Harrison Ford sure played a pouty villain!
Cinematography, editing, sound design all perfect.
Hackman’s performance might be best at those moments where he just completely goes limp as a defense mechanism. Like he’s a fainting goat or a possum. For such a dynamic, ebullient actor, it’s cool to see him swing so hard in the other direction and still be compelling.
As a kid I remembered this being so boring, but watching as an adult with kids, I think it’s basically perfect.
Had to explain a lot of things about aliens and the 80s (no helmets, no car seats, kids can order pizza by calling the pizza place) but that just added to the experience.
Also crazy how even kids notice the power of a John Williams score.
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
I’d been meaning to watch this for a long time. It was a bigger yikes than I was prepared for but a lot of it was strangely compelling.
Felt like if Indiana Jones and Sam Spade and Michael Myers all got together in some sort of… cosmic gumbo?
Classic school-trip-watch-on-the-bus-VHS movie.
It’s really almost impeccably scripted. I don’t like the casual misogyny moments and Matt Craven’s iconically gross line, but talk about a script that moves fast and develops character and builds tension. Hardly any dull moments.
It’s also just gorgeously shot. For as much as Ridley is the preeminent Scott, you have to think he must have looked at this and thought, “Damn. Tony has skills.”
Denzel is at his peak, Hackman found a second peak in his career around here, they’re a perfect match for one another.
Weirdly feels like a pro-military/anti-war movie. I guess we actually make a lot of those…
