POLL: Favorite movie from Alien franchise

[Dream]

I was wondering which movie is considered the best movie from the Alien franchise around here.

I've re watched the first three movies recently, and still consider the first to be my favorite. It is just so well made and love how creepy it is. The Alien was never more threatening then when it was in the first. This movie had the best ensemble cast, all the sequels were just Ripley and her sidekicks. Also Ridley Scott rocks.

Aliens is a very good action movie. But I always found the marines to be too cartoony at times. This movie was probably the most family friendly of the franchise with the cute little girl and Hicks crushing on Ripley.

Alien 3 pissed me off during the first five minutes. I don't think I've ever seen a movie mishandled its characters so badly as this movie. The rest of the movie just LOOKS so ugly compared to the first two. The less said about the script the better. The alien POV during the climax confused the heck out of me. I don't blame David Fincher for this mess.

I barely remember anything about Resurrection except for the stupid alien hybrid. That's how memorable it was.

What did you think about the Alien films? Which was your favorite?

 

[clint g]

Once upon a time Aliens was my favorite. I recently rewatched it though and I guess as I've gotten older the more ridiculous it seems. It seems to embrace every single war movie cliche in existence; from the angry platoon sergeant to the inept lieutenant.

The original movie however holds up very well and is still super awesome.

Alien 3 is passable and Resurrection is complete shit.

So, I'm going to go with the original Alien.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

I think the original Alien is the best. The kid in me enjoys Aliens. Alien Resurrection is a total crock of shit. So that leaves Alien 3 as my absolute favorite of the bunch.

Alien 3 came out of left field after Aliens. I like how it eschewed the Disneylike simplicity of it's predecessor and went for a harder, grittier tone. Sure many people refuse to forgive the gut punch of an opening but I applaud it. One of the bravest big budget sequels of all time and one that's resonated with me for nearly twenty years.

 

[Harvey]

I like them all to varying degrees, but the first two are obviously the best. Among those, I prefer the first film, although only slightly.

 

[IcecreamLtDan]

The first one without a doubt. My wife will disagree as she's a big fan of the second, but the first one left such an impression on me. It's also the only one I actually saw in the theater too. It was one of those movies that made me such a big fan of the genre. It's been 33 years and I've always wanted to know more about the Aliens, as well as the space jockey and now we may get some of those answers. Can't wait.

I enjoyed both Aliens and Alien 3, but the movies all seem so different from each other, if it wasn't for Ripley, they could all have been stand alone movies and no one would even know. The fourth one, well, I enjoyed it for its comedy value anyway, by the end of it, I was a huge fan of the Aliens, I kinda wish they would've won, I was pulling for them there on the station when they escaped.

 

[Lonemagpie]

The first and second equally, but since the poll doesn't let me do that, I voted for Alien, since without it there would never have been an Aliens

 

[Shurik]

Alien. I rewatched all four about half a year ago and it's still the best and the scariest of them all. Aliens is close second. The "directors cut" of Alien 3 was also pretty good. The fourth one is the weakest, but not as terrible as most seem to think.

 

[Disruptor]

ALIENS since I saw it first. ALIEN may be the better movie, though. It's a close call.

ALIEN 3 was a melancholy mess where everyone was bald and looked alike except for Charles Dutton. Some of the creature effects stank, too, IIRC. That said it's not all bad. I would say it's the least rewatchable of the lot.

Resurrection reminded me of the Alien comic books by Dark Horse. Enjoyable, but cliched, goofy and often stupid.


If the aliens wanted to steer the humans toward those eggs, why they'd grab the one chick underwater? She'd probably drown before she got to a face hugger.

If these aliens can spit acid, why they'd have to slaughter a comrade to escape their cell?

How the hell was Brad Douriff's character still alive and conscious when he was the first person the aliens took after getting loose? Oh, right, for exposition purposes...otherwise we'd be asking why the queen was giving birth to that fleshly thing.

Call (Ryder) gets away from the infant terrible alien and instead of screaming for help, waits until the one guy comes in...merely calls his name, then he gets the head crush?

Clone Ripley was fun, though. The basketball scene and miracle shot alone is worth the movie.

 

[Starkers]

If you'd asked me a year ago I'd have said Alien, but I rewatched all of them last year and actually went back to the theatrical release of Aliens rather than the Special Edition for the first time in many years, and I actually enjoyed it a whole lot more and I wished I'd dumped the special edition years ago.

So Aliens for me, but it's literally only a hairss bredth ahead of Alien. Alien 3 I have a lot of time for, particularly in its director's cut form, but it is weaker, and 4...heck to be honest I'd put the original AVP ahead of 4...

 

[Lonemagpie]

The problem with Resurrection, as I've often said, is that it's literally a "Best of..." compilation, bringing nothing new to the series.

 

[davejames]

Once upon a time Aliens was my favorite. I recently rewatched it though and I guess as I've gotten older the more ridiculous it seems. It seems to embrace every single war movie cliche in existence; from the angry platoon sergeant to the inept lieutenant.

The original movie however holds up very well and is still super awesome.

Agreed. Aliens was fantastic back in the day, but unfortunately it hasn't aged nearly as well as the original movie has. The model effects stand out a lot more, the marines seem cartoonish as hell, and the story somehow doesn't feel quite as rich and complex as it used to either.

And on blu-ray it's no contest-- Alien looks like a freakin work of art next to Aliens.

Alien3 has actually improved with age quite a bit, I think. The actors are all really good, the dialogue is intelligent, and Fincher's moody, atmospheric direction now looks better than ever. Unfortunately it still suffers from being, well... not all that scary.

Resurrection on the other hand just seems stupider and more ridiculous than ever.

 

[Kirkman1987]

Alien, but Aliens is very close. I'll give Alien the edge just because I think the cast is a lot stronger. Both films are fantastic though.

Alien 3 is watchable, but at best it's an interesting failure. I don't mind the character deaths like a lot of people do (in fact, I love some of the set-up) but the execution of everything is off. The look of the film is just too different from the first two and the action scenes aren't filmed well. The whole climax is ruined by that lame 1st person alien camera and bad staging. They were brave, but bravery alone doesn't lead to a great film.

The less said about Resurrection the better. It's fun to see Joss Whedon's prototype Firefly crew, but this is a terrible film in almost every respect.

 

[Harvey]

Alien, but Aliens is very close. I'll give Alien the edge just because I think the cast is a lot stronger. Both films are fantastic though.

Honestly, in terms of actors, all four films have some of the finest casts that have been assembled for this sort of thing.

 

[Kirkman1987]

Alien, but Aliens is very close. I'll give Alien the edge just because I think the cast is a lot stronger. Both films are fantastic though.

Honestly, in terms of actors, all four films have some of the finest casts that have been assembled for this sort of thing.

I can't argue with that, but I don't think that those great actors are as well utilized as they are in Alien.

Plus, I'm a huge Harry Dean Stanton fan

 

[Relayer1]

Alien is a good monster movie.
Aliens is on another level altogether - just fantastic.
Alien 3 made me want to burn out the part of my brain that remembers it - it almost ruined the second film for me. Stupid, nonsensical, farcical.

The fourth film was a valiant attempt to reverse the harm done by the third film, which was sadly an impossible task.

Aliens, all day, every day for me...

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

Alien, but Aliens is very close. I'll give Alien the edge just because I think the cast is a lot stronger. Both films are fantastic though.

Honestly, in terms of actors, all four films have some of the finest casts that have been assembled for this sort of thing.

I can't argue with that, but I don't think that those great actors are as well utilized as they are in Alien.

Plus, I'm a huge Harry Dean Stanton fan

I loved his cameo in The Avengers. He got one of the biggest laughs in the movie.

 

[tomalak301]

I liked Aliens, even though the first two movies were spectacular. Aliens, though was just faster paced and had more of that action thriller vibe while, Alien was more "horror". I prefer the former to the latter.

 

[Aeon]

Definitely Alien/Aliens. Sorry, I just can't choose between them.

 

[Gaith]

Aliens, Extended Cut. Yes, there are some goofy moments, and I certainly can't fault anyone who prefers the original, but from the sense of history to the emotional stakes to some of the most intense action I've ever seen, even on my small-ass laptop, Aliens just appeals to me more.

I refuse to watch 3 or 4 on principle. Unless one figures that the Nostromo's escape pods were subtly sabotaged, which I suppose is plausible, it's awfully convenient for Ripley to awake to a whole new hell for one sequel. To have it happen again just feels cheap.

 

[J.T.B.]

Alien was brilliantly original. Nobody had done anything like that yet, combining SF concepts and top-level effects in a serious studio package with characters and dialogue that drew from the more naturalistic cinema of the '70s. I remember Aliens fondly (the first R-rated movie I took a date to, and she clamped my hand really good in a few scenes) but I don't find it rewards re-watching like the first film.

Justin