Alien
This movie may be a classic, but in 2024, it feels slow and overly quiet. The story and practical effects hold up, but the lack of engaging sound design makes it feel lifeless. While it's iconic for the genre, the pacing and suspense don't hit as hard as they once did.
Synopsis
A recovery ship on its way home is forced by law to respond to a beacon on a nearby planet. Upon arrival, a mysterious live form begins to reek havoc on the crew.
Review
I have to say, this movie has not aged well. I know it is a classic and I should love it, but I don't. It is a very slow movie with spits of action.
So the story is really good. The compromise of the crew to bring home the life form is awesome and plausible plot point. The practical affects are still some of the best in the industry and even presented a very niche word of sign creation. I can't remember the name, but it is about how to label fantasy/fiction words with signs. These two items and the acting are not what hurts this movie in 2024. The issue is sound.
Typically now, even with movies that have very detailed sound, you have some underlying tone. Something that is keeping you moving, with expectations to Space movies that rely on the emptiness of space as part of it to creep you out. This movie has some great sound design, which comes from a practical set, but it is just too quiet. There isn't little bumps in the night, there isn't a musical crescendo that drives you forward. Watching this now if it isn't your first time, will put you to sleep at times and that is ok.
My Rating
I want to like this movie because it spawned so much of the Alien concept that it is classic and important. However, I am bored with it. The ending of the movie during the escape sequence is skipping a plot detail mentioned before and overall it just lacks the fear you get in the rest of the movie. I understand its importance as having Weaver as the primary character and for the time, she is a great heroin. However, now she is just a lucky survivor. She just happened to be the one in the right place at the right time. Overall, it wasn't strategy that made her survive, it was luck. This movie isn't the 9 it was in the 70s/80s. It is a 6.
Parental Rating
While there are some sexual comments made and the whole movie is filled with sexual themes, there isn't any sex in it. Nudity is only in the background for pictures. Language is minimal. There are a couple violent scenes. Very violent and it isn't like people are not aware, but those scenes have gore and blood. My dad would watch and like this movie, but my mom won't touch it. Approved by dad and rejected by Mom.
| Category | Odin | Mom | Dad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | 🟩 | 🟨 | 🟨 |
| Sex | 🟩 | 🟩 | 🟩 |
| Entertainment | 🟨 | 🟥 | 🟩 |
| Blood/Gore | 🟩 | 🟥 | 🟩 |
| Story | 🟩 | 🟨 | 🟩 |
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