Review of Alien (1979) by Keenan S — 09 May 2014

I'm not sure of why precisely - perhaps after recently playing the rather so-so Aliens: Colonial Marines video game - I had an intense hankering to re-watch the Alien films (Including the prequel, Prometheus, which I really love). I must say that I was mistaken to rate this film 4.5/5 (Not that the score is bad by any means, but I feel now that it should have been higher), because it is even better than that, as it is a classic sci-fi/horror film that never ages and actually gets better as you get older and learn to appreciate it more. And, in all honesty. out of all the films, this one is my personal favorite, even over the more beloved, but still kick-ass, Aliens.

The plot focuses on the crew members of a mineral ore vessel, the Nostromo. Though they believed they were on their way back to Earth, it turns out the computer program known as "Mother" received a transmission from what is believed to be an alien source, so the crew is forced to go and investigate the transmission by contract, unless they wish to forfeit their shares with the company.

During an investigation on the planet (Later known as LV-426 in Aliens), the crew discovers an alien craft crashed on the planet and one of their crew members ends up being attacked by an alien creature which attaches itself to his face and the crew can do nothing to remove it without killing him.

However, after a short period of time, it seems the creature has died and that Kane seems to be okay despite his ordeal, until the crew is dining together and an alien creature laid by the face-hugger bursts from his chest. Now the crew has to contend with this terrifying menace as it kills them one by one and there is little they can do about it as the horror unfolds.

I think one of the reasons why I enjoy this Alien film above all the others is that it takes place on a smaller scale. Sure it's only one alien, but what makes this film so frightening is the fact that the characters dealing with this scenario are by no means combat-trained and they are trapped within a small space with this one menacing creature. It's far scarier when the terror is more up close and personal, as well as with few weapons or means to deal with the horror. It's all about the survival and I enjoyed how it unfolded at a slow and methodical pace before truly bursting with the terrifying, suspenseful, and riveting climax.

This film is also further bolstered by phenomenal acting as the actors make their characters feel like real people and definitely know how to show being scared. Plus, the crew is also rather interesting by themselves and all have great chemistry with one another. They were very capable in making the viewer believe in the scenario they were put in.

The film also has a very creepy atmosphere to it with the ship's grimy and darkly-lit corridors in which the alien hunts its human prey. The set pieces were truly stunning along with the special effects, especially with how the alien itself looks. The atmosphere is made even more frightening by the superb music score by legendary film composer, Jerry Goldsmith who strikes gold yet again with this score.

With its great story, great acting, superb music, dark atmosphere, and plenty of scares and suspense, Alien is a superb masterpiece of both science fiction and horror that will forever be a classic that never ages. It's definitely one of the greatest sci-fi and horror films ever made. If you love a good film from either genre, Alien is a must-see.