I wasn’t going to talk about this film here, even if it was on my list of flicks to cover. While I do love this film, being a mash-up of genres done right, it was planned for after Halloween. But a few things changed, research for my intended piece was taking longer than expected and then Hollywood legend James Caan passed away on July 6^th 2022 at the age of 82.

The man made some truly amazing films and delivered memorable performances in his 6 plus decades on screen. And what a list, with titles like Brian’s Song, The Godfather, The Gambler, Thief, Gardens of Stone and For The Boys all showing his dramatic acting chops. But it wasn’t all ‘Oscar bait’, he did his time in action films like The Killer Elite, Eraser and comedies such as Elf, The Dark Backward, Honeymoon in Vegas, Bulletproof, Mickey Blue Eyes and a cameo in the truly crazy Santa’s Slay. He even did a horror movie or two with Misery and The Good Neighbour. I mean, this dude was good in everything. Hell, he even did a damn kick ass TV show with Las Vegas.

But with his passing, everyone signals out The Godfather or Misery as his career best or iconic. In this weird and wonderful realm of ‘pop culture’ it is easy to see why, truly great films with truly great performances from the cast, including Caan. But everybody has their firsts and their ‘go to’ flicks. With me, when Caan’s name came up, I always went to one movie, the first to pop up in my odd shaped head. It is a film I loved when I was an 11-year-old kid, and it’s a film I still adore at 44. The sci-fi, action, thriller, buddy cop flick, 1988’s Alien Nation.

One of the things I did with my dad, one of the very good things, was watch action movies together. And apart from martial arts flicks, Dad loves cop-based action movies, bubby cop movies in particular. I watched flicks like 48 Hours, Lethal Weapon, Running Scared and Beverly Hills Cop with him (films I still rate today), but then one day, one of the VHS’ in the pile on Friday night was a buddy cop film with aliens in it. My 11-year-old brain was like, ‘What? You can do that?’. This movie had to go on first. We watched it, and I loved it. Dad, not so much. I believe the reaction was something like, “How could Sonny make this piece of crap?”. His loss.

Alien Nation is a unique story, especially in the era it was made. I don’t think anyone had thought to mash up the Earth based Buddy cop action movie with a Sci-fi thriller before. At least none that I can remember, and I looked. I think the closest I found was the film Outland, which was like High Noon in space, but not an alien to be seen.

In the universe of the film, a large spaceship crashed in the Mojave Desert in the future year of 1991 bearing 300,000 alien beings that were bred as slaves. The aliens were dubbed Newcomers by the humans, due partly to the fact that the humans could not pronounce their species name and not because the filmmakers hadn’t thought one up. These Newcomers where naturalised American citizens and integrated into human society in California, mostly in Los Angeles.

This part of the story, the conceit of the film, has been done before and since this film in a more grounded way. You know, without aliens. The sci-fi element is definitely an allegory on slavery and race relations with 1980s American society. But having the aliens being part of the society removes a lot of the sigma and biases the viewer may have as they can see themselves in the ‘underdog’ role. Something sci-fi does well and something that hadn’t been done in a major Hollywood release.

Anyway, back to the story. One of our main characters is homicide detective Matthew Sykes (James Caan). In the beginning of the film, he loses his partner Tugg (Roger Aaron Brown) in a shootout with two Newcomers when they interrupt the aliens in the middle of a convenience store robbery where the aliens kill the Newcomer couple who own and run the store. Sykes pursues the remaining Newcomer on foot, but losses him after he receives a major beat down.

Wanting to find those responsible for Tugg’s death, which he is forbidden to investigate, he takes on a case with a similar MO, the death of a Newcomer named Warren Hubley, with the hopes he can link the two cases. He also volunteers to take on a new partner, the first Newcomer detective Sam Francisco, who Sykes nicknames ‘George’ (Mandy Patinkin). At this point in the film Sykes is the classic grumpy bigot. He doesn’t single out Newcomers or any other race above all others, he hates everyone. Kind of like Nick Nolte in 48 Hours. Sykes takes Francisco as a partner for purely selfish reasons. If they will be investigating in the Newcomer community, having a Newcomer detective with him will open doors that would have remained shut for him.

While examining the bodies of the fallen criminals, Francisco detects an abnormality in their systems. Something that Francisco keeps quiet about from Sykes until later in the story, even if Sykes sees that something has unnerved Francisco. Through the criminals and the Newcomer victims, the investigation leads to a night club and its owner Joshua Strader. But before they can question him, he is killed by a Newcomer business man, William Harcourt (Terrance Stamp, our villain for the movie) and his henchmen.

Harcourt is the leader of a criminal ring in the advanced stages of launching a scheme to produce and distribute an alien drug called Jabroke. The very thing the alien overseers used to control the Newcomers on board the ship. Its 100% addictive and very deadly. This drug also has no effect on humans.

This is what Francisco noticed earlier, and when it is confirmed, George comes clean with Sykes. It is seen as a point of shame for the Newcomers that this drug was used on them, and had thought it all but destroyed when the ship crashed. They track down Harcourt in the middle of negotiating for the release of the drug. There is a shoot out and a car chase between Francisco and Sykes and Harcourt and his head henchman, Rudyard Kipling (I am so not making that name up).

After a game of chicken turns into a head on collision with major ‘ouchies’ all round, Harcourt escapes on foot with Sykes in hot pursuit. Trapped, Harcourt purposely overdoes on the drug sample he has with him and is presumed dead.

Spoiler: He isn’t.

On his way to the morgue, Harcourt mutates, kills the driver and several cops and escapes. The mismatched duo pursues Harcourt, following him to a fishing pier. Sykes has the final physical confrontation with the mutated alien drug lord on the open sea, on a fishing boat. They both end up in the ocean and Harcourt’s body starts to disintegrate as salt water is deadly to Newcomer physiology, acting like acid. Francisco saves Sykes with the aid of a police helicopter, plunging his hand into the salt water to rescue him.

The film ends with Sykes and Francisco now friends and partners on the job and at the wedding of Sykes’ daughter. Roll credits.

Yeah, I know I say this a lot, but these basic synopses don’t do the story or the performances, or even the directing justice. But it is an engaging tale, with plenty for the sci-fi aficionados and the lovers of 80s action flicks.

This is an example of ‘world building’ done right. The Newcomers have their own language, spoken and written (written language looking like a visual representation of a cardiogram), in the film to set them apart from the mostly English-speaking humans. Also, their bodies cannot digest cooked or processed foods, and they get drunk on sour milk. There is a very cool scene in the film where the two cops’ bond over a drink. Sykes with whiskeys and Francisco drink sour milk from a carton that Sykes accidently left out before leaving for work. It’s a classic scene from many action movie and crime drama when two people from different socio/political environment have to work together for a common goal. Here there is just a little spin on the old troupe.

The Newcomers bodies are stronger, with the male bodies much broader than that of human’s. A larger chest and shoulders are the main physical tells here (think aliens that were drawn by Rob Liefeld). But the big difference, the main physical indicator, is the larger bald heads with intricate markings covering them in an array of unique patterns. Ultimately, they seem to be more like a different ethnic race and not another species. Which is something the producer Gale Ann Hurd wanted, but also adds weight to the second glass citizen status the Newcomers receive in their new adopted home and the bigotry that comes with it.

But the world building of this film is made more accessible through how we learn about it, and the Newcomers. There is not text crawl at the beginning of the film here. That cliché is replaced by new broadcasts on television as the film opens. Think the way the world of Robocop was fleshed out, but lest ridiculous. In this film its mainly through the interaction of our two leads characters, one a seemingly hard-nosed cop and bigot (he hates everyone remember) and an enthusiastic, often times naïve Newcomer trying to understand the humans around him. Francisco moves through the world with an equal dose of puzzlement and amazement, and we see ourselves through his eyes. Also, we find out about the world of the story and the alien Newcomer culture through the investigation the two main characters are on and their conversations. Essentially this is ‘exposition on the go’ similar to James Cameron’s The Terminator four year prior. Which is not surprise, as Cameron did uncredited rewrites on the film before filming began. This is always a breath of fresh air, because there is nothing worse than one of the characters stopping the story dead in its tracks and taking a massive steaming exposition dumb in the middle of the movie.

This film was not a massive hit when released, although is did much better on VHS rentals on home video and did become a cult classic. Enough of one that in 1989, an Alien Nation TV series was aired on network television. It only lasted one season of 21 episodes, but was popular enough to also receive five TV movies following on after the series ended.

Here we have more information about the Newcomers peppered throughout the TV show. The Newcomers officially get a name, Tenctonese. Also learn about mating rituals, biology and cultural identities and relationships. Like, the men carry the babies to term. Pretty cool little story element. The series, while expanding the world, also added a lighter and more comedic elements to the proceeding to go along with the more serious elements of the drama and the police procedural elements. The TV series came to be a cult favourite and award winning. And is still being praised today. Even while the film seems to be less talked about. Which is a shame. It is what started it all. And it was a perfect place to build a larger world and a franchise.

So, check out Alien Nation. It is a mix of sci-fi elements from films like Planet of the Apes and cop dramas like Dirty Harry, through the lens on 1980s futuristic America. It is a fun and enjoyable little ride and will make you think about who the world could possibly act if aliens actually did live amongst us.   

And if nothing else, watch it to see James Caan partnered with an alien solving crime. What’s not to like there.

Thanks to all the great movies, Mr Caan. Rest in Perfection.