Favourite/least favouite Alien film?

[Goliath]

^The internet. Gotta love it.

Aliens. awesome movie. There is a version running around that is the original(Directors) cut. If you can find it, it is WAY awesome!!

If you mean the Director's Cut that was included in the most recent DVD release, then I actually liked the theatrical release better.

Your mileage may vary, but in my opinion, the Director's Cut simply took too long to get off the space station, get to LV-426, and get rolling.

I understand Cameron wanting to take time for the audience to get invested in the characters: but for me, it was like Peter Jackson had lengthened King Kong by adding a bunch of stuff to the first part of the movie, before they go to Skull Island. Zzzzz....

That said--I have seen an edited-for-TV version that incorporates some of the material from the Director's Cut, without slowing things down. That is actually my preferred version. Too bad it's not available on DVD.

 

[Admiral Shran]

1.) Aliens
2.) Alien
3.) Alien 3
4.) Alien Resurrection
5.) Alien vs Predator: Requiem
6.) Alien vs Predator (only because it's the only one I haven't seen)

 

[Orac Zen]

Haven't seen any of the Alien / Predator movies, so can't comment on those.

I can't split Alien and Aliens - very different movies, but both quite brilliant. Therefore I can't vote in the poll.

Resurrection is (very) slightly better than Alien3. Neither of them is a movie that I'm in any hurry whatsoever to watch again, however.

 

[EnsignRicky]

1 Aliens
2 Alien
3 Alien 3
4 Alien Resurrection



5 AVP piece of crap
6 Other AVP piece of crap

 

[saturn5]

The results are pretty puzzling, large number of people on the other poll seeking to defend Alien 3 as not the series wrecker I consider it. That said Aliens is clearly the most popular of the series and light years ahead of it

Bullshit. Popularity does not equal quality. Hamburgers are the most popular food in America. Don't believe me? Go outside. Throw a rock. You're bound to hit a McDonald's, Burger King, Carls' Junior, Jack in the Box or one of a thousand other burger joints. That said a burger is not light years ahead of a Filet Mignon. Filet Mignon is fine dining. Hamburgers are junk food. Just like Aliens. Get 'em in. Get 'em out. Don't let 'em stop for a minute to think.

Aliens is junk food for the mind.

Alien 3 is fine dining and frankly it's light years ahead of Aliens in terms of quality.

Faulty metaphor, if you could but a Filet Mignon on the street corner for the same price as a hamburger I'm sure people would. Aliens/Alien3 are equally ubiquitous but people clearly prefer Aliens by a huge margin. The other poll suggests that people don't share my hatred for it and don't consider it to have ruined the series in itself.
And Aliens is such high quality in every way, there's no aspect of it that isn't superlative. Alien 3 is the exact reverse, detrimental in every way, I'm sure they show it to trainee film execs and go "This is why you have to keep a firm hand on writer/driectors so that they don't go crazy and destroy our wonderful franchise!"

 

[saturn5]

Ok, I'll call the results, Aliens wins by a clear margin more than all the others put together, which certainly says something given how highly regarded Alien is

 

[Joel_Kirk]

Alien-Good

Aliens-Good, fun

Alien 3-*Yawn*

Alien 4-Fun, but very silly at various times...

AVP-Silly, but had some potentially cool characters...

AVP 2-Didn't waste my time with this one...

 

[saturn5]

Alien-Good

Aliens-Good, fun

Alien 3-*Yawn*

Alien 4-Fun, but very silly at various times...

AVP-Silly, but had some potentially cool characters...

AVP 2-Didn't waste my time with this one...

yes, well said

 

[scnj]

How can you enjoy Alien 3 when it destroys your enjoyment of Aliens?

Because ... it doesn't. They're two different films. Did you really want to see Ripley, Hicks and Newt 'play house' in the next film? Aliens made its point with Newt, and Alien 3 made its point by killing her. I grant that a little breathing space would've been preferable, but ... c'est la vie. It's all about Ripley, and they did damn fine work with her in Alien 3.

Finally, someone who agrees with me. Ripley facing that tragedy helps advance her character.

Aliens > Alien > Alien 3 > Alien Resurrection

I don't like lumping in AVP with the Alien or Predator films. I consider it a separate franchise.

 

[Anwar]

Ok, I'll call the results, Aliens wins by a clear margin more than all the others put together, which certainly says something given how highly regarded Alien is

Yeah, people will always go for the American stereotypes and gunz n explozions over real characters and plot.

 

[Bisz]

Ok, I'll call the results, Aliens wins by a clear margin more than all the others put together, which certainly says something given how highly regarded Alien is

Yeah, people will always go for the American stereotypes and gunz n explozions over real characters and plot.

Yeah, people will always whine, bitch and moan like little babies when their opinion is shown to be in an utterly irrelevant minority.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

It doesn't need to be Newt and co playing happy famillies. The thing that destroys me in Alien 3 is that it seems so unnecessary, so sadistic, all you need was one throwaway line "Yeah, your's was the only pod ejected, the others are all safely on their way to earth"

That would have gutted the emotional core of the film, quite frankly.

The film is built around the idea that the universe is cruel, unforgiving, and merciless, that everything and everyone you love can and will be lost, that you will die, and that you have the choice to either accept your fate meekly or go down fighting until the end to derive some meaning and/or satisfaction from your life. The bleakness and nihilism of the film isn't a flaw of Alien 3; it's a feature.

Offering an escape for Hicks and Newt would, frankly, undercut the message of the film. It would also deprive the film of the emotionally powerful cremation scene. Escape simply isn't an option, and the film is honest enough to tackle that head-on.

And on a different note, Mods, can we merge the three Alien threads? Whether by design or by accident, they overlap in subject matter discussed and posters discussing said subject matter. There's simply no need for three threads.

 

[saturn5]

It doesn't need to be Newt and co playing happy famillies. The thing that destroys me in Alien 3 is that it seems so unnecessary, so sadistic, all you need was one throwaway line "Yeah, your's was the only pod ejected, the others are all safely on their way to earth"

That would have gutted the emotional core of the film, quite frankly.

The film is built around the idea that the universe is cruel, unforgiving, and merciless, that everything and everyone you love can and will be lost, that you will die, and that you have the choice to either accept your fate meekly or go down fighting until the end to derive some meaning and/or satisfaction from your life. The bleakness and nihilism of the film isn't a flaw of Alien 3; it's a feature.

Offering an escape for Hicks and Newt would, frankly, undercut the message of the film. It would also deprive the film of the emotionally powerful cremation scene. Escape simply isn't an option, and the film is honest enough to tackle that head-on.

And on a different note, Mods, can we merge the three Alien threads? Whether by design or by accident, they overlap in subject matter discussed and posters discussing said subject matter. There's simply no need for three threads.

Agree on the merging of the threads but the idea that Hick&co's survival would ruin the nihilistic tone of Alien3 is the whole point, it would have made it a less terrible film

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Re: Favorite/least favorite Alien film?

the idea that Hick&co's survival would ruin the nihilistic tone of Alien3 is the whole point, it would have made it a less terrible film

Only if you think the nihilism of Alien 3 is a bad thing. Which you clearly do, saturn5 and I absolutely don't.

We're never going to agree on the film. I accept Alien 3 as it is, I understand it, and I appreciate it, whereas you simply wish it away. It's difficult to discuss a film when I see the film that exists and you see a film that exists only in the fantasy of your mind.

 

[saturn5]

Re: Favorite/least favorite Alien film?

the idea that Hick&co's survival would ruin the nihilistic tone of Alien3 is the whole point, it would have made it a less terrible film

Only if you think the nihilism of Alien 3 is a bad thing. Which you clearly do, saturn5 and I absolutely don't.

We're never going to agree on the film. I accept Alien 3 as it is, I understand it, and I appreciate it, whereas you simply wish it away. It's difficult to discuss a film when I see the film that exists and you see a film that exists only in the fantasy of your mind.

Yeah, I wish I COULD wish it away! I see the film that exists too, I just wish it didn't