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Alien (1979) Rank 3 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Alien (1979) a score of 3.5530 out of 4
based on (255) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Excellent
4
Excellent
(193)
Very Good
3
Very Good
(49)
Good
2
Good
(7)
Fair
1
Fair
(1)
Poor
0
Poor
(5)
Reviews by Score:
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.48 out of 4 stars for eCinemaCenter.com (Gabe Leibowitz)eCinemaCenter.com (Gabe Leibowitz)
In an era where the horror genre has faded into a laughable mix of teen slashers and formulaic storylines, Alien provides a welcome nostalghic dose of authentic terror. ...read the complete Alien movie review at eCinemaCenter.com (Gabe Leibowitz)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Scifilm ("Bear")Scifilm ("Bear")
The 1970s were a time of great change for American Cinema. There was more permissiveness about what could be shown and some movies became more overtly sexual or graphically violent. There was also a near revolution in terms of special effects and movies ...read the complete Alien movie review at Scifilm ("Bear")
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for TeenHollywood.com (Lynn Barker)TeenHollywood.com (Lynn Barker)
Before all the copies and the sequels, there were all the original monster-in-space films of the 1950's. Then, in 1979, Gladiator director Ridley Scott renewed the genre with his spine-chilling space-crew-trapped-in-a-can fright fest, Alien and it broke ...read the complete Alien movie review at TeenHollywood.com (Lynn Barker)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Mondo DigitalMondo Digital
If a movie series can be judged best by how often it reinvents itself, the Alien films must be at the top of the list. While the most successful action and science fiction film series like Lethal Weapon, Predator, et al, essentially stuck to the same ...read the complete Alien movie review at Mondo Digital
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)
Science fiction is a handy genre: it is possible for people who doesn't really know much about it to transpose another genre (western, horror, detective) unto it, look cool in the process and make a bundle at the box office. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Guardian/ObserverGuardian/Observer
The crew of the mining ship Nostromo are woken from hypersleep when the vessel intercepts an SOS signal from a far-off beacon. Going to investigate, one member of the team, Kane, is impregnated by an alien creature which then explodes from the human ...read the complete Alien movie review at Guardian/Observer
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for San Francisco Chronicle (Peter Hartlaub)San Francisco Chronicle (Peter Hartlaub)
"Alien: The Director's Cut" is a more subliminal breed of special edition. Moviegoers who haven't seen the film in a decade probably will not notice which scenes Ridley Scott altered, but the update still feels like a streamlined improvement on the ...read the complete Alien movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Peter Hartlaub)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Exclaim! (Chris Gramlich)Exclaim! (Chris Gramlich)
Just in time for its 24th anniversary and Halloween, one of the scariest movies ever made (please, no Brown Bunny jokes) is being re-released for the big screen, deluxe treatment (new scenes, digitally remastered, etc.) and all. But nostalgia has a way ...read the complete Alien movie review at Exclaim! (Chris Gramlich)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
In the video era, it's unusual for a movie to get a national re-release. Today, instead, more than ever, we get amplified DVDs -- restorations, director's cuts, deluxe double-disc editions and whatnot. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for The Cinema Source (Dan Deevy)The Cinema Source (Dan Deevy)
I have to admit, this movie really did nothing for me. I know that it’s supposed to be a “classic” and that it was the first to blend a sci-fi story with such graphic horror elements, but the story was just so incredibly weak that I really didn’t ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Cinema Source (Dan Deevy)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Fantastic Movie Musings and RamblingsFantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings
Much has been made of how this science fiction/horror movie resembles IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE, but unless someone has tracked down undeniable proof that the earlier movie was the inspiration for this one, I'm more likely to chalk it up to ...read the complete Alien movie review at Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Movie House CommentaryMovie House Commentary
I have an old business friend who used to be a pretty big-time Hollywood producer, and he told me that he believes director Ridley Scott to be a brilliant director, maybe the greatest of all time, and absolutely capable of mastering any kind of material ...read the complete Alien movie review at Movie House Commentary
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Crazy for CinemaCrazy for Cinema
I find the first 30 minutes of this movie to be excruciatingly long and boring, but once it gets going it cranks up the creepiness level so high you'll be squirming in your seat. I personally prefer it's adrenaline pumped, kick-ass sequel ALIENS, but ...read the complete Alien movie review at Crazy for Cinema
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
This thriller set in outer space is the box-office hit of the summer. It capitalizes on our fear of monsters in the dark. Nostromo, an interstellar space transport, picks up signals from a strange planet. Crew members go out to investigate and return to ...read the complete Alien movie review at Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Exclaim! (--)Exclaim! (--)
Just in time for its 24th anniversary and Halloween, one of the scariest movies ever made (please, no Brown Bunny jokes) is being re-released for the big screen, deluxe treatment (new scenes, digitally remastered, etc.) and all. But nostalgia has a way ...read the complete Alien movie review at Exclaim! (--)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for DVD Times Alien Quadrilogy (Mike Sutton)DVD Times Alien Quadrilogy (Mike Sutton)
It seems incredible that there was once a time when Alien didn’t exist. It’s one of those films which has been so influential and made such a mark on popular culture that it’s difficult to accept that it’s only 24 years since it was made. Its ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVD Times Alien Quadrilogy (Mike Sutton)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.comfilmcritic.com
The good news: Sigourney Weaver’s famous underwear shot, which probably launched millions of now middle-aged men straight into puberty and beyond, has survived Ridley Scott’s keen eye in his digitally remastered 2003 director’s cut of Alien. ...read the complete Alien movie review at filmcritic.com
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Horror Express (Jonathan Stryker)Horror Express (Jonathan Stryker)
ALIEN is the ultimate monster movie. Like JAWS, ALIEN benefits from creating a sense of fear by not showing the central creature except in small glimpses. Mechanical problems with the shark were probably the best thing that could have happened to JAWS as ...read the complete Alien movie review at Horror Express (Jonathan Stryker)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for FilmHead.com - Video PickFilmHead.com - Video Pick
Instead of Jaws, Harlin's film is actually reminiscent of the second film. A seven member crew aboard a mining ship is invaded by a malicious space creature. As her shipmates are being killed off, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) must find a way to kill the ...read the complete Alien movie review at FilmHead.com - Video Pick
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader ReviewsThe BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
Ridley Scott's sci-fi classic that follows a ship and its crew that investigates an SOS signal from a unvisited planet, only to find that the signal was not a rescue request, but a dire warning. ...read the complete Alien movie review at The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for CultureDose.net (John Nesbit)CultureDose.net (John Nesbit)
Released in 1979, Alien plays like the dark side of George Lucas’ Star Wars and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001. The film opens with a giant, blackened ship named the Nostromo that is returning a crew of seven to Earth. Why these people have been away from ...read the complete Alien movie review at CultureDose.net (John Nesbit)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Kinnopio's Movie Reviews (--)Kinnopio's Movie Reviews (--)
...read the complete Alien movie review at Kinnopio's Movie Reviews (--)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Hollywood.com (--)Hollywood.com (--)
...read the complete Alien movie review at Hollywood.com (--)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Dark Horizons (Garth Franklin)Dark Horizons (Garth Franklin)
...read the complete Alien movie review at Dark Horizons (Garth Franklin)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Fantastica Daily (Mervius)Fantastica Daily (Mervius)
[Sigourney] and this movie symbiotically made each other into stars. Ripley is arguably the strongest female character ever put on film. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Fantastica Daily (Mervius)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Movie Views (Ryan Cracknell)Movie Views (Ryan Cracknell)
Scott can still get me to jump by putting me almost on edge and then throwing me overboard with a small but loud hiss or from something that leaps out of the darkness. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Movie Views (Ryan Cracknell)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Film Journal International (Lewis Beale)Film Journal International (Lewis Beale)
Hoo ha! Twenty-four years later, Alien still kicks some serious butt.If nothing else, Alien had the coolest tagline ever given to a movie: "In space, no one can hear you scream." And seen on a big screen 24 years after its initial release, the film is as ...read the complete Alien movie review at Film Journal International (Lewis Beale)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for The Cinema Source (Dan Deevy)The Cinema Source (Dan Deevy)
I have to admit, this movie really did nothing for me. I know that it’s supposed to be a “classic” and that it was the first to blend a sci-fi story with such graphic horror elements, but the story was just so incredibly weak that I really didn’t ...read the complete Alien movie review at The Cinema Source (Dan Deevy)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Metaphilm Metaphilm
In 1979, Ridley Scott filled theatres with the most terrifying science fiction film of all time: Alien. At the time, it was hailed as a superb thriller and a genre film light-years ahead of its time. What few realize is that Alien and its three sequels ...read the complete Alien movie review at Metaphilm
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
Twenty-some odd years after scaring the bejesus out of me as a thrill-seeking teenager, Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror hallmark "Alien," re-released today in a new Director's Cut, doesn't hold up as well as I'd anticipated. ...read the complete Alien movie review at SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)
"Alien" is a classic horror and sci fi film. Director Ridley Scott and writer Dan O'Bannon combine the suspense and terror of a teen slasher film with the production values and style of a cerebral space exploration action film. The result is a tense ...read the complete Alien movie review at filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Deseret News, Salt Lake City Deseret News, Salt Lake City
It's not time that's been unkind to "Alien"; it's director Ridley Scott. For the second time — the first was with the 1982 sci-fi thriller "Blade Runner" — Scott has gone back to one of his films and tinkered with it. And for the second time, ...read the complete Alien movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for MovieWeb (B. Alan Orange)MovieWeb (B. Alan Orange)
Is this still coming out? I haven't seen any ads or trailers touting the fact. Did they dupe the world's worst critics into watching another childhood dream drown in the seas of wretchedness? Possibly. The dude with the beach balls, Purple Clog Man, ...read the complete Alien movie review at MovieWeb (B. Alan Orange)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Movie Vault (Greg C.)Movie Vault (Greg C.)
On the space oil transpot Nostromas, Warrent Officer Ellen Ripley and her crew come across an abandond spaceship, with something not-so-nice inside. A member of the crew comes across a room full of strange, egg-like capsules. As he gets closer to one to ...read the complete Alien movie review at Movie Vault (Greg C.)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Entertainment Insiders (Rusty White)Entertainment Insiders (Rusty White)
I enjoyed the deleted scenes. There is information about where the scenes would have been and why they were deleted. I am tempted to restore them and see how the film works that way. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Entertainment Insiders (Rusty White)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Movie-Vault.com (Avril Carruthers)Movie-Vault.com (Avril Carruthers)
The techniques that made Alien the ‘scariest movie ever made’ in 1979 are still chillingly potent in this director’s cut for the big screen, and those who are too young to have been gripped by the original in movie theatres will not be disappointed. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Movie-Vault.com (Avril Carruthers)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)
Besides the visual eye candy and a couple of interesting plot twists, what I can admire about Alien is similar ...read the complete Alien movie review at ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Slant MagazineSlant Magazine
he austere minimalism of Ridley Scott's Alien has kept it from becoming dated. Originally released in 1979, this "haunted house in outer space" scary movie still manages to spook audiences, though its infamous "chest bursting" scene plays somewhat ...read the complete Alien movie review at Slant Magazine
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Tail Slate (Michael Sheridan)Tail Slate (Michael Sheridan)
I first saw Alien when I was a young child. It was on television late one night. I don’t recall being particularly scared, but I did enjoy the film. It was exciting, with cool special effects — for the time — and a great creature. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Tail Slate (Michael Sheridan)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for DVDnett.noDVDnett.no
Den splitter nye, og jeg vil si fullkomne Alien-boksen, består av hele ni discer, inneholder samtlige fire Alien-filmer, og drøssevis med ekstramateriale, nærmere bestemt over 30 timer ekstramateriale. Boksen byr på grundige og ærlige dokumentarer ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVDnett.no
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for DVDnett.noDVDnett.no
Alien har utrolig nok klart å få tyve år på baken, men slik ser det faktisk ikke ut. Denne filmen holder seg usedvanlig godt, med unntak av noen modell- og datascener som halter en liten smule, og Ridley Scotts mareritt-aktige sci-fi grøsser er en ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVDnett.no
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Tiscali UKTiscali UK
A couple of years after the hugely successful re-release of The Exorcist comes another seminal 70s horror film, freshly minted and digitised for a new generation. The good news is that it stands up as one of the finest examples of the sci-fi horror genre ...read the complete Alien movie review at Tiscali UK
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for DVDRAMADVDRAMA
Labellisé THX, il s’agit exactement du même master et du même transfert que pour le DVD zone 1. À savoir l’image la plus belle jamais obtenue (les rééditions laserdisques NTSC l’étaient déjà mais ne bénéficiaient hélas pas du transfert ...read the complete Alien movie review at DVDRAMA
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Black Flix (Laurence Washington)Black Flix (Laurence Washington)
Director Ridley Scott’s sci-fi "monster in house" classic, "Alien," returns to the theater 24 years later with additional footage and the usual suspects in tow: chest busters, face huggers…you know the drill. ...read the complete Alien movie review at Black Flix (Laurence Washington)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Empire MoviesEmpire Movies
What can I write about Alien that hasn't been said a million times? The very definition of a classic horror film (and yes, I'll fight to the death on the fact that this is straight up horror), it combines amazing visuals, one of the most memorable ...read the complete Alien movie review at Empire Movies
Alien (1979) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for The (Georgetown) Hoya The (Georgetown) Hoya
Surely if an event like that ever happened, virtuosos such as David W. Griffith, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick would answer the call. Another man that is sometimes overlooked in this regard is uber-producer/director Ridley ...read the complete Alien movie review at The (Georgetown) Hoya
Alien (1979) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for And You Call Yourself a Scientist! (Liz Kingsley)And You Call Yourself a Scientist! (Liz Kingsley)
I don’t know, maybe I’m overreacting. Probably I am. But to have that scene come so completely out of the blue, to force this film’s strong and resourceful heroine into such a demeaning situation when it is so patently unnecessary is not merely ...read the complete Alien movie review at And You Call Yourself a Scientist! (Liz Kingsley)
Alien (1979) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Chad PolenzChad Polenz
From the title alone, "Alien" doesn't sound too appealing because it's so generic and boring. It's the epitome of a scifi title, and not surprisingly, this is the epitome of a scifi movie. It takes place in the distant future and in outer space, ...read the complete Alien movie review at Chad Polenz
Alien (1979) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)
It turns out that in the future, problems with defense contractors only get worse and computers still won't compute anything of consequence when you need them to. Out of a host of actors who will go on to be respected and recognized (Sigourney Weaver, ...read the complete Alien movie review at Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)
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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
3.6601
Alien (1979) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
3.5530
Alien (1979) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
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