A classic!... need I say more?...

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2012)

From the very first scene to the very last this film both looks and sounds quite menacing. The design and the music are all superb and the performances, although a little chaotic at times are all excellent. Of course the stand-out performance comes from, the quite young at the time, Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. In a role she was to make her own she was a little raw, but you could see the quality there. Next up (for me) was Ian Holm as Ash; he played what must have been a difficult part very well. Yaphet Kotto as Parker and Harry Dean Stanton as Brett played the blue collar grunts very well, and also provided some much needed comic relief here and there. Tom Skerritt did OK as Dallas, although I felt it wasn't a particularly demanding role. Veronica Cartwright did a decent job as Lambert and John Hurt, who has one of the most iconic scenes in sci-fi film history, played it with great aplomb. Finally a word for Jones the ship's cat (uncredited) Some great cat acting from that kitty.
The film has quite a slow pace that slowly builds to an almost frenetic conclusion. I must admit that having seen the follow-up 'Aliens' (1986), directed by James Cameron, I lost a little of the love I had for this one. You'll be pleased to know I've grown up a bit since then and can now see the merits of both films. There is a certain quality to every scene in this film, whether it's the sound design, the music or just the sets themselves, it looks and sounds quite brilliant. It's creepy as hell and I believe Ridley Scott has learned the art of allowing the audience enough of a glimpse for them to make up the rest of the monster in their own minds. This is (of course) where all the best monsters lurk It's not perfect though, there are a few rough edges here and there, but even so well worth a look!... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
My score: 8.9/10
IMDb Score: 8.5/10 (based on 285,345 votes at the time of going to press).
MetaScore: 83/100: (Based on 22 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes 'Tomatometer' Score: 97/100 (based on 86 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes 'Audience' Score: 90/100 'Liked it' (based on 406,570 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.