Movie Information
Overall Rank: 7268
Average Rating: 2.5/4
# of Ratings: 81
Theatrical Release Date: 10/07/1988
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Graham Baker
Actors: James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, Terence Stamp, Kevyn Major Howard, Leslie Bevis, Peter Jason
Plot: Two cops, one originally from another planet, the other a human racist against the aliens, have to learn to get along to find a police killer, and get a dangerous alien drug off the street.
Quick Movie Reviews
Rating of
2.5/4
cdrates - wrote on 09/22/2009
I enjoyed this film, but if you're not a big sci-fi fan I doubt you'll like it as much as I did.
Rating of
2.5/4
jen1302 - wrote on 01/11/2008
Aliens, known as Newcomers, slowly begin to be integrated into human society after years of quarantine but are victims of a new type of discrimination. Plot is set around Det. Sgt. Matthew Sykes (James Caan) who's partner is killed by two newcomers only to be paired with a new partner who is a newcomer called George Jenesky. Only thing that the newcomers don't like is salt water as this can kill all newcomers. Det. Sgt. Matthew Sykes distrust towards newcomers but slowly begins to trust George. Best part of the film is the end with the helicopter fight Prefer the TV series more over the film.
Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
2/4
"Alien Nation" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 03/19/2012
A race of alien beings known as newcomers crashland on Earth and become the newest immigrants in Los Angeles. When some of them are found executed a bigoted detective and his rookie newcomer sidekick investigate. Alien Nation is a buddy cop/sci-fi hybrid that contains a lot of the usual 80s action flick cliches; the burned out, alcoholic cop, gratuitous car chases and stranger in a strange land analogies are all very familiar. The sci-fi spin does give it all a little freshness however, and although the racial metaphor is a little clumsy, Caan and Patinkin's deadpan delivery show some decent chemistry together with some amusing odd couple comedy. Unfortunately the script is purely by the numbers including a couple of major plot elements that are just sci-fi mumbo jumbo. Terence Stamp …
Rating of
2.5/4
More police story than sci-fi
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/01/2008
In 1988, a spaceship carrying an enslaved alien race crash-lands in the Mojave Desert. Three years later, the aliens now known as the "Newcomers" (or "Slags" to human racists) have been intergrated into Earth society. The movie is set in Los Angeles, California.
"LAPD Police Detective Matthew Sykes" (James Caan) and his partner are patroling the area of "The City of Angels" known as "Slag Town" when they come to a "Newcomer"-owned convenience store that is being robbed by heavily armed "Newcomers", who have a human look-out. The partner is killed by powerful artillary that is loaded into the weapon of one of the "Newcomers". Just before backup arrive on scene, the one who killed "Sykes'" partner gets away.
The next day, "Sykes'" captain announces that a "Newcomer" has been …
Related Movie Lists
Recent Movie Talk Posts
No posts have been made on this movie yet. Be the first to start talking about Alien Nation!
