Very overrated--boring

Rating: 1/10 (12 March 2002)

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!
How this is considered a classic is beyond me. I saw it when it first came out in 1979. I was 16--I was basically bored or disgusted by it. 22 years later my opinion hasn't changed. Why do I hate this? Let me count the ways:
1) The plot is old hat. It's basically a haunted house movie set in outer space.
2) There is zero characterization. The crew members are virtually interchangable. How can you care about somebody getting killed when you don't know who they are?
3) Getting a bunch of talented actors and giving them nothing to work with.
4) Overdone set design. Yes, it's impressive but it overwhelms what little plot there is. Nice set design does not make a movie.
5) People stumble around in dark corridors and dark rooms looking for a cat. Not once but TWICE! And this is after they know there's a killer alien on board!
6) What the hell is a cat doing on a space mission?
7) The characters act incredibly stupid.
8) The alien looks dumb--it's just a guy in a slightly modified alligator suit. Cool set of double teeth though.
9) What does the alien do with its victims? Two of them just disappear.
10) Why is the alien killing them? What reason? We're never given one. Oh wait--because it's in the script. That's why!
11) Sigourney Weaver strips to down to her underwear for no reason whatsoever at the end.
12) IT'S DULL!!!!!!!!
The only scene that works is the chest burster with John Hurt--but that's only a minute or two in a two hour film. Long, dull and stupid. I give this a 1--I wish I could go lower--it deserves a 0. Avoid at all costs. See "Aliens" instead. That's 100 times better than this.