convincing space-opera as well as a character study

Rating: Null/10 (13 June 2001)

Has this become an all-star cast because the movie is brilliant or is the movie so good because the actors are great? I think both. Seven (plus a hairy quadruped) tour-de-force performances make it a convincing space-opera as well as a fantastic character study. I particularly like the interaction between Yaphet Kotto (Midnight Run, 1988) and Harry Dean Stanton (Paris Texas, 1984) as opportunistic engineers. I saw this film every year in the past 15 years, and that will definitely continue for decades. Since that first time I tend to compare every SF and every horror movie with this one, but just recently I realized that it's an unfair race against this horror-milestone. Ridley Scott builds up the pace towards the end and doesn't spill his guts (at once) so you aren't able to take your eyes off the screen.
This has the most intellectual plot (and coolest plot-twists) of all four alien-films: one of the key elements (why do they wake up in the first place?) of the film is the moral dilemma faced by commercial corporations anywhere to sacrificing employees in order to make more money or to make less profits in order to serve humanity. Strangely enough, the two SF masterpieces Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) made are also his only two intellectual achievements.
Here's one of the greatest movie scores of all time by Jerry Goldsmith (the Omen, Chinatown, L.A. Confidential), because it's subtle and instantly recognizable. As is the art direction, which was not only flawlessly executed here by Les Dilley and Roger Christian, but could also not be surpassed by any SF-horror without computer animations until now, and by which this genre stands or falls. No need to mention the concept artists. Derek Vanlint (cinematography) also puts his stamp upon the film very carefully. The nerve-wrecking hand-held scenes are also used to make the all-time scariest theatrical trailer you've ever seen. I hope there'll be no computer-animations in part five, for they could not compete with this art and are probably more expensive too.
Beware of Alien-wannabees like 'Pitch Black' and 'Leviathan' (entertaining though). If you liked this you should not miss Aliens, which is more of an adrenalized war-movie but does NOT disappoint.
Why o why can't we vote 11 :(