The '2001' of monster movies.

Rating: 10/10 (20 February 2007)

My Take: A gripping sci-fi thriller that hides in the dark and leaps at you when you least expect it.
(This is an extension of the review I wrote in February 2007)
If Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY revolutionized what we conceived of science fiction movies, then Ridley Scott's ALIEN is the 2001 of monster pictures. Here's a movie that takes something familiar (something as old as a space monster and the doomed interstellar crew in preys on) and serves the formula right. Add a touch of effective atmosphere and suspense courtesy of the slimiest, most streamlined monster in movie history since the shark from JAWS and you got a classic. I read a review of this film where the critic described ALIEN as a haunted house movie set in the infinity of space. I couldn't think of a better way to describe it.
It is in this film that we are introduced to the familiar plot (as of today) about crew members of commercial ship who come upon an alien roaming around their ship, killing them of one by one. This plot would soon be borrowed by other Sci-fi films, but only "Alien" does it right. Pretty unique for its kind. Unique too, is the film's use of super-advance technology, pretty new back then. The film is one of the first to exhibit the cryogenic sleep in space. I haven't seen anything as unique as that.
The film does all the Sci-fi things right, and even goes beyond its knowledge. Ridley Scott does it with great creativity, making up for some little-known flaws in the film. Little-known because Scott does what needs to be done, and done right.
Rating: ***** out of 5.