Scott delivers an unknowing flinching horror

Rating: 9/10 (2 October 2008)

A ship heading home is sent on an SOS to an unidentified planet where the crew discover the planet's mysterious creatures.
Ridley Scott's epic Sci-Fi has now become a landmark in the genre with a gruesome and horrific look at outer space and its mysteries.
Scott's direction is exceptional in capturing the right mood for the horrific scenes involving the Alien but more so, the sweeping shots of outer space when the crew lands on the unknown planet. The dark lighting and the chilling fog help create that creepy feeling and when entering new realms of the planet do we see an unknown universe, and plenty of unanswered questions, which is what Alien is all about.
Many scientists, and people in general, have debated whether there are other life forms in space, and Scott's look is a horrific fantasy, a dark and dangerous view of extra terrestrial life, which is brought to vivid life.
For a 70's film, the effects match those of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and are made effect through the chilling atmosphere and the choice of settings which together, make the ultimate fear and unknowing factor, which was vital to the plot.
The slow narrative takes a while to get going but once all the characters are established do we get the true sense of their mission and the situation, and when the Alien is introduced does the plot up the ante and dives into the thriller genre with fast extremely nerve wracking action, and terrifying suspense, and a couple of heart stopping moments.
The ideology of the unknown helps move the narrative along, and we see a look at how people react when choosing professional and personal decisions, which is denoted through some good lead performance.
The plot is strong with the intensity running the show. However there are lapses and the dialogue from the characters isn't always the sharpest.
Sigourney Weaver stands out as Ripley, the strong female lead of the picture and has created an icon of her character by starring in 3 sequels of the series. Her heroin is a true character, a strong female in the Sci-Fi genre is hard to find whatever year it is, and Ripley is possibly the most recognized female Sci-Fi character of the 70's alongside Princess Leia from Star Wars.
John Hurt cements one of the most gruesome sequences in cinematic history down in a telling and unforgettable manor.