Search - Alien Nation on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Strong Sexual Content, Not For Children, Profanity Movie Release: 1988 DVD Release: 03/27/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Studio: 20th Century Fox Members Wishing: 14 Genres: Science Fiction, Sci-Fi Action, Buddy Film, Police Detective Film

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

James Caan - Detective Matthew Sykes
Mandy Patinkin - Detective Sam Francisco "George"
Terence Stamp - William Harcort
Kevin Howard - Kipling
Leslie Bevis - Cassandra

It's an alien invasion mixed with the old good cop/bad cop routine (starring James Caan as the bad cop and Mandy Patinkin as the good cop) in the sci-fi thriller Alien Nation. Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, this transfer of the film looks sharp and very well defined. While a small amount of grain and edge enhancement shows up in a few key scenes, overall this is a very pleasing image with natural flesh tones and solid colors/black levels. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 4.1 and sounds good to moderate. There are a few Surround effects to be found in this mix, though they're mainly utilized with ambient noise or background sounds. Otherwise this is a fine mix which includes no distortion or hiss in the mix. Also included on this disc are English and French 2.0 soundtracks, as well as English and Spanish subtitles. The extra features on Alien Nation are sadly close to the bare minimum -- fans will be disappointed to see only a short six-minute "behind-the-scenes" feature with a few scant cast and crew interviews, a three-and-a-half-minute montage of production footage from the film, a theatrical trailer, and three TV spots for Alien Nation. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide