I'm all for the suspension of disbelief, but some of this looks flat out ludicrous 35 years down the line.

• The female lead falling for an alien that transformed infront of her eyes and is made to act like he has a mental age of 8.
• The army letting the alien go after catching him.
• The member of the public risking his life to cause a diversion with the military etc etc.
  

There were some touching moments and if Bridges had been able to play the alien as mysterious and intelligent rather than vulnerable and goofy then I think the film would have been all the better for it. I think this film shows why Carpenter is best known for his action output, as subtlety and nuance probably aren't his strong suits.

The Man Who Fell to Earth is a vastly superior film on a similar theme.

I give this 5/10.