitive at first, but is effective in maintaining tension and a sense of alienness.

There's minimal, fill-in-the-blanks character development, and the film doesn't spoon feed you while naturally catching scientists of different disciplines up on particular details-- but only enough to explain the latest development or plot point. This is a blessing for those of us tired of moronic Hollywood films meant to appeal to the lowest common denominator. And, perhaps, most refreshing of all, **the scientists actually act like scientists**. That is, they have individual quirks and flaws that make them real people, but they aren't the blundering, irrational idiots *cough* _Prometheus_ *cough* and ""quirky"" clichés seen in most Sci-Fi movies.

I haven't read the book (yet), so I can't comment on that, but it's one of the best science fiction films I've seen. The late '60s science-inspired tech is actually still really neat, and, were I a research scientist, I'd still be salivating over the facilities.