Alien Nation
In this vaguely allegorical science fiction-crime film, a Los Angeles cop tries to solve the murder of his best friend with the help of his new partner -- a member of a star-faring alien race. In the near-future world of Alien Nation, the "Newcomers" are a race of formerly enslaved humanoids seeking refuge and integration into Earth society. These unusual immigrants face anger and resentment from some humans, including Matthew Sykes (James Caan), a cop whose partner, Tug (Roger Aaron Brown), was killed in a shoot-out with several Newcomers. In order to get some insight into Newcomer society and track down the "slags" who killed Tug, Sykes volunteers to take on a new partner,Sam "George" Francisco (Mandy Patinkin), the first alien ever promoted to the rank of detective. As Sykes tries to overcome his bigotry against George and his kind, who eat raw beaver and get drunk on spoiled milk, the friendly, helpful George soon learns the identity of Tug's killer: William Harcort (Terrence Stamp), a pillar of Newcomer society who is secretly manufacturing the same powerful narcotic that was used to enslave his race. It's up to Sykes and George to stop Harcort before he turns his fellow Newcomers into drooling addicts and pulls the skeletons out of his race's closet for all of humankind to see. Omen 3 director Graham Baker made his screenwriting debut with Alien Nation, as did co-writer Rockne S. O'Bannon. Kenneth Johnson, creator of the miniseries V, would adapt Alien Nation into a weekly television show in 1989 and several made-for-TV movies in the mid-'90s. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
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Product Details
| UPC: | 024543013020 |
|---|---|
| Release Date: | March 27, 2001 |
| Format: | DVD |
| MPAA Rating: | R |
| Region: | 1 (USA & territories, Canada) |
| Screen: | Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV |
| Sound: | Dolby Digital Surround |
| Language: | English, French |
| Subtitles: | English, Spanish; Castilian |
| Disc Aspect Ratio: | 2.35:1 |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
Review
A standard-issue cop flick with a sci-fi twist, Alien Nation utilizes the conventions of the genre -- the grizzled, rule-breaking detective, the rookie partner, the deadly new drug infecting the streets, and unfortunately, the black officer who dies in the first ten minutes -- even as it subverts them with a bit of humor and lots of Star Trek-worthy makeup effects. A puffy, weather-beaten James Caan plays straight man to an unrecognizable Mandy Patinkin's eager-to-please alien cop, both actors game enough to spout police force truisms without cracking a smile. Meanwhile, the venerable Terrence Stamp, in possibly his only role to feature more makeup than his drag-queen character in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, portrays a "Newcomer" crime lord with elegant aplomb. Like the script's crime flick elements, the science fiction ideas here are mostly third hand, but for a film that's basically a cross between V and The French Connection, Alien Nation is assembled with considerable finesse. The spacemen-assimilate plot line puts more emphasis on characters than on special effects, which probably kept the budget in line and certainly makes a change from the creatures-and-explosions trappings of many such genre exercises. The script's parallels between outer-space immigrants and their human counterparts may come off a little heavy-handed, but they do give Alien Nation a touch of social relevance. Throw in some strong action scenes, some pretty good gags, and Leslie Bevis as an alien good-time gal, and you've got a sci-fi film that pleases its core audience while giving the general action fan something to enjoy. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie GuideCredits
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Shuko Akune | Actor — Police Secretary |
| Abraham Alvarez | Actor — Mayor |
| Leslie Bevis | Actor — Cassandra |
| Earl Boen | Actor — Duncan Crois |
| Roger Aaron Brown | Actor — Bill Tuggle |
| Frank Collison | Actor — Bentner |
| Kendall Conrad | Actor — Mrs. Francisco |
| Tom Finnegan | Actor — Natuzzi |
| Don Hood | Actor — Moffet |
| Kevin Howard | Actor — Kipling |
| Diana James | Actor — Ortiz |
| Jessica James | Actor — Mrs. Porter |
| Peter Jason | Actor — Fedorchuk |
| George Jenesky | Actor — Quint |
| Jeff Kober | Actor — Josh Strader |
| Ed Krieger | Actor — Alien Dealer |
| Van Ling | Actor — Newcomer #1 on TV |
| Doug MacHugh | Actor — Victor Goldrup |
| Tom Morga | Actor — Raincoat |
| Angela O'Neill | Actor — Kristin Sykes |
| Mandy Patinkin | Actor — Detective Sam Francisco "George" |
| Tony Simotes | Actor — Wiltey |
| Terence Stamp | Actor — William Harcort |
| Robert Starr | Actor — Coroner's Attendant |
| Thomas Wagner | Actor — O'Neal |
| Keone Young | Actor — Winter |
| James Caan | Actor — Detective Matthew Sykes |
| Alec Gillis | Actor — Newcomer in Bar |
| Brian Thompson | Actor — Trent Porter |
| Tom de Franco | Actor — Detective |
| George Robotham | Actor — Boat Captain |
| Edgar Small | Actor — Minkler |
| Bobby Sargent | Actor — Coroners Driver |
| Karen Rea | Actor |
| Francis X. McCarthy | Actor — Capt. Warner |
| Stephanie Shroyer | Actor — Female Cop |
| Bebe Drake | Actor — Computer Operator |
| Tony Perez | Actor — Alterez |
| Graham Baker | Director |
| Graham Baker | Screenwriter |
| Rockne S. O'Bannon | Screenwriter |
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