n 1988, a spaceship carrying 250,000 escaped alien slaves appeared above the city of Los Angeles. The aliens, known as Newcomers, were quarantined for three years and then assimilated into human society, passing through a modern day Ellis Island where they were given new names such as Rudyard Kipling and Harley Davidson. The Newcomers--or "slags" as they're called behind their backs--are genetically engineered beings far hardier and more intelligent than humans. Although nominally the United State has embraced the slags with open arms, relations between the two species are tainted with bitterness and bigotry.
L.A.P.D. Sergeant Matthew Sykes (Caan) is one of the worst human bigots there is. By day he cruises the streets of "slagtown" with his longtime partner Bill "Tuggs" Tuggle (Roger Aaron Brown). At night he nurses his hatred for the Newcomers, and for his ex-wife, with only a bottle of vodka for company. Tragedy strikes when Tuggle is killed during a shootout with two well-armed slags who the cops catch in the middle of a botched convenience store robbery. Sykes manages to kill one of the assailants, but the other escapes, nearly doing in Sykes in the process.
Burned out in life and luck, Sykes turns to an unexpected source for help, Newcomer Sam Francisco (Patinkin). Francisco is a rookie cop who's been fast-tracked through the force in the interests of better race relations. Sykes volunteers to serve as the fledgling detective's partner, ostensibly to show him the ropes. But what he's really after is the information Francisco has on a recent Newcomer murder, which looks like it's tied directly to Tuggle's death. As the unlikely partners chase down leads, they realize they've stumbled into a major conspiracy that could threaten the future of aliens and humans alike. They also realize that they just might like one another.
"Don't take it personally. I'm a bigot."
Alien Nation is one of those movies that's so good it's hard to know where to lavish praise first. From the opening scene of an ominous flying saucer hovering over L.A., it's clear that something special is going on here. Director Graham Baker has done an excellent job portraying the Newcomers as the new minority on the planet, from their earnest yet awkward attempts to adopt human ways (picture aliens in business suits who live in houses with white picket fences) to their gritty back-alley dealings in drugs and murder.
Caan and Patinkin are wonderful as the at-odds partners who slowly form a bond of mutual respect and trust, largely through friendly and not-so-friendly banter (Sykes decides the name "Sam Francisco" is too ludicrous to use and summarily dubs his partner "George." Tit for tat, George then explains that "Sykes" means "shit head" in the Newcomer's native tongue.) Terence Stamp also excels as Newcomer businessman and community leader William Harcourt, who has learned one lesson too many from his former masters.
Writer Rockne S. O'Bannon has done a fine job with the script, creating a story that's both intriguing and touching, as well as funny and serious. The film also manages to explore modern-day social issues while telling a gripping crime story in the process. Together O'Bannon, Graham, Patinkin and Caan created a rich tableau with Alien Nation, and it's easy to see why the film went on to spawn a TV series (albeit short-lived) and five television movies.
