Alien is another one of those movies that I had never seen from start to finish, as in, I caught it on tv once or twice but only seen some parts and bits. So, yeah, this time I didn't miss a thing.
In a weird futuristic setting in which we have interstellar space travel but computers apparently never got past DOS, the crew of the Nostromos ship come across a strange planet and decide to investigate. In there, one of the crew members is attacked by a creature whose spawn breaks free inside the ship, attempting to kill everyone on board. The movie manages to mix the suspense and sci-fi elements very well. With minor exceptions.
This was retarded. Plus it's so ambiguous that I'm not giving anything away.
Sigourney Weaver stars as Ellen Ripley. The character is awesome: she can be tough as nails without falling into the emotionless badass stereotype. But other than that, there isn't much room for character development, both for Ripley and for the rest of the cast. But maybe that's for the best: if I had a fucking alien stalking me I wouldn't waste time explaining my childhood traumas or something. Even then you can get to know the basic traits of every character so you feel at least a little concerned for them when they die.
Sorry, but you're the token black guy. You won't make it.
The visual effects are pretty well done. You know the Alien's a tall dude in a suit, but you barely notice that. For pre-CGI standards, it's really good. The ship and the planet's surface are very detailed and believable too. What really enhances the movie is the athmosphere: it makes you feel the tension inside the ship, or conveys the sense of isolation in the planet.
So yeah, it was enjoyable. But while I can see why some people call it one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, I personally didn't find it THAT special or memorable. Worth watching, but not one of those "how come you've never seen it?" flicks.
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