Alien Nation

Starring: James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, Terence Stamp
Directed by: Graham Baker
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Science Fiction
1988

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: After aliens crash land on Earth, they are reluctantly accepted into Los Angeles society. A human cop (James Caan) partners with the first alien detective (Mandy Patinkin) to uncover the truth about a series of alien murders that seem to be connected.

Review:

Tim: Buddy cop movies have been done again and again, so it requires a new twist to keep audiences interested. Alien Nation features such a twist- one of the cops is an alien! However, to be fair, this movie is so much more than just an interesting twist. This is really a fascinating look at what it might be like if an alien race came to Earth, and was assimilated into our culture. This is more than just an interesting concept, and the movie is better because of it.

The best parts of this film are the commentary on what it would be like with an alien race living in Los Angeles. There would obviously be some racism... speciesism? There would be some that succeed and advance in our civilization, others that turn to a life of crime. This imagined world- but imagined in a realistic fashion- makes this movie very, very good. I loved this side of the film, and it was so fascinating to watch this world on screen. The rest of the movie, though, is just an average cop movie. There is a plot about narcotics, murders, shady businessman, and expendable thugs. Yes, the sci fi twist makes this interesting, but pulling that layer back reveals this is pretty much just another cop movie. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of imagination with the plot. It almost felt like all the energy was spent on the alien race aspects, and not enough on the rest of the film.

The cast that matters is really just James Caan and Mandy Patinkin. Caan is always good at these types of roles, and he really works well as a gruff cop with a bias toward the alien "Newcomers." I thought he delivered a strong performance, and was easily the best part of this entire movie. Patinkin works well as the first alien detective, and he and Caan work well together. The real heart of this movie belongs to these two characters and their unlikely partnership. This makes up the core of the movie, and everything else around it works because of this duo. Now, I desperately wish someone else in the cast would have stood out, but no one does.

I struggled with what to think about Alien Nation. Just focusing on the imaginative alien twist, it is easy to get caught up in that and appreciate the chances this movie took. While I loved that aspect, I was wholly underwhelmed by the actual story. It is one that we have seen again and again, and I really wish there had been some good twists or at least more effort into this aspect of the plot. Because of this, I couldn't like this movie enough. I think that this is a decent, run-of-the-mill film that squanders its impressive original idea on tired cliches.





Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: District 9, Stargate, E.T.: The Extraterrestrial