Review - Alien

"Alien" is a science-fiction classic, and has become one of the most popular and widely imitated movies ever.
The movie opens in a cryogenic chamber aboard a deep space vessel called the Nostromo. Its crew has just been reawakened by the computer reacting to a distress beacon. They trace the beacon to a desolate planet, and upon entering the long-abandoned vessel, they discover hundreds of eggs. One hatches...and attacks a member of the crew. Brought back on board with an alien attached to his face, the crew struggles with what to do. Then, suddenly...the alien seems to die on its own. But as the ship returns to space...little do they realize that the horrors have just begun...and that there is something more sinister to all this than they realize.
The basic premise of "Alien" (a small group of people in an enclosed place, suddenly becoming hunted by a vicious monster) has quickly turned into one of the most used themes in all films (most notably science-fiction and horror). In this version, however, it is tense and well-played. The ship has a dark, cramped...almost claustrophobic feel...and it lends strongly to the movie. The characters' portrayal of fear and desolation grows with every crew member who dies. This movie also contains one of the first classic examples of a woman as the hero. Prior to "Alien", women were usually delegated to victims or screaming background pieces. Sigourney Weaver's Ripley is now considered one of the greatest female leads in movie history.
And of course...there is the alien itself. You never get a good look at it...which adds to its element of fear and surprise. H.R. Giger's design of the alien is one of the most unique in movie history...and easily one of the most memorable.
All of this adds up to an enjoyable and tense thrill ride from start to finish, and one of the best science fiction movies ever made.
"Alien"...in space, no one can hear you scream...
Starring - Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Veronica Cartwright. Directed by Ridley Scott.
Time - 1 hour, 57 minutes. Rated - R (Violence, language)