Not quite perfect, but very close (***1/2)

Rating: 9/10 (1 November 2003)

Ridley Scott's 1979 classic is back on the big screen with a few minor changes, just in time for Halloween.
Though it obviously has sci-fi qualities, "Alien" is first and foremost a horror film, and it's a grim and relentless one. The giant ship Nostromo that it takes place on plays the role of a haunted house and the Alien is like the killer in a slasher film, picking off members of the cast one by one.
However, its simplicity is exactly what gives it the raw charge it's always had. Like John Carpenter's great, underrated remake of "The Thing" that came out 3 years later, it gives us a cast of likable, middle-aged working stiffs, puts them in contact with a hostile alien presence, and coldly observes as they scramble for their lives, resulting in nearly unbearable and uniquely realistic suspense.
This was the first time I'd ever seen "Alien" on the big screen (I was 1 year-old when it came out), and I really enjoyed it. Some of the special effects look a little cheesy now, but most of them still look great.

As for the monsters, the egg-laying spider creature is still one of the ickiest in movie history, and the H.R. Giger designed mother Alien is a vicious, slimy beast that is not quite like any other.

The cast is great too, especially Sigourney Weaver as Ripley (of course), Tom Skeritt as the ship's studly captain (he'll survive a long time, right?), and Yaphet Kotto and Harry Dead Stanton, who are immensely enjoyable as two constantly grumbling mechanics.
"Alien" is a great movie, but there a few slow patches and I've always felt that it takes a little too long to really start kicking ass. Those are very minor flaws, though, and are all that's keeping it from my 4-star rating.

As good as "Alien" is, it would get dwarfed (in my opinion and many other peoples') by its 1986 sequel, James Cameron's astoundingly intense "Aliens", a brilliant action/sci-fi/horror film that is so good it's renowned as a masterpiece in all three of those genres. Compared to that movie, "Alien" looks downright humble. But it gets to job done, and done good.