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Alien Movie Review

Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver. It is one of the best blockbusters of all time.

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“It’s a robot! Ash is a goddamn robot!“

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This is the movie that started it all, not just this franchise, but also the entire sub-genre of horror with aliens and set in space. To me the movie is great because it is such a phenomenal mix of science fiction and slasher horror. The slasher subgenre is usually not great, but here it was executed in the best way possible and there is not a single big flaw I could find in this movie so that is why it gets the perfect rating from me.

The pacing is where this movie shines among other things. It basically has a sci-fi first half and an all-out horror second half and it works wonderfully. I loved how slow paced it was at first as it led to such a perfect build up to exciting, scary action later on. The mystery of the derelict had remained a mystery until it was answered in ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Alien: Covenant’ and I have to say that I loved this movie for being more mysterious and ambiguous in quality. I also loved the more simplistic and elegant approach that led to its timeless appeal.

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Ripley is one of the best ever female action heroes, there is no denying that. She might even be the very best. She is tough, but believably so as she has her panicky and more human moments here as well. I love her character and she is one of the main reasons why the original series was so great. Sigourney Weaver is naturally awesome in her most famous role and she plays Ripley so well on all levels.

Dallas is the most forgettable member of the crew, but Lambert is pretty solid. I liked how she was more emotional than Ripley and the portrayal of these two very different women was very realistic and a great choice. Brett is just there to die as is Kane, but they aren’t fully disposable and their deaths are felt.

Parker is a memorable character and not just a token black man. He was more realistic than most of these crew members and I liked that. Of course Mother as this computer on the ship is quite memorable, but Ash is one of the best characters here as this android who was ordered to bring the alien specimen back to Earth. The twist reveal was great and unexpected when you watch it for the first time and he is such a phenomenal secondary villain here, so well played by Ian Holm. So Alien definitely has better than average character development for a horror flick.

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The alien himself is pretty outstanding. Now I could see in one scene that it was a human in a suit playing it, a dancer more specifically, but other times it was much more convincing and for this time those effects were brilliant and almost seamless. It was definitely the best choice for that time and it paid off significantly. It looks great and sounds great and that is why the movie aged like fine wine.

I loved that it was just one Xenomorph here and again that is why this movie is so brilliant and timeless in its simplicity. It posed real threat and only Ripley stopped him and the way she did that was so well executed and perfectly believable. Despite that typical “let’s split” behavior which is so annoying, this horror film is otherwise pretty clever and the characters almost never made mistakes.

The scares are definitely there and are definitely felt. The first half is mysterious and atmospheric in quality and the second one if quite creepy at times with just the right mix of jump scares, atmospheric thrills and monster action. The highlights are the scene where the creature jumps from Kane’s chest and the whole twist ending was definitely unforgettable. I also loved the scenes on the planet with the mysterious alien as well as Xenomorph eggs. And of course Ash’s reveal is pretty awesome too.

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Alien is beautifully made. The direction from Ridley Scott is outstanding and this is his magnum opus without any doubt. It is magnificently edited and visually arresting with great effects and I loved how the ship looked as well as the alien and the android. It looks awesome for a 1979 film. And of course it sounds great thanks to such a good score and brilliant sound effects that only further heighten the tension. It truly is an undisputed genre classic.

Alien is a timeless masterpiece, the best sci-fi horror film and one of the finest blockbusters of all time. Ash the android is such a great character as is Ripley of course who is so well played by Sigourney Weaver in her most famous role. The film is mysterious and atmospheric in its first half and so intense and creepy in the second half. The direction, acting, story and thrills, brilliant editing and amazing special effects all add to such an unforgettable experience.

My Rating – 5

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