This is the film that inspired the excellent television show and the many specials that followed its cancellation. This film has good performances by James Cann and mandy Patinkin, that elevate it above the norm. It is a combination buddy film, crime drama and science fiction story. Surprisingly it comes together very well. This film is not the best of the genre, some of the television shows surpass it, yet it worth a watch.
73 Reviews
Caan
kairingler10 July 2013
I just love anything James Caan is in so I decided to give this one a try, and boy was I glad that I did. Mandy Pantikin also did a nice job on the film,, and i'm a big Terrence Stamp fan so I enjoyed the acting,, the premise was excellent to,,, I graduated the year this came out but never got around to seeing it till much later., so the story goes that Caan has to take on a partner,, well he's sorta an alien and Caan resents that and has arguments and bickers with him constantly but eventually the learn to work together get along and eventually become good friends, they go up against some bad guy aliens who wish to do harm to the human race as they are selling some kind of drug that has deadly outcomes for those that inject it,, I think that this movie was ahead of it's time.. a great movie for sci fi lover's and James Caan as well. I was not disappointed whatsoever.
Underrated film from the 80s'
Agent1010 August 2006
While the eighties was rife with weird sci-fi films and epic films, a simple and biting film about alien visitation made a nice little landing in 1988. Alien Nation was one of those films that expertly grasped the the sci-fi/mystery sub genre with a decent story and good visuals.
The casting in the film was rather perfect, with the subdued Mandy Patinkin playing Francisco while the normally hotheaded James Caan got his licks as a racist cop named Sykes. Either way, their polar opposites worked perfectly in the film, showing a growing bond between the two as they shook off their differences and made a rather capable team. What I especially liked was how each player sincerely became their character, which is something that is pretty rare in many sci-fi films. While I do wish the movie was a little longer and put some more scenes of George integrating into his new position at the beginning, the film was good as it was.
Alien Nation proved to be one of the last good non-CGI sci-fi films. While Gattica is one of the few films that followed this ideal, at least we can look back at the genre before it became nothing more than an excuse to show off pretty effects.
The casting in the film was rather perfect, with the subdued Mandy Patinkin playing Francisco while the normally hotheaded James Caan got his licks as a racist cop named Sykes. Either way, their polar opposites worked perfectly in the film, showing a growing bond between the two as they shook off their differences and made a rather capable team. What I especially liked was how each player sincerely became their character, which is something that is pretty rare in many sci-fi films. While I do wish the movie was a little longer and put some more scenes of George integrating into his new position at the beginning, the film was good as it was.
Alien Nation proved to be one of the last good non-CGI sci-fi films. While Gattica is one of the few films that followed this ideal, at least we can look back at the genre before it became nothing more than an excuse to show off pretty effects.
Well made Sci-Fi
Lt_Coffey_18219 October 2005
Alien Nation is a cross over between Sci-Fi and the 'buddy cop' genre. What separates this from the usual buddy film is that instead of the difference being ethnic/class/gender, it is human (James Caan) and alien (Mandy Patinkin).
The clichéd beginning with the main character's partner being killed is done very well with stylish gunplay and set pieces. Caan really shines in the action scenes and it is great to see him in such a tough guy role. Caan is a great actor and can do more than macho as he shows in the scenes involving his daughter when Caan displays remorse, making the audience feel more sympathetic towards him. Caan aside, the cast is fairly mediocre, full of average actors except Terrence Stamp who puts on a good show as the bad guy.
Something I loved about this film is how similar everything is to The Terminator. This is due to the film being produced by Gale Ann Hurd and there being other members of the Terminator crew present. Like Terminator, Alien Nation greatly benefits from the dark, murky feel of the environment, giving it an edge over a lot of Sci-Fi films which suffer from being too 'shiny'.
The film does a great job at exploring racism, giving the impression of time repeating itself regarding the Western civilisations treatment of blacks when they were forced in to the country. Caan's conversion from despising the "Newcomers" to accepting them is admirable and convincing. It is not an overnight change and it is done discretely, very convincing.
As with a lot of escapism films, you can not take Alien Nation too seriously so it is best to approach this film with an open mind and desire to be entertained rather than wishing to be introspective. A very well made, enjoyable film.
The clichéd beginning with the main character's partner being killed is done very well with stylish gunplay and set pieces. Caan really shines in the action scenes and it is great to see him in such a tough guy role. Caan is a great actor and can do more than macho as he shows in the scenes involving his daughter when Caan displays remorse, making the audience feel more sympathetic towards him. Caan aside, the cast is fairly mediocre, full of average actors except Terrence Stamp who puts on a good show as the bad guy.
Something I loved about this film is how similar everything is to The Terminator. This is due to the film being produced by Gale Ann Hurd and there being other members of the Terminator crew present. Like Terminator, Alien Nation greatly benefits from the dark, murky feel of the environment, giving it an edge over a lot of Sci-Fi films which suffer from being too 'shiny'.
The film does a great job at exploring racism, giving the impression of time repeating itself regarding the Western civilisations treatment of blacks when they were forced in to the country. Caan's conversion from despising the "Newcomers" to accepting them is admirable and convincing. It is not an overnight change and it is done discretely, very convincing.
As with a lot of escapism films, you can not take Alien Nation too seriously so it is best to approach this film with an open mind and desire to be entertained rather than wishing to be introspective. A very well made, enjoyable film.
simple buddy cop movie with a layer of sci-fi on top
SnoopyStyle26 January 2016
An enslaved alien race in a spaceship lands in the dessert. A few year later, the aliens called Newcomers are being incorporated into human society. L.A. police detective xenophobic Matthew Sykes (James Caan) and his partner Bill confront an alien holdup gang. Bill is killed by advance weapon. Sykes gets a new partner in Newcomer Sam Francisco (Mandy Patinkin). Their investigation leads to Newcomer William Harcourt (Terence Stamp) and his scheme to distribute an alien drug.
This is actually a very simple buddy cop movie. They don't get along until they start getting along. The bad guy is literally a drug lord. The problem for so many people seems to be that they're expecting something else. I really like the idea of the alien being incorporated into society. It doesn't mean that all of a sudden the world has flying cars. It is in the everyday things that is interesting. It is what they eat, what they drink and what jobs they get. That's what this movie is doing.
This is actually a very simple buddy cop movie. They don't get along until they start getting along. The bad guy is literally a drug lord. The problem for so many people seems to be that they're expecting something else. I really like the idea of the alien being incorporated into society. It doesn't mean that all of a sudden the world has flying cars. It is in the everyday things that is interesting. It is what they eat, what they drink and what jobs they get. That's what this movie is doing.
Not half bad
zetes27 April 2001
Considering that it is little more than your standard cop buddy movie, the slight variation being that the buddies are a tough seen-it-all cop and a by-the-books rookie who is an alien, Alien Nation ends up being a pretty good film. You can give a lot of credit to James Caan and Mandy Patankin for that. They have great chemistry as the partners. Both are very accomplished actors, and they make a very cliched script into something well worth watching. 7/10
Premise more interesting than plot
smatysia29 January 2000
This is like a lot of movies where the premise is more interesting than the plot. The arrival of the "Newcomers" seems to be a metaphor for the immigrant experience in America, but this is not followed up. It goes from a sci-fi movie into a cop-buddy movie, and it's really not bad on that level. It seems, however that the filmmakers passed on an opportunity to make a really significant commentary. One wishes for the film that got away.
Entertaining allegory
grendelkhan14 September 2003
I've always liked this film despite its flaws. It is an interesting allegory of racial conflict, using a sci-fi premise and a "buddy-cop" formula. You have the minority rookie cop assigned to the bigoted partner, who are then assigned a case involving the minority group. The rookie proves to the bigot that people are the same, despite their physical differences and they slowly become friends.
Mandy Patinkin is great here, conveying the idea of an outsider who is not totally familiar with his new environment. James Caan is fine, but doesn't seem committed to the film, and his performance is a bit uneven. Terence Stamp is hurt by his makeup, as his face is one of his greatest strengths as an actor. Much of his characters come from his facial expressions and the makeup inhibits this.
The story is a bit cliched, but the sci-fi gloss keeps things from falling flat. The tv series was better able to explore the racial allegory, as the film just doesn't have enough screen time. The mystery component is pretty much standard fare. If you look beyond the surface of this film, there are some worthwhile ideas here. They just get a bit lost in the "cop" trappings.
Mandy Patinkin is great here, conveying the idea of an outsider who is not totally familiar with his new environment. James Caan is fine, but doesn't seem committed to the film, and his performance is a bit uneven. Terence Stamp is hurt by his makeup, as his face is one of his greatest strengths as an actor. Much of his characters come from his facial expressions and the makeup inhibits this.
The story is a bit cliched, but the sci-fi gloss keeps things from falling flat. The tv series was better able to explore the racial allegory, as the film just doesn't have enough screen time. The mystery component is pretty much standard fare. If you look beyond the surface of this film, there are some worthwhile ideas here. They just get a bit lost in the "cop" trappings.
Not as Good as First Advertised but Still a Decent Sci-Fi Film Just the Same
Uriah4315 September 2021
This film begins in the future with a giant spacecraft hovering over Los Angeles and it's filled with alien beings who have come to Earth hoping to find a better life than the one they left behind. As it so happens these "newcomers" were genetically bred for hard labor and as such they are an extremely adaptable species to just about any environment. Yet in spite of the advantages of having a docile and hard-working group of workers like these many Americans are fearful and intolerant of them. Such is the case with a Los Angeles police detective named "Sergeant Matthew Sykes" (James Caan) who has just lost his partner during a shootout with two of these aliens. Yet rather than distancing himself from these aliens he volunteers to accept a brand new partner by the name of "Sam Francisco" (Mandy Patinkin) who just happens to be one. But there's something about these "newcomers" that even he doesn't know and it's going to make his life much more difficult than he ever would have dreamed possible. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this movie was heavily advertised when it first came out and because of that I was somewhat disappointed with it at first. However, even though it may not have been the blockbuster I was expecting it was still entertaining enough due in large part to the acting for James Caan who played his role in an excellent manner. That being said, I liked this film for the most part and I have rated it accordingly.
An interesting film.
poolandrews28 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Alien Nation is set in Los Angeles several years after we make contact with a genetically engineered race of slave aliens whose spaceship has landed in the Mojave desert during 1989 & cannot take off again, these humanoid shaped aliens known as Newcomers are given the same rights as any human being & start to live & form a community in Los Angeles alongside us humans. Detective Sergeant Matthew Sykes (James Caan) & his partner Detective Bill Tuggle (Roger Aaron Brwon) stumble upon an armed robbery involving several Newcomers, during a shoot-out Tuggle is shot dead by a Newcomer. Determined to find his partner's killer Sykes volunteers to partner the first Newcomer (Mandy Patinkin) to make detective & use him for his own vendetta. However the situation becomes critical when the mismatched duo discover a prominent Newcomer named William Harcourt (Terence Stamp) making & selling a dangerous drug that is as addictive to Newcomers as Heroin is to us...
Directed by Graham Baker this is an odd film that on the one hand is so clichéd it's untrue but on the other feels like no other film I have ever seen. The script by Rockne S. O'Bannon at first glance would pass for a generic Lethal Weapon (1987) or any other buddy buddy cop film rip-off, the two films are incredibly similar including the mismatched partner's (one of whom gives the 'we ain't pal's or friends' line to begin with), the plot revolving around drugs is almost identical to Lethal Weapon, there's a car chase at the end, the final bad guy confrontation, the two partner's using their unique styles to question suspects, the fact that one hates the other at first but then grow's a mutual respect for them by the end & if you take away the sci-fi alien aspect of Alien Nation then the two films are virtually identical. However what saves Alien nation is that sci-fi element, in Lethal Weaopn there were racial tensions because of differing ethnicity but here in Alien Nation the idea is taken to the absolute limit as having two cops teamed up who aren't even members of the same species! This is where most of the interest in Alien Nation comes from, there are some really good character driven scenes including Sykes trying to tell a joke to his partner or explain what a condom is for instance while his Newcomer partner tries to present his people's side of the situation. This angle of the film isn't as deep or throughly explored as it might have been but that's another reason I like Alien Nation, all the obvious allergies to racial hatred & tension aren't too heavy handed, too forced, preachy or totally drown out the thriller aspects of the film.
Director Baker does an OK job here, he keeps things moving along at a decent pace although I'd have liked a bit more sci-fi in it. I mean the film isn't even set in the future & as such it has dated a little bit. There's a pretty cool car chase at the end & a couple of good shoot-outs but the appearance of an alien monster at the end felt a little out of odds with the rest of it. The alien make-up is OK if a little unimaginative, they just look like bald people with a mottled pattern on their scalps. I am not sure about this but apparently there are two versions of Alien Nation floating around, one with subtitles for when the Newcomers speak in their own language & one without the subtitles. I saw the version without subtitles & it did get quite annoying not understanding what they were saying to each other. The original musical score for Alien Nation composed by Oscar winner Jerry Goldsmith was rejected in post production for being 'too weird' even though it was complete to be replaced by the Curt Sobel soundtrack now heard on the final edit.
With a supposed budget of about $16,000,000 Alien Nation didn't have a huge budget but it does look good with good production values, special effects & Los Angeles location filming. The acting is good especially from James Caan who is great in this (did he have his gas cut off in the end?) while Terence Stamp is unrecognisable under all the make-up.
Alien Nation is an odd film since it is so clichéd & by the numbers except the alien angle which really does transform it from an average buddy buddy cop film to a throughly decent sci-fi thriller. Followed by the Alien Nation (1989) TV series which ran for twenty three episodes & the made-for-TV film Alien Nation (1989) before another five made-for-TV films including Alien Nation: Dark Horizon (1994), Alien Nation: Body and Soul (1995), Alien Nation: Millennium (1996), Alien Nation: The Enemy Within (1996) & finally Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy (1997) seem to have rounded things off.
Directed by Graham Baker this is an odd film that on the one hand is so clichéd it's untrue but on the other feels like no other film I have ever seen. The script by Rockne S. O'Bannon at first glance would pass for a generic Lethal Weapon (1987) or any other buddy buddy cop film rip-off, the two films are incredibly similar including the mismatched partner's (one of whom gives the 'we ain't pal's or friends' line to begin with), the plot revolving around drugs is almost identical to Lethal Weapon, there's a car chase at the end, the final bad guy confrontation, the two partner's using their unique styles to question suspects, the fact that one hates the other at first but then grow's a mutual respect for them by the end & if you take away the sci-fi alien aspect of Alien Nation then the two films are virtually identical. However what saves Alien nation is that sci-fi element, in Lethal Weaopn there were racial tensions because of differing ethnicity but here in Alien Nation the idea is taken to the absolute limit as having two cops teamed up who aren't even members of the same species! This is where most of the interest in Alien Nation comes from, there are some really good character driven scenes including Sykes trying to tell a joke to his partner or explain what a condom is for instance while his Newcomer partner tries to present his people's side of the situation. This angle of the film isn't as deep or throughly explored as it might have been but that's another reason I like Alien Nation, all the obvious allergies to racial hatred & tension aren't too heavy handed, too forced, preachy or totally drown out the thriller aspects of the film.
Director Baker does an OK job here, he keeps things moving along at a decent pace although I'd have liked a bit more sci-fi in it. I mean the film isn't even set in the future & as such it has dated a little bit. There's a pretty cool car chase at the end & a couple of good shoot-outs but the appearance of an alien monster at the end felt a little out of odds with the rest of it. The alien make-up is OK if a little unimaginative, they just look like bald people with a mottled pattern on their scalps. I am not sure about this but apparently there are two versions of Alien Nation floating around, one with subtitles for when the Newcomers speak in their own language & one without the subtitles. I saw the version without subtitles & it did get quite annoying not understanding what they were saying to each other. The original musical score for Alien Nation composed by Oscar winner Jerry Goldsmith was rejected in post production for being 'too weird' even though it was complete to be replaced by the Curt Sobel soundtrack now heard on the final edit.
With a supposed budget of about $16,000,000 Alien Nation didn't have a huge budget but it does look good with good production values, special effects & Los Angeles location filming. The acting is good especially from James Caan who is great in this (did he have his gas cut off in the end?) while Terence Stamp is unrecognisable under all the make-up.
Alien Nation is an odd film since it is so clichéd & by the numbers except the alien angle which really does transform it from an average buddy buddy cop film to a throughly decent sci-fi thriller. Followed by the Alien Nation (1989) TV series which ran for twenty three episodes & the made-for-TV film Alien Nation (1989) before another five made-for-TV films including Alien Nation: Dark Horizon (1994), Alien Nation: Body and Soul (1995), Alien Nation: Millennium (1996), Alien Nation: The Enemy Within (1996) & finally Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy (1997) seem to have rounded things off.
why don't the cops just carry water guns?
movieman_kev27 October 2006
In the future of 1991, alien slaves are Newcomers to Earth. One of the filthy potato head slags kills Detective Syke's partner, he is then forced to partner with another slag, Sam Franscisco (Mandy Patinkin, who never really found his way into much later with the great "Dead Like Me"). Talk about adding insult to injury. But I digress, in order to solve their first case, the have to work together despite their differences. A typical buddy/cop film despite the slags. Thankfully the film chooses to sprinkle the social commentary on race relations lightly on and the film's more about being an action movie. ( Sadly the subsequent TV series choose the opposite tact much to it's detriment). While it's not a great film by any means, the acting is merely serviceable (James Caan being the only standout), the plot is VERY formulaic and clichéd. But it's an enjoyable enough time waster when in the right mode. Plus it's the most skin you'll likely see from Leslie Bevis (and no she's not nude in this just the side)
My Grade: C-
My Grade: C-
Ahead Of It's Time...
jcdugger27 June 2006
Many people have the wrong impression of this movie. Most group it in within the "cop/buddy" genre and cheesy sci-fi. But "Alien Nation" is much more than that. In fact, it was way ahead of it's time.
I saw this movie in a dimly-lit, run-down Detroit-area theater at the age 14, an afternoon in the fall of 1988. I recall how the "atmosphere" of the movie matched that of the run-down theater I was sitting in. At 14, and with the title of "Alien Nation", a young kid like myself wanted to see weird alien creatures and lots of action. At the time, I was disappointed. This movie is about story, not action or weird aliens. Although I didn't really understand nor enjoy the movie at the time, it always stuck with me for some reason. So, nearly 18 years after seeing it on the silver screen, I re-watched it at home and was amazed by the depth of the story and the grittiness of the background. It was little wonder why I didn't like it at 14, but loved it at 32.
This story is really about race and immigration, with the hated race being alien immigrants. It shows how hatred and ignorance over race can transform one's personality, like the lead character played by James Caan.
Alien Nation asks questions about ourselves as humans. How would we react if aliens landed on Earth and announced they were escaping a brutal planet full of slavery and have immigrated to Earth? Would we accept them as our own, or would we force them to become outcasts? Would we allow an "Affirmative Action" scenario in regards to Aliens and Alien rights? Would we offer them high-paying jobs and/or top-notch education, depriving humans of those same jobs and quality education in exchange? To me, Alien Nation is one of the more possible (and perhaps likely) scenarios. Aliens delegated to run-down areas of big cities. Token jobs occasionally handed out because it's forced by the Government to do so. And a general disgust towards Aliens amongst the human population. In that regard, this movie was way ahead of the curve.
Great movie. 9 out of 10 stars. Recommended for those over 25, perhaps those with a higher intellect than most. Not recommended for someone looking for a "Men In Black" type of Alien movie. Not your typical Hollywood blockbuster filled with Aliens, that's for sure.
IMDb ROCKS!
JD
I saw this movie in a dimly-lit, run-down Detroit-area theater at the age 14, an afternoon in the fall of 1988. I recall how the "atmosphere" of the movie matched that of the run-down theater I was sitting in. At 14, and with the title of "Alien Nation", a young kid like myself wanted to see weird alien creatures and lots of action. At the time, I was disappointed. This movie is about story, not action or weird aliens. Although I didn't really understand nor enjoy the movie at the time, it always stuck with me for some reason. So, nearly 18 years after seeing it on the silver screen, I re-watched it at home and was amazed by the depth of the story and the grittiness of the background. It was little wonder why I didn't like it at 14, but loved it at 32.
This story is really about race and immigration, with the hated race being alien immigrants. It shows how hatred and ignorance over race can transform one's personality, like the lead character played by James Caan.
Alien Nation asks questions about ourselves as humans. How would we react if aliens landed on Earth and announced they were escaping a brutal planet full of slavery and have immigrated to Earth? Would we accept them as our own, or would we force them to become outcasts? Would we allow an "Affirmative Action" scenario in regards to Aliens and Alien rights? Would we offer them high-paying jobs and/or top-notch education, depriving humans of those same jobs and quality education in exchange? To me, Alien Nation is one of the more possible (and perhaps likely) scenarios. Aliens delegated to run-down areas of big cities. Token jobs occasionally handed out because it's forced by the Government to do so. And a general disgust towards Aliens amongst the human population. In that regard, this movie was way ahead of the curve.
Great movie. 9 out of 10 stars. Recommended for those over 25, perhaps those with a higher intellect than most. Not recommended for someone looking for a "Men In Black" type of Alien movie. Not your typical Hollywood blockbuster filled with Aliens, that's for sure.
IMDb ROCKS!
JD
"Your mother mates out of season."
Hey_Sweden25 February 2021
In the "future" year of 1991, an alien race arrives on Earth. After a period of quarantine has passed, the aliens - dubbed "Newcomers" - are being integrated into regular life on Earth. However, this merely causes a new form of intolerance and bigotry to emerge, as some humans REALLY don't care for this species, dismissing them and calling them "Slags". One such human is weary veteran police detective Matthew Sykes (a solid James Caan), who decides to work with his units' first Newcomer detective (an engaging Mandy Patinkin, as "Sam Francisco") because he believes that the alien will naturally have an inside track into the killing of his previous partner (Roger Aaron Brown).
"Alien Nation" takes what is a fairly standard cop movie plot - with a standard sort of hero - and gives it a degree of freshness by blending in the science-fiction genre and infusing it with some social commentary. Some of the fun also lies in the details that screenwriter Rockne S. O'Bannon comes up with: Newcomers get drunk on sour milk, what constitutes a powerful drug to them merely tastes like detergent to us, the males' vulnerable spot is NOT between their legs, and their fatal weakness is likewise unusual. But at the core of the films' appeal, what we have is simply great odd-couple chemistry between Caan and Patinkin. They're surrounded by a rich variety of character actors playing both human and Newcomer roles: Kevyn Major Howard, Peter Jason, Conrad Dunn, Jeff Kober, Brian Thompson, Francis X. McCarthy, Earl Boen, Frank Collison, et al. Leslie Bevis is sexy as a Newcomer who dances in a club.
The alien makeup by the people at Stan Winstons' studio is well done, and it's worth noting just what an excellent pace this story has. Clocking in at a reasonable hour and a half, the film is over before you know it. The under-rated filmmaker Graham Baker ("The Final Conflict", "Impulse") is in the directors' chair here, and he does a capable job, cutting to the chase quite nicely. The script certainly has its amusements, such as humans giving the Newcomers human names like the aforementioned "Sam Francisco" and "Rudyard Kipling".
This concept definitely endured for a number of years, as "Alien Nation" led to a TV series a year later as well as several TV movies.
Seven out of 10.
"Alien Nation" takes what is a fairly standard cop movie plot - with a standard sort of hero - and gives it a degree of freshness by blending in the science-fiction genre and infusing it with some social commentary. Some of the fun also lies in the details that screenwriter Rockne S. O'Bannon comes up with: Newcomers get drunk on sour milk, what constitutes a powerful drug to them merely tastes like detergent to us, the males' vulnerable spot is NOT between their legs, and their fatal weakness is likewise unusual. But at the core of the films' appeal, what we have is simply great odd-couple chemistry between Caan and Patinkin. They're surrounded by a rich variety of character actors playing both human and Newcomer roles: Kevyn Major Howard, Peter Jason, Conrad Dunn, Jeff Kober, Brian Thompson, Francis X. McCarthy, Earl Boen, Frank Collison, et al. Leslie Bevis is sexy as a Newcomer who dances in a club.
The alien makeup by the people at Stan Winstons' studio is well done, and it's worth noting just what an excellent pace this story has. Clocking in at a reasonable hour and a half, the film is over before you know it. The under-rated filmmaker Graham Baker ("The Final Conflict", "Impulse") is in the directors' chair here, and he does a capable job, cutting to the chase quite nicely. The script certainly has its amusements, such as humans giving the Newcomers human names like the aforementioned "Sam Francisco" and "Rudyard Kipling".
This concept definitely endured for a number of years, as "Alien Nation" led to a TV series a year later as well as several TV movies.
Seven out of 10.
"Don't take it personally. I'm a bigot."
utgard1430 August 2014
Tough cop (James Caan) hates aliens, even more so after his partner is killed by one. His new partner, wouldn't you know it, is also an alien (Mandy Patinkin). In trying to track down the killer of Caan's former partner, the two uncover a larger conspiracy.
Had this movie been made in the '50s or '60s, it would have been pretty strong. But by 1988 was it really necessary to do a movie dealing with race relations by using aliens as a metaphor? Rockne S. O'Bannon's unchallenging script hits on all the familiar racial conflict themes that had been played out long before this was released in many, many movies. If you take the racial component out of it, you're left with a by-the-numbers odd couple/buddy cop drama. Enjoyable enough, thanks to the likable performances of Caan and Patinkin, but it's still routine stuff.
Had this movie been made in the '50s or '60s, it would have been pretty strong. But by 1988 was it really necessary to do a movie dealing with race relations by using aliens as a metaphor? Rockne S. O'Bannon's unchallenging script hits on all the familiar racial conflict themes that had been played out long before this was released in many, many movies. If you take the racial component out of it, you're left with a by-the-numbers odd couple/buddy cop drama. Enjoyable enough, thanks to the likable performances of Caan and Patinkin, but it's still routine stuff.
Underatated
ssgmedic1328 January 2020
"They have landed, ..., and now they are among us".
classicsoncall8 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I remember how fascinated I was with the concepts explored in this picture back in the day - the idea of curdled milk as refreshing, and sea water corrosive to an alien race. The idea of extra-terrestrials living and working among us, assimilating into society while confronting a similar type of racism that all 'different' cultures experience when settling in a new environment. It's what gives focus to the relationship between detective Matt Sykes (James Caan) and his 'Newcomer' partner Sam Francisco (Mandy Patinkin). That's a great speech by Sam/George where he laments how humans have failed to live up to the same potential they have offered the aliens. Makes you think about how we really haven't improved all that much as a society over the past twenty years.
Watching the film the other night, I was struck by how much blatant product placement went on in the picture - subtle ads for stuff like Tasters Choice Coffee, Smirnoff Vodka, and repeated images of those Bartles and James guys before they went down in a hail of gunfire during the convenience store robbery. There was even a marquee for Rambo III playing in theaters at the time; I wonder why they offered free time to a competitor.
I was probably more intrigued by the memory of this picture than the film itself; as I watched it the other night I thought that the second half moved rather slowly. I'm having a hard time understanding why the villain Harcourt (Terence Stamp) went to such great lengths to protect his investment in Jabluka, when for all intents and purposes, the aliens could get it anywhere. I mean really, today you can buy Tide in a dozen assorted flavors.
And speaking of tides, it was rather noble to see George risk his life to save a buddy by hanging out over an ocean full of battery acid. You don't have to be an alien to know that that was a wild and crazy thing to do. I thought about how all that salt spray should have been hitting George in the face, but then you wouldn't have had the dramatic save for this buddy movie to end on a high note.
Watching the film the other night, I was struck by how much blatant product placement went on in the picture - subtle ads for stuff like Tasters Choice Coffee, Smirnoff Vodka, and repeated images of those Bartles and James guys before they went down in a hail of gunfire during the convenience store robbery. There was even a marquee for Rambo III playing in theaters at the time; I wonder why they offered free time to a competitor.
I was probably more intrigued by the memory of this picture than the film itself; as I watched it the other night I thought that the second half moved rather slowly. I'm having a hard time understanding why the villain Harcourt (Terence Stamp) went to such great lengths to protect his investment in Jabluka, when for all intents and purposes, the aliens could get it anywhere. I mean really, today you can buy Tide in a dozen assorted flavors.
And speaking of tides, it was rather noble to see George risk his life to save a buddy by hanging out over an ocean full of battery acid. You don't have to be an alien to know that that was a wild and crazy thing to do. I thought about how all that salt spray should have been hitting George in the face, but then you wouldn't have had the dramatic save for this buddy movie to end on a high note.
interesting allegory
lee_eisenberg22 November 2005
"Alien Nation" portrays the future, when aliens have come to the Earth and become the second class citizens, so to speak. Then, human Det. Sgt. Matthew Sykes (James Caan) and alien Samuel "George" Francisco (Mandy Patinkin) have to join up to stop alien William Harcourt (Terence Stamp) from taking over. Much of the movie seems kind of silly (namely Sykes' one-liners), but they know how to pull it off without letting the movie get ridiculous. I think that my favorite part was when Sykes and Francisco learn what each other's names mean. The movie is a little strange, but definitely worth seeing. You might say that the aliens replace African-Americans as second class citizens.
Not Bad Sci-Fi/Action Flick!
gwnightscream24 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
James Caan, Mandy Patinkin and Terence Stamp star in this 1988 sci-fi film. This takes place in 1991 L.A. where alien newcomers have adapted to life on Earth after 3 years. Soon, we meet veteran cop, Sykes (Caan) who decides to work with an alien detective, Francisco (Patinkin) to stop a corrupt, alien businessman, Harcourt (Stamp) from unleashing a drug stimulant that enhances strength to his kind. This isn't a bad sci-fi flick with some action, the cast is decent and there's good make-up effects. The film launched a series
and if you're into sci-fi, give this a chance.
I enjoyed this film...
richieandsam14 June 2013
ALIEN NATION
This film was fun. It was basically a normal police movie. There was no need to have any aliens in it at all, but it made a nice little twist.
Aliens have come to Earth and the live with us... they have jobs and are treated in most cases as normal people. But there are some people who do not like them, who do not trust them... and Detective Sergeant Matthew Sykes is one of those people. He has always distrusted the Newcomers. When his partner gets killed by a Newcomer, he volunteers to parter with one to help find the murderer.
It is a movie about relationships. 2 partners who do not like each other having to work together and trust each other. The relationship is kind of like Riggs & Murtaugh in the original Lethal Weapon movie. They did not get on, but by the end of the film they were best friends and there for each other.
The aliens were pretty good even though the make up was terrible. You can't hurt them by kicking them between the legs... their delicate area is under their arms near the armpit. Also, they burn in salt water. It can kill them.
Like I said before, the make up was bad. You could see they were wearing rubber egg heads. and the noses looked like they could fall off at any point.
The film stars James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, Terence Stamp and Kevyn Major Howard. The acting was OK. Not spectacular, but it was alright.
It was just a good police chase/detective film. It was fun but not really full of surprises.
I will give this film 7 out of 10.
I love sci-fi films and action police films... it was my kind of movie.
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This film was fun. It was basically a normal police movie. There was no need to have any aliens in it at all, but it made a nice little twist.
Aliens have come to Earth and the live with us... they have jobs and are treated in most cases as normal people. But there are some people who do not like them, who do not trust them... and Detective Sergeant Matthew Sykes is one of those people. He has always distrusted the Newcomers. When his partner gets killed by a Newcomer, he volunteers to parter with one to help find the murderer.
It is a movie about relationships. 2 partners who do not like each other having to work together and trust each other. The relationship is kind of like Riggs & Murtaugh in the original Lethal Weapon movie. They did not get on, but by the end of the film they were best friends and there for each other.
The aliens were pretty good even though the make up was terrible. You can't hurt them by kicking them between the legs... their delicate area is under their arms near the armpit. Also, they burn in salt water. It can kill them.
Like I said before, the make up was bad. You could see they were wearing rubber egg heads. and the noses looked like they could fall off at any point.
The film stars James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, Terence Stamp and Kevyn Major Howard. The acting was OK. Not spectacular, but it was alright.
It was just a good police chase/detective film. It was fun but not really full of surprises.
I will give this film 7 out of 10.
I love sci-fi films and action police films... it was my kind of movie.
For more reviews, please like my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Person-Movie- Reviews/456572047728204?ref=hl
In the wake of THE HIDDEN....
LONE SOLO UNHACKED23 September 2001
ALIEN NATION was originally entitled OUTER HEAT and featured a darker trailer than released film footage in the theatrical cut. The premoise was a alien cop and a human cop team up in a situation different from the HIDDEN. This premise revolves around a population of aliens that live on earth after coming as refugees on earth. The film some have said had a different version but perhaps I am confusing this with a DOLPH LUNDREN movie. The film was not bad and was a different take on the "cop buddy format". The films action centers on a vice investigation involving a alien bio war style drug which is hitting the streets. I felt the film could have gone for more of a action mob noir edge yet, well, there is the editing room. A science fiction film that uses the police fantasy genre. The alien race is used to mask ethnic tensions and was highlighted better in the series of the same name. Not a horrible film.
If you like Lethal Weapon...
vnssyndrome8917 April 2022
Or Rush Hour, or Ride Along, or 48 Hrs, then you'll probably like this. It's just your average cop buddy picture, you know we start out hating each other, then we have to fight bad guys together, then we get a new found respect for each other, and all is fine. Any questions?
Alien Notions better than ALIEN NATION..........
underfire3525 June 2005
The genre of science fiction, or more broadly speculative fiction, can be a very powerful medium. We can adventure through space in the distant future, or imagine alternative views of our own world. One is free to dwell in a universe free from time or place; to escape the modern world or discover a deeper meaning to that very same world. Review the literary works of Huxley, Orwell, Heinlein, Dick, Herbert, Sturgeon, Ellison, Bradbury, Vonnegut, Le Guin, and others, each adept at propelling the reader into strange, parallel, or wildly disparate realities. Keeping in the spirit of this topic, let us picture the arrival of an alien race to earth. After a lengthy quarantine, they are released to dwell amongst the inhabitants of America. There is, of course, an inherent level of racism that develops against these new members of society. The narrative ideas are vast: this ancient race struggling against a government where they are not represented; pointed social commentary on the civil rights struggle and of race relations since; these foreign beings coping with the garish culture of the United States; examining the class structures of immigrant populations; something, anything..........
What we end up with, however, is ALIEN NATION, a film that is essentially a cop/buddy flick starring James Caan and Mandy Patinkin. They are out to stop a drug lord and avenge the death of Caan's partner before they retire (or something to that effect). The point is is that ALIEN NATION, other than having Patinkin in outlandish makeup, offers nothing new to the tired clichés of this genre. Caan plays a veteran detective named Matthew Sykes, who after the death of his best friend/partner sets out to solve the crime himself. He is teamed with Sam Francisco played by Patinkin. Now Francisco is a "newcomer", a member of an alien race, bred for slavery, and whose native language closely resembles the peaks and valleys of a heart monitor. They learn at an incredible rate (hence they speak English) and get silly on sour milk. Salt water can disintegrate their flesh (a popular contrivance in late 80's cinema, WARLOCK being another example) and have bald spotted heads. At first Sykes is harsh and unwelcoming, but after a night of booze and rancid dairy products, he warms to the good natured Francisco. It would seem that the "slag" that killed Sykes' partner is involved with a scheme to distribute a drug that was rationed as a reward for hard labor on the slave ship. They begin to suspect the involvement of a wealthy "newcomer", William Harcourt, played by Terence Stamp (who, alas, had several more years of films like this before he made a comeback with THE LIMEY). This drug, in normal doses, produces enhanced strength, and in larger quantities causes a kind of gigantism. I'll stop there, but you can see where this is going.........
The frustrating thing about ALIEN NATION is that so very little of the "newcomer" culture is explored by the writers. We get bits here and there, but they are mainly used for comic effect or as plot devices. They have two hearts, but why? In the obligatory morgue sequence (replete with a coroner eating a sandwich), the aliens are shown to have no genitals, but a "stripper" in a later scene is shown to have breasts. Do they nurse their young? Are they warm blooded? I may be over analyzing these points, but they are valid in creating a plausible alternate race. The actors do what they can: Patinkin, an odd choice for a role such as this, is pretty good at bringing a sort of wide eyed innocence to the character of Francisco. On the other hand, James Caan seems to have a hard time taking this material seriously; his performance is functional, but he seems on the verge of breaking out into laughter during certain scenes. The direction, by Graham Baker (THE FINAL CONFLICT), is somewhat uninspired and there are few memorable sequences to speak of. The musical score by Curt Sobel (who replaced Jerry Goldsmith, after his lively, though weird, music was rejected) adds very little to creating an aural signature for the "newcomers." Stan Winston contributes fine creature makeup, although the incarnation towards the end appears almost identical to the monster from PUMPKINHEAD which Winston directed the same year ALIEN NATION was released. The film is, admittedly, mildly entertaining, in a goofy sort of way, but I couldn't help wanting more development from the narrative. There were several made for television movies and a series spawned by the film, but from what I understand these continuations offer little in the way of expanding the scope of the original concepts. To make a long story short, ALIEN NATION generates many interesting questions, but instead of answers, there are car chases. Oh well.......4/10
What we end up with, however, is ALIEN NATION, a film that is essentially a cop/buddy flick starring James Caan and Mandy Patinkin. They are out to stop a drug lord and avenge the death of Caan's partner before they retire (or something to that effect). The point is is that ALIEN NATION, other than having Patinkin in outlandish makeup, offers nothing new to the tired clichés of this genre. Caan plays a veteran detective named Matthew Sykes, who after the death of his best friend/partner sets out to solve the crime himself. He is teamed with Sam Francisco played by Patinkin. Now Francisco is a "newcomer", a member of an alien race, bred for slavery, and whose native language closely resembles the peaks and valleys of a heart monitor. They learn at an incredible rate (hence they speak English) and get silly on sour milk. Salt water can disintegrate their flesh (a popular contrivance in late 80's cinema, WARLOCK being another example) and have bald spotted heads. At first Sykes is harsh and unwelcoming, but after a night of booze and rancid dairy products, he warms to the good natured Francisco. It would seem that the "slag" that killed Sykes' partner is involved with a scheme to distribute a drug that was rationed as a reward for hard labor on the slave ship. They begin to suspect the involvement of a wealthy "newcomer", William Harcourt, played by Terence Stamp (who, alas, had several more years of films like this before he made a comeback with THE LIMEY). This drug, in normal doses, produces enhanced strength, and in larger quantities causes a kind of gigantism. I'll stop there, but you can see where this is going.........
The frustrating thing about ALIEN NATION is that so very little of the "newcomer" culture is explored by the writers. We get bits here and there, but they are mainly used for comic effect or as plot devices. They have two hearts, but why? In the obligatory morgue sequence (replete with a coroner eating a sandwich), the aliens are shown to have no genitals, but a "stripper" in a later scene is shown to have breasts. Do they nurse their young? Are they warm blooded? I may be over analyzing these points, but they are valid in creating a plausible alternate race. The actors do what they can: Patinkin, an odd choice for a role such as this, is pretty good at bringing a sort of wide eyed innocence to the character of Francisco. On the other hand, James Caan seems to have a hard time taking this material seriously; his performance is functional, but he seems on the verge of breaking out into laughter during certain scenes. The direction, by Graham Baker (THE FINAL CONFLICT), is somewhat uninspired and there are few memorable sequences to speak of. The musical score by Curt Sobel (who replaced Jerry Goldsmith, after his lively, though weird, music was rejected) adds very little to creating an aural signature for the "newcomers." Stan Winston contributes fine creature makeup, although the incarnation towards the end appears almost identical to the monster from PUMPKINHEAD which Winston directed the same year ALIEN NATION was released. The film is, admittedly, mildly entertaining, in a goofy sort of way, but I couldn't help wanting more development from the narrative. There were several made for television movies and a series spawned by the film, but from what I understand these continuations offer little in the way of expanding the scope of the original concepts. To make a long story short, ALIEN NATION generates many interesting questions, but instead of answers, there are car chases. Oh well.......4/10
High concept success
neil-4767 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Alien Nation is based on a simple premise - 300,000 humanoid aliens land on Earth and are offered sanctuary and their assimilation into society is inevitably coloured by racial prejudice. A prejudiced policeman is teamed up with an alien partner to investigate criminal activity within the alien subgroup.
The joy of this movie is that it makes no big deal out of the aliens - they are treated, for the purposes of the film, like any other racial subgroup might be, and the racial prejudice allegory (and the dramatic thrust of the movie overall) is that much stronger as a result.
This is effectively a relatively straightforward police crime thriller with scifi trappings and an intelligent subtext, and it succeeds well on all levels.
The alien makeup is simple but effective.
James Caan's weary detective is among his best work and Mandy Patinkin, unrecognisable beneath the latex prosthetics, is excellent as Sam Francisco (yes, really).
The joy of this movie is that it makes no big deal out of the aliens - they are treated, for the purposes of the film, like any other racial subgroup might be, and the racial prejudice allegory (and the dramatic thrust of the movie overall) is that much stronger as a result.
This is effectively a relatively straightforward police crime thriller with scifi trappings and an intelligent subtext, and it succeeds well on all levels.
The alien makeup is simple but effective.
James Caan's weary detective is among his best work and Mandy Patinkin, unrecognisable beneath the latex prosthetics, is excellent as Sam Francisco (yes, really).
Human/Alien Cop Duo Like Many Others
view_and_review9 February 2020
I remember seeing bits of this movie way back when it hit HBO. Watching it again in its entirety my immediate reaction was, "This is like the Netflix movie 'Bright'" or more correctly, "'Bright' is like this."
An alien slave ship that gets lost ends up hovering over the Mojave Desert of California. After a three year quarantine the aliens are allowed to be naturalized and melded into society. What the idealists say is one thing, but the average joe's reaction is totally different--they were taking jobs, some didn't know English, they had weird customs, etc. The speech was very analogous to what you'd hear from people about legal or illegal aliens.
Although it is said in the movie that their numbers were 250,000 it seemed more like a million or more. Most of, if not all of them live in L.A. and at a glance I'd say they numbered around one in four.
When Detective Sykes's partner and a couple aliens (called Newcomers officially, or Slags pejoratively) were murdered by another alien he gets a Newcomer partner named Francisco (Mandy Patinkin). The two of them investigate the Newcomer murders and find that there is a bigger crime brewing that will put all Newcomers in jeopardy.
"Alien Nation" is really about putting aside prejudices and getting to know those who are different than us. Instead of going for a Black/White or any other culturally, ethnically, or racially different people, "Alien Nation" went human/alien. It's a break from tradition in two ways: it casts two different species instead of two different people, and it casts aliens with very human features and qualities. Honestly, the Newcomers could easily be distant cousins to the human race. Besides an odd shaped head and some different organs they were very much human. Cassandra (Leslie Bevis) for instance, would easily turn on any man from the neck down.
As a cop movie this was about average. Sykes (James Caan) was the typical divorced, heavy drinking, slob of a cop and he gets paired up with a straight-laced, albeit alien, partner. The alien element of the plot was its only distinguishing characteristic. It did make it more interesting than it would otherwise be, so for that I give it seven stars out of ten.
An alien slave ship that gets lost ends up hovering over the Mojave Desert of California. After a three year quarantine the aliens are allowed to be naturalized and melded into society. What the idealists say is one thing, but the average joe's reaction is totally different--they were taking jobs, some didn't know English, they had weird customs, etc. The speech was very analogous to what you'd hear from people about legal or illegal aliens.
Although it is said in the movie that their numbers were 250,000 it seemed more like a million or more. Most of, if not all of them live in L.A. and at a glance I'd say they numbered around one in four.
When Detective Sykes's partner and a couple aliens (called Newcomers officially, or Slags pejoratively) were murdered by another alien he gets a Newcomer partner named Francisco (Mandy Patinkin). The two of them investigate the Newcomer murders and find that there is a bigger crime brewing that will put all Newcomers in jeopardy.
"Alien Nation" is really about putting aside prejudices and getting to know those who are different than us. Instead of going for a Black/White or any other culturally, ethnically, or racially different people, "Alien Nation" went human/alien. It's a break from tradition in two ways: it casts two different species instead of two different people, and it casts aliens with very human features and qualities. Honestly, the Newcomers could easily be distant cousins to the human race. Besides an odd shaped head and some different organs they were very much human. Cassandra (Leslie Bevis) for instance, would easily turn on any man from the neck down.
As a cop movie this was about average. Sykes (James Caan) was the typical divorced, heavy drinking, slob of a cop and he gets paired up with a straight-laced, albeit alien, partner. The alien element of the plot was its only distinguishing characteristic. It did make it more interesting than it would otherwise be, so for that I give it seven stars out of ten.
This "Alien" should be illegal...
Mister-624 January 2000
This is the kind of movie to scrupulously AVOID when looking for decent sci-fi. Or even semi-average.
What's wrong with "Alien Nation", you might ask? Well, first of, this IS NOT a sci-fi movie. I know - it's set in the future, aliens come from another planet and co-habitate amongst the humans, there's alien prejudice, alien blue collar workers, alien cops, alien hookers and the whole nine yards.
But with all this promise, what do the film-makers do? What, I ask you? They turn it into a COP/BUDDY MOVIE! The guys who wrote this should be forced to take remedial writing lessons from Joe Eszterhaus.
And everyone involved must have been caught at a bad time in their lives. Caan has been much better than here (though not much worse) as a cop who doesn't like aliens and is, naturally, stuck with one as a partner. His partner (Patinkin) gets a cute name at Ellis Island ("Sam Francisco..." yuk-yuk-yuk.), gets drunk on curdled milk and makes "Star Trek"'s Spock look like a party animal. Then there's Stamp as yet ANOTHER alien baddie (remember him in "Superman II"?). Not much stretch work here.
Not much to the plot, either, as Stamp plans to enslave the aliens with a newfound version of a drug from the old home planet (and when you find out what the drug is, think: would this mean that all the sober aliens walk around in dirty clothes?).
In fact, the best thing about this movie, aside from the alien make-up job, is the song "Invincible" from the Temptations, a "golden oldie", according to the movie, from 1988. Ah, the ironies of a movie set in the future.
Tell you what - remember movies like "Freebie and the Bean" and "Lethal Weapon"? Pretend one of the guys is a bald-headed alien with large liver spots on his head and no nose. There, you've seen "Alien Nation".
Two stars. And if you make it through "Alien Nation, may the (police) force be with you.
What's wrong with "Alien Nation", you might ask? Well, first of, this IS NOT a sci-fi movie. I know - it's set in the future, aliens come from another planet and co-habitate amongst the humans, there's alien prejudice, alien blue collar workers, alien cops, alien hookers and the whole nine yards.
But with all this promise, what do the film-makers do? What, I ask you? They turn it into a COP/BUDDY MOVIE! The guys who wrote this should be forced to take remedial writing lessons from Joe Eszterhaus.
And everyone involved must have been caught at a bad time in their lives. Caan has been much better than here (though not much worse) as a cop who doesn't like aliens and is, naturally, stuck with one as a partner. His partner (Patinkin) gets a cute name at Ellis Island ("Sam Francisco..." yuk-yuk-yuk.), gets drunk on curdled milk and makes "Star Trek"'s Spock look like a party animal. Then there's Stamp as yet ANOTHER alien baddie (remember him in "Superman II"?). Not much stretch work here.
Not much to the plot, either, as Stamp plans to enslave the aliens with a newfound version of a drug from the old home planet (and when you find out what the drug is, think: would this mean that all the sober aliens walk around in dirty clothes?).
In fact, the best thing about this movie, aside from the alien make-up job, is the song "Invincible" from the Temptations, a "golden oldie", according to the movie, from 1988. Ah, the ironies of a movie set in the future.
Tell you what - remember movies like "Freebie and the Bean" and "Lethal Weapon"? Pretend one of the guys is a bald-headed alien with large liver spots on his head and no nose. There, you've seen "Alien Nation".
Two stars. And if you make it through "Alien Nation, may the (police) force be with you.
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