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Alien

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Dated, but still scary. Not for younger kids.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    A famously-courageous heroine, but rest of the ensemble are fatalities waiting to happen.
  • Violence:

    Grisly monster attacks, a humanlike robot beats up the heroine, then winds up dismembered himself.
  • Sex:

    Cast strips to next to nothing for their deep-space hibernation.
  • Language:

    Expletives when faced with monster outbreak.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some beer drinking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Alien

Parents need to know that, while the demonic space monsters at the center of this 1979 classic shocker have since been overexposed via inferior sequels, video games, parodies, and comic books (even Superman battled them!), some of the best minds in cinema tried to ensure this movie would be a nightmare-inducer. Keep that in mind. Indeed, small kids are better off with E.T. Teens can take it for the thrill-ride that it is, and perhaps even discuss why they think it works so well (or doesn't) in evoking elemental terror.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about why the movie was so effective (or not) in evoking fear.

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Our Members Say

Have you seen it? Review It!

  • What did you think about Alien?
  •  I think this movie is

    for ages

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See all 40 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    older kid movie... teen movie

    AWESOME BUT SCARY MOVIE!! A really jump out at you kind movie... but kind of stupid... i mean if you were on some strage planet in space and you found these big eggs, would you really go and touch it? i mean really! good for older kids and teens. LOTS of language... f and s words a lot..

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 15 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    Excellent!

    This movie is so amazing. The dark scenes were really well filmed. I first watched it when I was about six or seven. My parents watched it with me, but they're not all bad, they made me look away when the alien came out of Kane's stomach. I still love this movie but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone youner than thirteen.

  3. I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

  4. I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    10+ ok 10- no

    AWESOME MOVIE!!!! i love this movie!! some scary parts but other than that, fine. movie for older kids (9 or 10+) or teens... the f word a few times, other swears too but overall ok.

  5. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    AWESOME

    A scare-fest of an extra-terrestrial hidden in the shadows of a space craft, eating the crewmates one, by one. Great Halloween movie for older kids.

  6. I rate this title off for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    Fantastic movie, really suspensful. In one of the rooms, there was pictures of naked woman plastered on the walls (obviously masturbation tools for the lonely crew), and the f word is blurted out quite a few times, but Ridley Scott is a genius!

  7. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in Oregon
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    great science fiction horror

    I thought this movie was AWESOME! There was some strong language though. They said the f-word 4 times. It was super violent. There were chests ripping open, there were 2nd jaws ripping stuff, there was a lot of suspence. There was this one part where there were pictures of topless woman for about 8 seconds. But it wasn't that bad. I thought it was overall pretty good movie for 10+.

  8. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in Oregon
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    really good Sci-Fi/ horror movie

    I thought this movie was very good. There is so much violence though. but overall it's fine for 10 and up

  9. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    great movie

    great movie cant wait to see aliens althoe it was great there was a decent amout of blood, vilence. jump out at you tipe of movie not for yonger kids or tweens

  10. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    Great Science Fiction Horror

    A great film. The creature effects are great, and there are a lot of good scares.

  11. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    I really liked this movie. It sure is a classic. I also dident find it that R-ish. Anyone thirteen and up you should be abla to watch this no sweat. Great movie worth checking out.

  12. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    A Classic

    Great. Very Thrilling.

  13. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Connecticut
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    Graphic but spectacular sci-fi classic is very scary for kids.

    Parents should know that this film has graphic violence including the infamous scene in which a baby alien bursts forth from a screaming man's gut. Other bloody attacks are implied and shown and there are jump scenes, There is some strong language in the movie and there are no strong messages.

  14. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    I like it

    WOW!

  15. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

  16. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

  17. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give it 2.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    Just a heads up its hard to see but I saw it without even looking, when ash goes on a rampage there are pictures of naked women (breast shown) in different sexual positions taped up on the wall, it is seen throughout the whole scene

  18. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0

    One of the greatest sci-fi's of all time!

    This film starring Sigourney Weaver and other fabulous cast members. This movie has only a select few f-words and little to no violence, and the only "bad" scene being an android getting the upper part of his torso and head decapitated with only white fluids coming out, and is only robot gore. So for anyone 12-13 and up go for it!!

  19. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Minnesota
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 5.0

    ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!

    I would let a 10 year old see it, its fine! I love it!

  20. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 5.0

    Alien is a well made science fiction movie.

    What can I say that anybody hasn't said? This was a well made horror/sci-fi movie. The creatures looks dreadful and the atmosphere was dark. The actors played their roles beautifully. Sure it was slow in some places but it's normal given the time it was made and we do need some character development. For sexual content, we see a woman that strips down to just panties and a T-shirt and she's in a spacesuit. An alien is known to have had "babies". For violence/gore it's very intense. The most gruesome scene of the movie is when an alien baby pops out of a man's abdomen and we see this act on-screen with gashes of blood. Several other violent acts. As for profanity there are at least 5 f bombs, some scatological and anatomical terms, and some religious exclamations and profanities. As for consumerism, there is none. Although the space technology sure does look awesome. For social behavior it's bad. Aliens that feed off human flesh and hatch their babies in human's abdomen. I'd recommend this movie to anybody that can handle graphic violence. The movie is tame for today's standards but still the movie is violent.

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