There are very few motion picture franchises with a reputation as lofty as Alien, which is pretty funny if you think about it. Alien and Aliens were both groundbreaking motion pictures that set new standards in the sci-fi and horror genres. The other six movies… not so much. There’s still quite a bit of debate whether any of the other movies are good at all, and even their defenders often have to admit that the Alien sequels and spin-offs have serious problems.
But the legacy of Alien is seemingly secure. Ridley Scott’s original thriller, produced in 1979, introduced audiences to realistic characters in an unrealistic situation, and introduced the world to a new form of alien life that defied all categorization. The image of the alien “xenomorph”, in all of its various forms, was so distinctive and shocking that it became instantly iconic. Even though it’s still a scary creature it’s hard to wrap your mind around just how bizarre it must have been to see these monsters for the very first time.
Seven years later, James Cameron took over the series for a motion picture that upped the ante, gave the series’ protagonist Ellen Ripley a storyline so textured that it earned Sigourney Weaver an Oscar nomination (a rarity in the sci-fi/horror genre) and transformed the whole series into an exciting new allegory for both motherhood and warfare. Aliens is widely considered one of the best sequels ever made and, like its predecessor, also one of the best MOVIES ever made.
20th Century Fox
Also: ‘Alien Covenant’ Review | Game Over, Man, Game Over
If only the same could be said for all the other Alien movies. Brilliant filmmakers like David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and, recently, Ridley Scott all over again have struggled to capitalize on the immense good will that the Alien franchise has engendered amongst casual and hardcore fans. Whether you prefer Alien or Aliens, we can probably all agree that they’re the two best films in the series. But what about the other six movies, the mixed bags, the noble failures and occasionally the total crap? How good are they really, and how do they hold up against one another?
With Alien Covenant hitting theaters this weekend (we’ve already seen it), we figured it was a good time to take a look at the whole damned series and take stock of what worked, what didn’t, and whether the franchise still warrants its vaunted reputation. (We are, for the sake of clarity, including both Alien vs. Predator movies, but not the Predator solo movies; only films with a living, breathing xenomorph need apply.)
The Eight ‘Alien’ Movies: Ranked from Worst to Best
Top Photo: 20th Century Fox
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
The Alien Movies: Ranked from Worst to Best
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8. Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
The war between Alien and Predator finally makes its way to human civilization, in the present day. If only we could have SEEN some of it. Alien vs. Predator: Requiem is one of the most dimly lit motion pictures in history, and if you do manage to make out what's happening, you're going to be disappointed to discover it's an amateurish production that was destined to be at the bottom of any list of Alien (or Predator) movies.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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7. AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Fans had been clamoring for an Alien vs. Predator movie for over ten years. It wasn't worth the wait. Paul W.S. Anderson's film plays like the Saturday morning cartoon version of these classic R-rated sci-fi/horror franchises, and it runs rampant with clichés and plot holes. (Some of the fights are kinda cool though.)
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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6. Alien Covenant (2017)
Ridley Scott abandons all of the high-minded ideas from Prometheus in favor of a handsomely shot, but shallow retread of earlier installments. Everything in Alien Covenant clearly borrows from earlier Alien movies, except for the bits that were cribbed from Forbidden Planet (which inspired the Alien movies in the first place). It's a reasonably entertaining film, but it's the most disposable Alien movie that doesn't have a Predator in it.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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5. Prometheus (2012)
Ridley Scott tried to answer the lingering questions about the Alien movies, and wound up asking even more infuriating questions, and never adequately answering the questions he tried to answer in the first place. Prometheus is a gorgeous film with great performances and a handful of spectacular set pieces, but it's also a film that isn't as smart as it's trying to be, because the cast of characters - who are supposed to be scientists - act like total morons the whole time.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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4. Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Say what you will about Alien: Resurrection, but at least it did something new. Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film took the gooey body horror imagery that made the original Alien scary and transformed it, and a cloned version of Ellen Ripley, into a subversive, sensual empowerment fantasy. Alien: Resurrection suffers from tonal problems (it never quite decides if it wants to be funny or scary) and the climax is a disappointment, but there's good stuff here, and Sigourney Weaver gives a fascinating performance.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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3. Alien 3 (1992)
David Fincher's notoriously troubled production yielded a film that infuriated fans of Aliens by killing off beloved characters and abandoning the action movie awesomeness in favor of depressing introspection. But that's also why some people love Alien 3. It's a sci-fi horror movie about coming to terms with the traumas of your past, and accepting the inevitability of your death. Alien 3 will never be a crowdpleaser but it's an undeniably moody, thoughtful, intriguing entry in the series.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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2. Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott's original Alien is a groundbreaking classic on multiple levels. Its blue collar depiction of space travel, its stealth protagonist (who doesn't emerge as the hero until quite a ways into the film), and its ingenious, repulsive portrayal of unthinkable alien life have cemented its place in cinematic history. It's a brilliant horror thriller and one of the best damned movies ever made. But somehow, one Alien movie is even better...
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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1. Aliens (1986)
James Cameron upped the ante in Aliens, giving Ellen Ripley a more emotional story (especially in the director's cut), expanding our awareness of the alien menace (without ruining their mystique), and transforming an intimate horror thriller into an enormous and action-packed analogue for the Vietnam War. Our heroes are not beset by monsters, they run into the fray, cocky as hell until they are utterly annihilated. Alien started the franchise, but Aliens solidified its myth and changed sci-fi action movies forever in the process, and officially turned Sigourney Weaver's character into one of the most beloved protagonists in motion picture history.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
