This publication reviews the theoretical and experimental status of intense laser alignment, a field that interfaces intense laser physics and chemical dynamics. It discusses the physics underlying this technique and methods for observing it in the laboratory. The roles of laser frequency, pulse duration, and system temperature are illustrated numerically and experimentally. The paper extends the discussion to three-dimensional orientational control, which hinders rotation about all three axes of polyatomic molecules. Finally, it concludes with a discussion of potential applications of intense laser alignment, including control of photoabsorption/photodissociation and probe of nonradiative transitions. The authors highlight the unique opportunities offered by intense laser alignment, such as the possibility of producing field-free strongly aligned molecules and extending alignment to three-dimensional control. They also emphasize the importance of aligning molecules in a strong laser field for applications in stereodynamics and gas-surface research.This publication reviews the theoretical and experimental status of intense laser alignment, a field that interfaces intense laser physics and chemical dynamics. It discusses the physics underlying this technique and methods for observing it in the laboratory. The roles of laser frequency, pulse duration, and system temperature are illustrated numerically and experimentally. The paper extends the discussion to three-dimensional orientational control, which hinders rotation about all three axes of polyatomic molecules. Finally, it concludes with a discussion of potential applications of intense laser alignment, including control of photoabsorption/photodissociation and probe of nonradiative transitions. The authors highlight the unique opportunities offered by intense laser alignment, such as the possibility of producing field-free strongly aligned molecules and extending alignment to three-dimensional control. They also emphasize the importance of aligning molecules in a strong laser field for applications in stereodynamics and gas-surface research.