Does not stand the test of time

Rating: 5/10 (15 June 2012)

Having just watched Alien for the first time, I cannot give it more than a 5/10. The film was mediocre at best. It began slowly, and honestly, never really picked up; in fact, I almost decided to stop the movie and go do something else since it was quite boring.
Let me explain a bit further. The characters are weak, showing no development and very little likability. Thus, I had no care for them throughout the film and so they provided little incentive for me to keep watching. If anything, the pure annoyance at the characters' decisions made me want to turn off the movie even more.
Furthermore, the plot was very straightforward and could not stand by itself. If you think for a moment about what would happen in a film named "Alien", chances are you are spot on.
Because of this, I have a feeling that this movie must have stood on the laurels of its visuals and its novelty during the era. For contemporary viewers, these no longer hold much weight, and so the movie crumbles. As an analogy, I believe that similar remarks will be made about movies like James Cameron's Avatar in a few decades.
To summarize, this is not a film that has withstood the test of time.