Verdict
Summary
Alien is indeed a classic and although the pacing is slow, you’ll be too scared to turn away.
Plot: The commercial vessel Nostromo receives a distress call from an unexplored planet. After searching for survivors, the crew heads home only to realize that a deadly bioform has joined them.
Review: I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed the Alien series before so that’s this week taken care of. There isn’t much to say about Ridley Scott’s masterpiece that hasn’t already been said, but I’ll do my best.
From the very opening credits, the movie oozes creepiness and a sense of dread. Like Spielberg’s Jaws, we don’t get to see the creature until half way through the movie and the build up is worth the wait. It is a very slow-burn film and Ridley himself has even said that the movie is too slow in places, but at no point was my attention diverted from the screen.
If you watch this film for the first time, and know nothing about where the series went, you would think that the hero of the piece is going to be Tom Skerrit. He has “hero” written all over his face; but in a nice bit of story-telling, he is killed half-way through and the real hero is revealed: Ellen Ripley, played to perfection by Sigourney Weaver. She’s tough as nails but really likable and is one of the best female movie characters of all time.
The supporting cast are all excellent with Ian Holm giving a particularly bizarre turn as Ash, a robot who goes a little nuts later in the film. Considering he’s a machine, he has a bit of an attitude problem from the very start and you know he can’t be trusted.
John Hurt’s iconic scene is as disturbing as always; when the alien crashes through his chest, it’s still enough to put you off food for a few hours.
The film still stands up so well today because of the use of practical effects; the Alien itself remains the scariest creature in cinema history and its dual mouths are still inspired. H.R. Giger created a world we had never seen before, with his unique visual style, only amplified by director Ridley Scott’s own visuals, which is what really makes the movie the classic that it has become. The visual effects are the very best in sci-fi and the models create a real sense of scale to the huge Nostromo spaceship.
Jerry Goldsmith’s score is minimalist, using quiet wind sound effects to really create an atmosphere of utter terror, but also a feeling of isolation, which only amplifies your fear.
The final act has Ripley square off against the alien as she desperately tries to escape the doomed spacecraft. There are little details I love like her quietly putting on the spacesuit, which she would obviously need to survive when she blasts the creature out of the airlock and into space.
Overall, Alien is indeed a classic and although the pacing is slow, you’ll be too scared to turn away.
