Great Movie - Director's cut doesn't add anything

Rating: 10/10 (1 November 2003)

No spoilers included.
The director's cut of this film felt like an excuse to release it back in theaters, not really to enhance the original movie. They should have put the original version out there since there are only minor differences anyway, you are essentially watching the same film.
Anyway, whatever version you are watching is an excellent one. This movie is a slow paced, suspense filled sci-fi horror film. You may not like it, but you should at least give it a chance. A lot of movies have copied elements from it, however there has never been another movie with an atmosphere quite like it, including it's sequels.
What sets this apart from other horror films is great acting, amazing sets, overall attention to detail and amazing sound.
This critics always say that this film's biggest problem is a lack of character development. I think this was done on purpose because the film doesn't really need you to care about it's characters, however tries to place you in their shoes. Even with this approach, the acting is so good that you will feel like you get to know some of the characters. Specifically, I thought Weaver, Cartwright, Kotto and Stanton gave amazing performances for what they had to work with in the script.
Some of the sets used in the film are dated, specifically the computers. Considering that it came out before you could buy a personal computer makes these mistakes forgivable though. It doesn't really take away from the what the film is trying to do.
One thing to notice in this film is how brilliant the use of sound is. You can tell what's going on in the film if you have your eyes closed. The combination of a great score by Jerry Goldsmith, sound effects and even the times where the film is completely silent create a great audio work of art. The suspense is generated from sound more than from what you see. Combining this with the typical eye candy you would expect from a Ridley Scott film and you have something special.
10/10 - It has flaws but it's better than any other movie like it.