Tense More Than Frightening

Rating: 7/10 (25 January 2011)

Director Ridley Scott does a great job in this sci-fi classic of building suspense without resorting to much in terms of blood and gore or the normal sci-fi staple of futuristic weapons, etc., with much of the suspense being built by the wise decision to have the movie focus (the title notwithstanding) not on the alien, but on the crew of the Nostromo, a space freighter that investigates a signal it picks up that leads it to a hellish planet where it picks up an uninvited guest. The movie starts slowly. It gives the viewer a feel for the crew and who they are and the relationships that exist between them. Once on the planet, the atmosphere becomes one of mystery and then, with the introduction of the alien, it takes on that tense atmosphere that permeates most of the story.
Scott makes good use of the settings - the surface of the planet and then especially the dark and somewhat claustrophobic atmosphere of the bowels of the Nostromo, where the crew begins its search for the creature that's starting to pick them off one by one. We never really get a great look at the alien. It exists mostly in the shadows or in brief and partial shots, which adds to the mystery. The sense of hopelessness is palpable - this alien appears to be a perfect predator with no obvious weakness or vulnerability.
The performances were good. The star of the movie is clearly Sigourney Weaver. This was a very early role for her, and she handled being the star quite well, backed up by a number of familiar faces such as Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright and Harry Dean Stanton - none of them huge mega-stars, but a solid enough cast. Although I liked the way this movie was put together and enjoyed its atmosphere very much, I'm not sure there was enough in it to compel me to seek out the sequels, because I don't really see where the sequels could go except into a more traditional human vs. alien battle.