I finally saw the four movies in Sigourney Weaver's Alien series

[Ro_Laren]

As the title says I finally saw the four movies in the Alien series. They were pretty good. Definitely seemed like the fourth could have opened the room for more movies, but doubt that will happen since that was 12 years ago. And isn't Sigourney over 60 now?? I might watch all the Alien V. Predator movies, but right now it doesn't interest me that much.

Anywho, on a side note I noticed that if I order the movies of which I like from best to worst it follows my preference for the 4 TNG movies.

From best to worst:

1. The second movie (Aliens)
2. The fourth movie (Alien:Resurrection)
3. The first movie (Alien)
4. The third movie (Alien 3),

Back on track. I saw that Joss Whedon wrote the 4th movie, but wasn't pleased with the outcome. Did they change any of his original script for the movie? Were big changes made to it? Was he well known when he wrote the script. I am not a Buffy fan so I don't know when that series came out.

 

[RoJoHen]

All I know is that Alien: Resurrection is generally considered to be a giant piece of crap.

 

[Trubinator]

Alien 4 isn't exactly awful, but it's my least favorite of the series. The first AVP is OK, but disregard the sequel. My order would be Aliens, Alien, Alien 3, Alien 4.

 

[Harvey]

I don't hate Alien Resurrection, but it does have its problems. It's far better than either of the two crossover sequels (both are pretty unwatchable), and definitely has a better director, writer, and cast. Somehow they just didn't come together as well as they should have.

 

[Ward Fowler]

From best to worst:

1. The second movie (Aliens)
2. The fourth movie (Alien:Resurrection)
3. The first movie (Alien)
4. The third movie (Alien 3),

That's an interesting ranking order. I'm particularly surprised that the original ranks so low on the list.

 

[Lindley]

There are several extremely cheesy aspects of the original when watched from a modern perspective. The room filled with nonsense blinky lights----audiences have caught onto that trick by now. And the ship exploding (apparently) three times is just strange.

Apparently Alien Resurrection was directed by someone who didn't speak English, or at least not naively. Imagine someone like that trying to work with a Joss Whedon script. It was pretty much a miracle it came out as coherent as it did.

 

[Trubinator]

LOL! I'd forgotten about the ending explosion. Those sound effects and graphics were just ... eww.

 

[Goji]

A couple years ago I watched the first three films for the first time. I haven't seen the fourth, and I don't really intend to. The first film is an interesting, atmospheric scifi film, right up until the point where the critter bursts out of the guy's stomach. I liked all the setup with the mysterious giant alien spacecraft and the face-hugger, but after that it just becomes a standard monster on the loose film with an admittedly well designed monster. To be honest, it lost my interest and never reclaimed it.

I liked the sequel a bit more, although I never cared for the new characters. Newt and the space marines. Apparently everyone else was really upset when the third film killed them off, but I didn't care. "Aliens" was generally more exciting than the first film, with the possible exception of the finale. I'm sorry, but Ripley's mechanical suit fight with the queen alien just came off as hopelessly hokey to me.

The third film mainly just annoyed me, until the ending. I liked the idea of the ending, with Ripley sacrificing herself to destroy the alien inside her. Too bad that ending wasn't attached to a more entertaining movie.

 

[Rackon]

I love Alien - even if it is "monsters in space". Ridley was on a roll. Highly atmospheric and plenty of gotcha's. And, speaking personally, the protagonist was a woman, a badass woman. Finally a female in a SF movie with more to do that carry trays or scream. Alien is the best SF movie trailer ever too.

The franchise got progressively less interesting to me as it went. I didn't really like Aliens - just a basic action movie with elements from the original Alien - Sigourney is always great but the marines were outright annoying - couldn't wait for them to bite it. I liked the bad guy best actually. 3 was a mess, from a director I expected better from, and I didn't care enough about 4 to see it.

 

[DevilEyes]

The first 3 movies were good. I loved Alien 3 and I think it's very underrated. If I had to choose a favorite, it would be between Aliens and Alien 3.

Alien Resurrection, however, was a piece of crap. I don't think the direction (by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, director of "City of Lost Children" and "Delicatessen") was a problem. Everything that bugged me in the movie came from the script: the plot, the stupid so-called resurrection of Ripley, and especailly the dialogue.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Apparently Alien Resurrection was directed by someone who didn't speak English, or at least not naively. Imagine someone like that trying to work with a Joss Whedon script. It was pretty much a miracle it came out as coherent as it did.

Not to nitpick, but that's an amusing typo.

 

[Middle Earther]

I enjoy all 4 movies. I actually like 4 better than 3, but I would have to put the original as the best of the lot. So my "fave" order would be: Alien, Aliens, Alien Resurrection, then Aliens 3.

 

[Ward Fowler]

I love Alien - even if it is "monsters in space". Ridley was on a roll. Highly atmospheric and plenty of gotcha's. And, speaking personally, the protagonist was a woman, a badass woman. Finally a female in a SF movie with more to do that carry trays or scream. Alien is the best SF movie trailer ever too.

Agreed. Best of the bunch.

I know I'm in the minority, but I actually enjoyed the Extended cut of Alien 3 more than I did Aliens. Like the first one, there was a lot of atmosphere. Don't get me wrong though, Aliens was a really good (and highly quotable) action flick. I thought the fourth film was pretty forgettable.

 

[Emher]

I like the first three, "Aliens" being top. But the fourth...it has all the elements to be great. I mean every other Jeunet film I've seen have been fantastic (I adore "Amelie" and "A Very Long Engagement") and I like Whedon's stuff, but some reason it's just....eh.

 

[Tulin]

As the title says I finally saw the four movies in the Alien series. They were pretty good. Definitely seemed like the fourth could have opened the room for more movies, but doubt that will happen since that was 12 years ago. And isn't Sigourney over 60 now?? I might watch all the Alien V. Predator movies, but right now it doesn't interest me that much.

Anywho, on a side note I noticed that if I order the movies of which I like from best to worst it follows my preference for the 4 TNG movies.

From best to worst:

1. The second movie (Aliens)
2. The fourth movie (Alien:Resurrection)
3. The first movie (Alien)
4. The third movie (Alien 3),

Back on track. I saw that Joss Whedon wrote the 4th movie, but wasn't pleased with the outcome. Did they change any of his original script for the movie? Were big changes made to it? Was he well known when he wrote the script. I am not a Buffy fan so I don't know when that series came out.

Welcome to 1997!!!!!

 

[Harvey]

Apparently Alien Resurrection was directed by someone who didn't speak English, or at least not [natively]. Imagine someone like that trying to work with a Joss Whedon script. It was pretty much a miracle it came out as coherent as it did.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, director of City of Lost Children, Amelie, and A Very Long Engagement. Not just "someone." Language problems were definitely one of the difficulties the film faced, as Jeunet's English wasn't great, especially in 1997 (it's improved since).

But another problem the film faced was Whedon's screenplay, which had its problems (Michael Wincott's death early on is incomprehensibly stupid, for example). It also had budgetary difficulties (at least one major set piece had to be dropped, and the ending was revised). And some of the line readings by Winona Ryder are absolutely painful to hear, especially in the first half of the film.

 

[Lindley]

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, director of City of Lost Children, Amelie, and A Very Long Engagement. Not just "someone."

I don't know any of those, sorry.

 

[Anwar]

My ranking:

Alien
Alien 3
Aliens
Alien RES

 

[Too Much Fun]

I love Alien - even if it is "monsters in space". Ridley was on a roll. Highly atmospheric and plenty of gotcha's. And, speaking personally, the protagonist was a woman, a badass woman. Finally a female in a SF movie with more to do that carry trays or scream. Alien is the best SF movie trailer ever too.

The franchise got progressively less interesting to me as it went. I didn't really like Aliens - just a basic action movie with elements from the original Alien - Sigourney is always great but the marines were outright annoying - couldn't wait for them to bite it.

My sentiments exactly. I just saw "Aliens" again for only the second time and I was shocked by how disappointing it was after re-watching. The first time I saw it, I wasn't sure which I liked more between the first and second. Now I think the original is clearly superior. The amount of action in "Aliens" just got tiresome to me after awhile, and the characters annoyed me too.

All I really loved was Sigourney's performance, but the characters and atmosphere in the first one were better and there isn't a single scene in "Aliens" that I found as unforgettably awesome as that milk-spitting android's freakout (and beautifully eloquent and intense Sam Loomis/Halloweenesque speech about the alien that followed it) or the amazing chestbuster scene. "Alien 3" has some fun moments ("GET THAT FOOLISH WOMAN OUT OF HERE!") but I can't remember it very well. Never saw the fourth one.

 

[Candlelight]

There are several extremely cheesy aspects of the original when watched from a modern perspective. And the ship exploding (apparently) three times is just strange.

The first explosion was the engines on the Nostromo, the second and third were seperate explosions from the refinery she was towing, although the same fx shot is used, to make things confusing.

I actually think the films got worse as they went along, so I would rank them in order of their release. However, Alien 3, especially the special edition, is very underrated and often divides the fans, but I hold it about even with Aliens. It's definitely one of Sigourney's best performances in any movie she's ever done.

And that includes Ghostbusters.