Why are they almost always portrayed as ...

[Steve-0]

I had a question for all of you, especially those of you who watch Sci-fi movies. Why is it that in many movies that Aliens are Bipedal or snake like in movement? Could it be possible that aliens might be quadrupeds or more?

[shanahan2300]

But of course...anything is possible now whether or not it's probable is another question

[I AAAM]

I had a question for all of you, especially those of you who watch Sci-fi movies. Why is it that in many movies that Aliens are Bipedal or snake like in movement? Could it be possible that aliens might be quadrupeds or more?

Your question does not have a leg to stand on

[darkknight]

I had a question for all of you, especially those of you who watch Sci-fi movies. Why is it that in many movies that Aliens are Bipedal or snake like in movement? Could it be possible that aliens might be quadrupeds or more?

good question if aliens are shown as more humanlike its due to details given by the media on aliens. which in turn gets them from ppl who had experience or encounter.

[Steve-0]

good question if aliens are shown as more humanlike its due to details given by the media on aliens. which in turn gets them from ppl who had experience or encounter.

Well, what I was alluding too was how similar 'Aliens' are portrayed as looking like humans. It bothers me, in that there are so many other possibilities out there, yet we've only seen ones that walk with two legs?

[Yelekiah]

Films just want us to be able to identify with aliens.

But as someone previously stated, anything is possible (not really).

[.........................]

It is probably because they are easier for people to stand inside and manipulate the puppets! Think Jabba the Hut.

[mklsgl]

Great question. And some great responses as well.

The Alien Phenomena is a reflection of our culture. As previously stated and alluded to, the need to identify aliens as both familiar and unfamiliar is essential to recognition.

Compare the aliens in pop culture mediums (film and TV) such as 'The Abyss,' 'Alien,' 'The X-Files,' 'Alf,' 'Third Rock From The Sun,' '"Close Encounters," 'Brother From Another Planet,' 'Inavasion of the Body Snatchers,' and 'The Day The Earth Stood Still.' Some alien portrayals are more familiar looking than others, yet all have the same cultural connection: the in-common human experience--be it reptilian, liquid, light, humanoid, or insectival, we can identify it as familiar and unfamiliar.

[darkknight]

Well, what I was alluding too was how similar 'Aliens' are portrayed as looking like humans. It bothers me, in that there are so many other possibilities out there, yet we've only seen ones that walk with two legs?

Films just want us to be able to identify with aliens.

But as someone previously stated, anything is possible (not really).

It is probably because they are easier for people to stand inside and manipulate the puppets! Think Jabba the Hut.

lol..

but coming to topic, who has seen a alien ''not'' bipedal ?....so far all known sighting has stated these aliens as bipedal.

[xstortionist]

what if aliens looked exactly like us...and their planet had the same features as our planet?

[RisenPrism]

most exobiologists belive that if and when we find alien organisms, they will be so totally different than anything we have ever imagined, we may not even realize we found something of interest.

[xstortionist]

i kinda doubt they will be of something we could never imagine. THe reason being is because I feel anything that we do imagine is coming from somewhere we can't explain. and if so like peole may think that if we are bioengineered from another race then they must have done this to probably hundreds of other planets. So why is that they would look so much different then us or any other animal on our planet? I feel anything created inside our galaxy would be simliar in looks, but ouside out galaxy it would be a whole new ball park. I feel each galaxy has similarities within itself.

[Bio-Mage]

Two simple reasons.

One is budget. To have non bipedal "actors" on film is expensive as they have to be completly animated. In case you use animatronics or puppets you are equally screwed from the practical side of making certain scenes.

Secondly its the drama value. Ten legged floating blobs with green eyes and tentacles for arms dont commute emotions really well in human terms. In most tv series or films when the aliens are more than just things to shoot at, actors act as an analogy rather than an accurate fact or a creative view on an alien organism. Why do you think they all know english?

Edited October 31, 2005 by Bio-Mage

[ghostbuster_3]

I had a question for all of you, especially those of you who watch Sci-fi movies. Why is it that in many movies that Aliens are Bipedal or snake like in movement? Could it be possible that aliens might be quadrupeds or more?

[/quote

i think they look like us in some way but a little diff.

[Steve-0]

i kinda doubt they will be of something we could never imagine. THe reason being is because I feel anything that we do imagine is coming from somewhere we can't explain. and if so like peole may think that if we are bioengineered from another race then they must have done this to probably hundreds of other planets. So why is that they would look so much different then us or any other animal on our planet? I feel anything created inside our galaxy would be simliar in looks, but ouside out galaxy it would be a whole new ball park. I feel each galaxy has similarities within itself.

I think you need to understand that Organisms evolve and mutated in relation to many environental factors. Because planets are very different in form, especcially when it comes to distance from the sun, that any biological beings would have to be radically different, to withstand the differing environments. Not only that, but evolution takes thousands to millions of years, and planets range in age, thus some organisms maybe be maybe way more advanced than others in the realms of evolutionary stand point, but may still not be able to use or even define technology.

[Cadetak]

In cinema its common to see "intelligent" aliens in a humanoid form and more monstorous ones viewed as abominations. Example: Star Wars and Star Trek have intelligent humanoid aliens. The movie Aliens has more beastish loking aliens.

[NickJW]

There could be laws of evolution, where the humanoid form is the most efficient for intelligence to evolve. After all, when your bipedal, that leaves your front paws free to evolve into tool makers, promoting intelligence. That's not to say the laws of evolution can vary, after all, orb ufo's could be the life form themselves, whether they are extra-terrestrial or even intelligent may not be certain.

[Steve-0]

There could be laws of evolution, where the humanoid form is the most efficient for intelligence to evolve. After all, when your bipedal, that leaves your front paws free to evolve into tool makers, promoting intelligence. That's not to say the laws of evolution can vary, after all, orb ufo's could be the life form themselves, whether they are extra-terrestrial or even intelligent may not be certain.

Yeah, I was assuming that since some of these planets have been around atleast billions of years before earth they would have had animals which evolutionized (is that a word) past being bipedial.

[Master Alex]

I had a question for all of you, especially those of you who watch Sci-fi movies. Why is it that in many movies that Aliens are Bipedal or snake like in movement? Could it be possible that aliens might be quadrupeds or more?

Well, they might be, but it’s not likely, ‘coz being quadruped isn’t that practical for making a great nation that could come to earth, but see! alien animals can be quadrupeds , aren’t they called aliens too ?

[trinity082482]

I dont know

I have seen one before but he wasnt walking in front of me so I couldnt say what it would be like

[Orion437]

The Antropomorphic form is the most adaptable or suitable for an advanced civilization.

Can you imagine a dolphin or an elepanth flying UFOS?

That´s why.

Bts, sorry for my english.

[jillh10]

I had a question for all of you, especially those of you who watch Sci-fi movies. Why is it that in many movies that Aliens are Bipedal or snake like in movement? Could it be possible that aliens might be quadrupeds or more?

Well spotted...I have also wonered this...until I saw "The blob"...however..it would depend on the planet that the said aliens come from. If lets say and alien race lived in a solar system that prevented an inhabited planet to have certain amounts of gravity for arguements sake lets say the planet had a dense gravity then I suppose the inhabitants would be short squat and have no need to evolve in to bipeds as one large foot would be enough, I suppose something like a gastropod here on Earth. Gastropods on Earth evolved the way they did some another reason tho. But if the aliens came from a planet such that the gravity was light then they might evolve wings and rudder like limbs so that they can float about with ease....Hmmmm

I could be wrong but its a thought!

love peace and serenity

jill x

[RedX]

I think that they have a body stucture some what like ours(from encounter stories) because they seem to be mainly tool users and with this body structure you have a good ablity to use tools. Not that this is the best form for intelligence in evolution(as someone stated )but because it forces you to use tools as a way to live which in turn makes you use tool in other ways which ends up with you making spaceships and so on. Other body structures can use tools but thats not there primary function(sp?).

With these body structure you are forced to use tools because you lose so much by having it. You cant run fast enuff to get/get away from anything ( lungs are not big so theres a lack of energy, standing eracted(sp?) is not aurodinamic, legs are not powerful enuff to preduce any REAL speed compared to 4 legged animals, if one leg gets hurt you are very much out of luck and you dont have very much tracktion with no claws), you dont have anything to kill a animal with (no claws, small teeth, weak jaws and so on) and you are not powerful (even if you had SOME power you still couldnt cauth up to anything thats running to use it). So in the end you must make ways to get around these things which is why we use tools so much ( and by useing tools we end up thinking that other animals are not as smart as us because they dont but really they are very smart because of the fact that, like us, there bodies are made for the things do need to do to live...they dont did tools so they dont use them as much as we do).

(sorry, my spelling is really missed up today

[RedX]

Well spotted...I have also wonered this...until I saw "The blob"...however..it would depend on the planet that the said aliens come from. If lets say and alien race lived in a solar system that prevented an inhabited planet to have certain amounts of gravity for arguements sake lets say the planet had a dense gravity then I suppose the inhabitants would be short squat and have no need to evolve in to bipeds as one large foot would be enough, I suppose something like a gastropod here on Earth. Gastropods on Earth evolved the way they did some another reason tho. But if the aliens came from a planet such that the gravity was light then they might evolve wings and rudder like limbs so that they can float about with ease....Hmmmm

I could be wrong but its a thought!

love peace and serenity

jill x

Im pretty sure that with alot of gravity this being would grow very large to enore it(I get this from the fact that if humans are in low gravity for a whele there bones become very weak and smaller so they had to make ways to make fake gravity in space.) but I could also be wrong too

[Milo]

In sci-fi. maybe, its just easier to make a human look alien, than make some complex and expensive prop...

Real aliens (assuming they exist)?, I’m just guessing here... being able to walk and carry something is handy. Having hands with digits lets you manipulate things, pick your tiny nose or stick in a dyke. Being able to see where you are going is kinda important too, and having a butt to plant in a seat after a hard day of intergalactic anal exams would be nice too... IMHO