Alien vs. Aliens

[pictsy]

I have often heard it said that Aliens is one of the rare cases that a sequel is better than the original.  I have thought about it for years as to which was my favourite Alien flick (Alien 3 held the post the longest time).  These days I feel more inclined to say the original is the best and that Aliens is way down the list now.  This has probably been done to death already but I'll throw it back out there.

Which is your favourite, Alien or Aliens?

[JamesC]

Personally - Aliens.

It's probably more to do with the type of film it is though. Aliens is a high octane 80's sci-fi action film and I can watch those over and over again without getting bored.

Alien is a haunted house film in space. While it's technically very good it doesn't hold the same appeal for me and I don't think it has the depth of something like The Thing that would make me want to watch again and again to see if I missed anything.

[amines2058]

Aliens, Alien, Alien Resurrection, Alien 3 in that order. I find it hard to compare 1 to 2 as they are a different types of movie to me.
Alien being a dark tense horror with sci-fi theme, the 2nd being more of a sci-fi actioner with a horror element to it. Alien is a haunted house film in space. Anyway that is my thoughts...fell free to lambast 
(See also Terminator & Terminator 2?! Serial killer flick vs. large scale sci-fi actioner although both excellent!)

[amines2058]

Aliens, Alien, Alien Resurrection, Alien 3 in that order. I find it hard to compare 1 to 2 as they are a different types of movie to me.
Alien being a dark tense horror with sci-fi theme, the 2nd being more of a sci-fi actioner with a horror element to it. Alien is a haunted house film in space. Anyway that is my thoughts...fell free to lambast 
(See also Terminator & Terminator 2?! Serial killer flick vs. large scale sci-fi actioner although both excellent!)

JamesC obviously me and you think the same!! Just that you type a little quicker 

[I, Cosh]

Pretty much agree with James there, although I'm probably keener than him on Alien, which is one of the very few horror films I actually like.

In a similar vein and open to discussion:

I find Terminator 2 far more enjoyable than the original.
Mad Max 2 is clearly a more exciting, better made film but the first retains a unique charm.
Not sure if I could separate Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. The latter needs more repeat viewings to be certain.
Which is the best of the Three Colours trilogy?

Robocop 2 is dugshite and Highlander 2 never happened.

And why stop at number 2? Pretty sure Fast & Furious 5 & 6 are the best films ever to occupy that place in a series. Pity SpookyTheCat isn't still here to argue the case for Friday the Thirteenth or Nightmare on Elm Street.

[radiator]

Yep, I'm Aliens all the way. I judge a film's quality by how many times I'm willing to watch it, and while Aliens is a film that I will probably never not be in the mood to watch, in all honesty I rarely revisit the original. It's an amazing, striking, massively influential film - no doubt about that - but it's also incredibly slow-paced and a bit arty farty.

I actually really like Alien 3 and think that much of the hostility towards it is because people get their knickers in a twist that they had the audacity to kill off Hicks and Newt (get over it). I think it's a bold, brave, impressively bleak film that admirably flat-out refused to be Aliens: Part Two (thank god). While it's clearly flawed, it touches on some interesting themes and has an incredibly good cast. I would loved to have seen Vincent Ward's vision - the 'wooden monastery planet is an intriguing concept, and I would have liked to have seen the religious/satanic themes explored more. IMO it's hands-down a far, far better film than Prometheus, but then so is Resurrection.

I find Terminator 2 far more enjoyable than the original.

I used to be in the same boat - have seen T2 many more times and didn't see the original until relatively late in life, but I think with hindsight that the original is a far stronger film - it's leaner, tighter and self-contained. A perfectly formed B Movie, and the soundtrack, which I remember sounding silly in the 90s, is so dated now that it's actually cool again. The sequel, while also great, is a bit po-faced, long-winded and melodramatic. It also has some pretty groan-inducing humour in it. It's still bloody awesome though.

Which is the best of the Three Colours trilogy?

Shaun of the Dead, obvs. 

[pictsy]

I always really liked Alien 3.  The look and scenario were fresh and the threat was more present (not necessarily just from the Alien either).  It also has an excellent cast list.  It does have a couple of shaky special effects.

Terminator over Terminator 2.  I'd vote Terminator.  Am I alone in finding Edward Furlong's breaking voice highly irritating throughout?  Also the dialogue is even more cheesy than the first.  I prefer Sarah Connor in T2 though - possibly because she was far less damsel in distress and ended up being one of those strong female role model things for me.  I'm probably going to commit heresy now and exclaim my preference for Salvation over T2.  For all it's faults I found Salvation a thoroughly entertaining film the hit the action visuals perfectly on the nose.

Mad Max 2 is definitely the best Mad Max film.  I really loved Thunderdome as a kid as well, but I haven't seen it in a very long time.

I liked Robocop 2 as much as I liked Robocop, but the original is probably better.

Of the Hellraiser series I'd have to say that 5 is the best of the bunch.  I loved the first one (again, as a kid) but watched it a few years ago and found it didn't live up to my memories.  I did watch quite a few of the others out of curiosity but it just gets worse and worse... with the exception of 5 which is a good horror flick by itself.  I tend to prefer the subtle shock, messing with what's real and what's not and interesting visuals.  That's probably why I'm a fan of David Cronenberg.

[Colin YNWA]

I watched both of these relatively recently (after catching a bit of Alien on telly) and I was very surprised that I much preferred Alien. For the longest time Aliens was my default choice. As university I had a bunch of friends who could quote it, without error for about the first 1 hour or so (I forget their record) and it was a film I could watch endlessly (I couldn't quite match there exploits I was too busy working out whether Exhibition Cider or cheap vermout gave the best points to pence ratio).

On my most recent re-watch I did feel the sequel had dated a little. Alien still remain pretty timeless for me, but as has been said they are two very different films and its more likely my taste in movies just having shifted since that time rather than anything about the quality of either film.

That difference in tone of the two is what makes them so special as a pair to me. That two such contrasting films seem to sit so neatly together is a great thing.

That said don't get me started on the others, I don't like to think about them, maybe I should give 3 another go, but honestly for me the rest aren't close.

[von Boom]

After purchasing the Alien blu-ray set I've watched them all again, both theatrical release and director's cuts. For me Alien is the better film, but only by a slim margin.

The Aliens cinema release is still a fantastic film, but the so-called director's cut ruins it entirely by adding silly lines and needless filler. That's why you hire an editor.

[shaolin_monkey]

When it comes to personal preference I'd go Aliens every time. I probably quote it more than Star Wars or Ghostbusters.  That said, as types of films go, it's an unfair comparison as they are so radically different. Alien will always have a place in my heart as the second sci-fi film I ever saw, and the first horror, at the tender age of 8!!!

[radiator]

After purchasing the Alien blu-ray set I've watched them all again, both theatrical release and director's cuts. For me Alien is the better film, but only by a slim margin.

The Aliens cinema release is still a fantastic film, but the so-called director's cut ruins it entirely by adding silly lines and needless filler. That's why you hire an editor.

Can't agree with you there - for one thing the entire subplot about Ripley's daughter isn't even in the theatrical cut (which enriches the whole film and elevates it above the usual horror/action fare).

While the sentry gun scene isn't essential it does explain why the aliens don't come after the survivors, and it's also kinda great in it's own right.

Struggling to think of any 'silly lines', but then I haven't seen the theatrical cut in years - as with Lord of the Rings, I only ever watch the directors cut versions. I draw the line at the 'Special Extended' cut of T2 though - the alternative ending with Sarah Connor in old lady makeup in future LA is wack, and I'd never seen it until recently. It really has to be seen to be believed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEpjgFZpAt0

I'm probably going to commit heresy now and exclaim my preference for Salvation over T2

Seriously, though - I've never actually seen Salvation, and nor have I seen either of the AvP films.

[Jim_Campbell]

Can't agree with you there - for one thing the entire subplot about Ripley's daughter isn't even in the theatrical cut (which enriches the whole film and elevates it above the usual horror/action fare).

Cameron himself cut the Ripley's daughter subplot on the grounds that it made Ripley's reaction to Newt too trite and predictable. He was right.

Cheers

Jim

[pictsy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEpjgFZpAt0

Eeessh.

I've seen both AvP films and neither are particularly good.  The second one is definitely the better of the two, however.  I just never really liked how they tried to gel the two franchises together.  I always felt it should be more in keeping with the Alien universes rather than the Predator universe.

Speaking of Predator, I didn't mind the Predators film.  Was a different angle to the previous two, refreshing in its own way.

[radiator]

Never seen Predators either. Not that I've avoided it, but just never got round to it. I kinda like Predator 2 and think people are a bit too hard on it. It just suffers from Danny Glover being horribly miscast. Apparently the Gary Busey character was supposed to be played by Arnie, which would have made for a far better film.

[Greg M.]

Aliens is my preference, without a doubt. Alien 3, however, is my least favourite film of all time. And yes, my hostility to it is entirely for the reasons radiator indicates – though what he sees as audacity, I see as the callous evisceration of the previous film's entire raison d'etre.