Incosistently flawless.

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2017)

The opening third of Alien provides for an immersive, captivatingly well shot and utterly tense sequence of scenes that sets a virtually impeccable standard of quality for the rest of the picture to match.
Therefore it is regretful that, to some extent, the remainder of the picture dissolves into an elongated cat and mouse chase that (despite the best efforts of the writers) occasionally feels dull and excessively long and somewhat dilutes the aforementioned immersion and tension.
That isn't to deny that a considerable length of the remainder is composed of commendably tense and terrifying moments.
Alien hosts a varied assortment of impressive performances, and consistently delivers some of the most intelligently crafted cinematography I can ever recall viewing.
Ultimately , I believe that Blade Runner is the more consistent and overall more immersive picture that succeeds in delivering a more alluring conclusion.
Alien may be inconsistent experience, though in it's highest quality scenes it's spectacular and reaches near masterpiece status, warranting viewing.