A classic film that withstands the test of time.

Rating: 10/10 (10 September 2004)

I watched this again recently as part of the Quadrilogy release. This was perhaps the first time all the way through since I missed it in the theaters (I was a newlywed and still in college...no money for movie tickets back then!). I am very impressed with how well this film has stood up over the years. The plot, while basic, does hold the attention of the audience. The acting is superb across the board and each of the actors makes the most out of the roles and clearly differentiates the characters. The special effects are very effective, even though they don't stack up to Star Wars or Close Encounters due to the film's limited budget. It is actually a very good thing that Ridley Scott did not attempt to make the same type of special-effects movie, since the plot, acting, and directing clearly carry the movie without it. In fact, this movie is much better than most movies that rely heavily on special effects, especially those cgi-heavy offerings such as The Hulk, The Matrix, and The Day After that offer nothing but special effects.