I remain underwhelmed, I'm afraid

Rating: 7/10 (21 April 2008)

This film is quite popular, at least judging from it's rating(as I'm writing this, it's placed #50 on the top 250 list). I realize that this was probably a benchmark for special effects when it was made, but now the effects seem incredibly dated(which they don't, at the very least to the same extent, in pieces from the same period, best example being Star Wars), and many scenes seem clichéd today, even though I suppose they were fresh when it was made. I guess the main problem with the thing is that it doesn't age well, but I also think it lacks too much in both character development and humor... just a little comic relief would have made the nearly two hours go by so much easier(for me, this merely gets slower and less watchable with each repeated viewing). Attempts at making you laugh fall flat on their faces. There are far more unintentional laughs to be had, at various corny and odd things(why does this have so much weird stuff in it, and why do the people who love it just accept that?). More often than not, to me(and one person I know who *loves* these movies), this just ends up being too hard to take seriously. I'm willing to entertain the theory that Ridley Scott's stuff just isn't for me, I've yet to be amazed by him. For how much sheer, unsynthesized acting talent this has, the players have next to nothing to work with(they do turn in fine performances). Nonetheless, the film does manage to scare me and provide some shocks, even though I've seen this and the other films at least three times before. The film manages to establish a pretty nicely done, spooky atmosphere that lasts for most of the film, despite its shortcomings and the very formulaic ending. The plot isn't bad, and it takes off almost immediately, keeping you fairly interested. The characters are so-so, though there aren't any really startlingly poorly written ones. The creature effects are decent enough, and they do not fail to impress at least a little. The editing has moments that are just strange, the cinematography has reasonably little to offer. Props to whoever ensured that the realism was kept at such a high level. The sets, and in general the production design, is all well-done(some is nothing short of breathtaking). I've read one suggestion that stories set where this is and similar are more straining on the audience, and they are more likely to be bored, in spite of the potential talent possessed by those who put it together... I'm inclined to agree. There is some language, and violence as well as gore is also featured herein. I have to admit, I see this as valuable more as an introduction to the world of the title creature, and find, for example, Cameron's expansion of, and further adventure within, it considerably more worthwhile. Don't expect a masterpiece, and prepare to test your patience, especially if you've seen many of these films. The "Director's Cut"(though he feels the original fits that bill better... hey, at least it's not as bad as the alternate name, "Extended Version", which is even a misnomer as it *shortens* the overall length) adds a few things, which you may find worth a look, if you like it(not that there are that many, I count five chapters with additions in the DVD's own breakdown). The commentary track is an OK enough listen, some of the stuff said is cool to hear. I recommend it to fans of alien-type science fiction, and fans of sci-fi horror films(as such, it's good enough) in general. I suggest any possible Alien-fans to-be to start with this film, rather than any of the other films. The series works best in correct order. 7/10