Alien Nation: Ultimate Movie Collection

Considering the fact that this was considered by many to be the garbage of the early nineties, it’s a lot better than some of the things popping up on network TV today. The Fox network is infamous for canceling shows due to impatience. Alien Nation is just one of many shows in a long list that can be referenced at the beginning of a Family Guy episode. Based off of the theatrical release of the same name, starring James Caan and Mandy Patinkin, this box set contains the five Alien Nation television movies that occurred after the series’ early termination.

Alien Nation has the roots of great science fiction. It’s not just because it’s about aliens landing and living among us, either. I don’t know what issues were brought up during the series, but there is a lot of attention to prejudice. In just about every single movie, there is some kind of underlying social issue to be explored. One of the hallmarks of great science fiction is how it makes us look at our own problems. Whether it be slavery, interspecies love, class stereotypes, or passive resistance versus full-out revolution, Alien Nation truly covers a broad spectrum.

As stated before, there is a lot to be said about “trash” from the past in comparison to “quality” of the present. No one is ever going to consider Alien Nation equal to a production at the Globe Theatre, but I’ve never seen a series that has captured the dynamic of a modern family home. The teenagers act like teenagers, the relationship difficulties do not seem overly melodramatic, and you even see a different manner between characters as they alter between work life and home life. Sure, it’s hilarious to hear a ridiculous Newcomer name, but that’s just a unique bit of the Alien Nation brand.

It’s a given that this collection is geared toward the Alien Nation collector. Anyone who has the original film and the television series is bound to pick this up. Once again, Fox’s shortsightedness has cost them a potential bundle in modern marketing. You can make the argument that they would not have known about the cult classic status of the series, but at some point there is no excuse. But, it’s not just for Newcomer lovers. Looking at a glance, these are enjoyable pieces of entertainment. It’s not to say that this is without healthy doses of campiness, but look at much of what Fox has kept over the years, and yet still keeps.