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Unfortunately, there aren't ten great alien movies. Why not?Apr 23 '01 (Updated Apr 24 '01) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Aliens aren't alien enough in most alien flics. Sometimes they're just hyperlogical, pointy-eared humans. But there are a few good ones. Looking through the reviews in this topic, I was happy to see the complete omission of both the Star Trek and Star Wars films. That's because I like my aliens to be alien, not just nasty humans like Worf, hyperlogical humans like Spock, or sickly sweet, long-necked humans like E.T. Furthermore, I don't think a movie about aliens should limit their appearance to the last few minutes of the film as in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Abyss or not show them at all as in Contact. That said, there are only a handful of alien movies I like: Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) have truly alien aliens. They not only look like nothing you've seen before, but their only interest in humans is as food for their larvae, and beyond that, we have very little insight into what makes them tick. That's what makes them interesting and horrifying. The feelings of claustrophobia, suspense, and in your face horror are intense in both films. Casting a woman as the level headed survivor and natural leader was another brilliant stroke. War of the Worlds (1953), again, has aliens that aren't just "odd" humans. Their motivations are largely unknown, but clearly have no common ground with humans, whom they intend to systematically eliminate. The alien feeling in this film comes as much from the seemingly indestructible Martian war machines (still a chilling special effect) as from the all too brief Martian appearances. Independence Day (1996) is just a technologically updated and higher firepower version of War of the Worlds. Although the special effects are excellent, and the aliens' motivation alien, it never resonates at the emotional level of War of the Worlds. But, the moment in which Will Smith punches a smelly alien in the face is a classic. Forbidden Planet (1956) creates a powerful alien presence, even though the aliens have been dead for millennia. They have left behind a mysterious, fully functional, 8,000 cubic mile, intelligent, self-repairing, self-modifying machine powered by the heat of their planet's core (pretty good collection of concepts for 1956). The only question is "what does it do?" The crew of a rescue mission eventually finds out. "Robbie the Robot" and odd comments about quantum mechanics provide comic relief. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). The alien visitor, Klatu, seems quite human, but his indestructible and seemingly all powerful robot, Gort, creates the alien presence in this film. Unfortunately, its special effects haven't stood the test of time, so I rate it below the other films listed here. It's saved by a literate script and good performances by Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, and Sam Jaffe. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), to my way of thinking, has two alien presences: the folks who left the obelisk on the moon and the HAL 9000 computer, neither of which can be fathomed by humans. Although ponderous and arty, the visual imagery is , well, visionary. The film's ambiguity leaves lots of room for discussion after you see it. Strangely, I think there are many more films in which humans are effectively portrayed as aliens, that is, creatures that are somehow incomprehensible outsiders to the realm of us "normal" humans. I'll just give one example: David and Lisa (1962) is the story of the attachment that develops between two mentally disturbed teenagers while they are institutionalized. Keir Dullea, Dave in 2001 played David in this disturbing film.  |
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