A flawed classic that provided the blueprint to better movies of it's kind

Rating: 7/10 (21 February 2012)

The only "Alien" related movie I had seen before this was "Alien vs. Predator" and it had terrible acting, a bad storyline, and the times when we actually see the creatures in their element are limited at best.
When I sat down to watch this epic movie that started it all, I thought this was going to be next to perfection. Either my expectations were too high or it doesn't live up to it's hype.
Pros: - the casting is great and the actors and actresses do well with what their given. - for the time period, the special effects and filming certain sequences were brilliantly done. - when the movie actually picks up, it does live up to it's hype as the sci-fi/horror thriller that was so influential.
Cons: - Ridley Scott focuses on landscape shots and scenes that don't really benefit the movie at all. I would say a good 40 minutes or more of this could've been scrapped. - By wasting film with these scenes that drag on and on with no purpose, the basis of the movie is more blurred and unfocused. - *SPOILER* When the creature finally gets on board and starts it's havoc, the movie becomes interesting. Instead of focusing on storyline and the thrill of hunting the alien, it seems like the writers and Ridley Scott were trying to more focused on pointless visual film sequences.
I know a lot of people defend this movie by saying that it's a different kind of movie than Aliens or Alien 3, but I personally think this could've been executed better and I hope someday that they re-make this properly.
This movie loses a star because of it's very bold "cons" but at the same time, it really IS a movie you should watch at least once to form your own opinion.