It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
These sorts of comments definitely excite me but I've also heard similar sentiments from other directors who wind up dropping a CGI-laden turd after the fact anyway. Still, I have a lot of faith in Fede's vision here and that teaser was really, really exciting. It quickly became one of my more anticipated films coming this year.
One of the things that makes me believe him is that he didn't dance around the issue of CGI and acknowledged that they did in fact use it, but only for the things that simply couldn't be done practically. If I'm right in saying it, I think he mentioned that it was important for the actors to interact with practical Xenomorphs in order for the terror on their faces to have that extra authenticity. So hopefully it's a case of someone using CGI intelligently (in other words, correctly!) and not throwing out the usual rhetoric just because they think that's what people want to hear.
In the current climate of film making caution is just smart, saying that my gut tells me this will be good. I like Fede's previous films that I have watched which instills a lot of confidence.
Excellent break down which I agree with, the part of the film that works the best on this new 4K restoration is the finale IMO.
It was also good seeing the film as it was on 35mm and Laser disk as a comparison.
https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/6/6/hawleys-alien
I heard some rumors the series will be connected to the new film.
I am so excited for this as i love the franchise.
Just watched the Alien Romulus VHS Tape scene wow this looks totally awesome, captures the first 2 films big time.
Alien: Romulus Sent Me an Actual Video Tape to Say It’s at Comic-Con
https://gizmodo.com/alien-romulus-sent-me-an-actual-video-tape-to-say-its-at-comic-con-2000469500
The VHS scene is in the link.
Great marketing, like many of the people on here i first watched Alien and Aliens on Betamax and VHS respectively, this is giving me a lot of nostalgia.
Looks like I am going back to the cinema.
Edited: I have now watched this scene several times, when they see the sun and the score gives me chills.
But even Alien 3 is miles ahead of anything that came after it.
Only the original trilogy is canon to me. Not a fan of Resurrection or the latest ones.
Alien3 Special Edition is an entirely different film much superior to the theatrical cut IMO it has far greater narrative depth, I have always been a fan of that version of Alien3.
I am going to have to rewatch the first 4 films again before I see Romulus, it gives me a great excuse to watch all the great extras from the Anthology Boxset..
Wow.
(Still watch the CC trailer in my previous post link above, this is not the same).
Alien: Romulus - Official Final Trailer (2024) Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced
For me, this is the third best film about Aliens after Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986).
But wow, the two main leads were really fantastic and the set design/atmosphere/lighting was simply perfect.
Did your marathon include the two alien vs predator movies ?
I also did a marathon of the series but purposefully left out Requiem. Saw it once before and that was more than enough for me.
https://x.com/LiamODin/status/1825157567485546640?t=KslNyJc20SN7vAp__9Ty3Q&s=19
It struck me today that the actor who played Tyler (Archie Renaux) would make a great Bond...
Alright, I’m back from Romulus. Let’s do this thing:
No surprise on the #1 pick. Ridley Scott’s Alien is simply one of the most perfect films ever made, and I utterly adore everything about it on every watch. It’s actually the only one I’ve seen more than twice so far. The Nostromo crew are collectively the most memorable cast of any film, headlined of course by one of cinema’s greatest heroes ever, Ellen Ripley. Sigourney Weaver captures such an incredible balance of being both vulnerable and tough.
The original Xenomorph is still the very coolest-looking one to me, and though it’s cliche I do genuinely believe the chestburster scene in this film is the best moment of the whole franchise. What can I say - perfect abrupt shift, then buildup, then horrifying explosion, and chestbursters are strangely cute! Kane, you are missed.
As is a recurring theme with this series, the first half is slow, while the second is totally wild. The slow parts are not bad at all, though; we get to know all the characters, settings, and understand the universe at an agreeable pace. The horror is intense, the kills are marvelous, and the alien itself is unsurpassed as cinema’s greatest movie monster. Characters, soundtrack, setting, action, pacing, you name it - the first Alien absolutely nails everything, and it’s comfortably my favorite of the whole series. The cherry on top is Jonesy, as I am a big time cat lover :)
2. Alien: Romulus (2024)
Yes, really. The #2 spot goes to the new one. Could it be hype and recency bias to put it above the fantastic first sequel Aliens? Perhaps, but I think there’s more to it, and in a word, that something more is *horror.*
For me, this series works best when it focuses on horror over action or anything else, and Romulus delivers horror in spades. There was so much effective suspense, unbearable dread, and disgustingly, delectably gruesome moments that made Romulus arguably the scariest installment of this series. There’s still an action aspect, of course, but ultimately, the first Alien and Romulus were the only ones I found to REALLY scare me, and that’s what I love the most.
I love that we finally got a smaller cast again after having so many larger crews, which resulted in several forgettable faces and difficultly keeping track of things. The intimate scale of the characters and the settings is much appreciated and done wonderfully. I was so thrilled to finally get that classic ship in space theme again, that being almost the entire movie, and yet it never feels like a retread of the original.
I’ll admit a few of the characters could have been written a bit better, but Rain and Andy are two of the series’ very finest. I would have appreciated a little extra exposition on the planet as well, as I thought those scenes were very cool and I wanted a little more, but overall my flaws with this film were minimal. Easily my favorite new movie I’ve seen this year, although admittedly I haven’t seen a ton.
Some other things I really loved about it: the chestburster reusing the classic crying noise not heard since the original, FINALLY getting to see up close the growing process between the chestburster and the fully formed Xenomorph, the horrifying Xenomorph + human hybrid that looked like something straight out of Silent Hill (also reminded me of the Engineers from Prometheus), and really most of all just Andy’s character. I felt so angry and sad watching him be bullied, and seeing him go between warm to Rain to utterly cold because of the programming was really impactful. Anyways, yeah, I thought Romulus was a total blast, and way better than I expected.
3. Aliens (1986)
It’s totally possible with time I might give this one the #2 spot back, as I think it’s still a fantastic film, but my preference for horror over action ultimately makes the difference for now at least. Aliens does have its own effectively creepy moments, still - more than I remembered on rewatch, in fact - but of course, the emphasis is now on the spectacle and action. With that, though, you do get a ton of epic, awesome scenes and the most badass edition of Ripley ever. I’d say this one boasts the best climax of all the Alien films, too; you just can’t beat Ripley vs. the Queen.
Speaking of Ripley, not only is she in her most kickass form, but she gets a wonderful arc of redemption, both regarding the passing of her daughter by helping Newt and conquering her prejudice of androids because of her bad past experience now that Bishop is here. Aliens is also a film about motherhood; you get the tender, human side of it with Ripley and Newt, then the more primal, terrifying side with the Xenomorph Queen and all her babies! I’m telling you all, Aliens is the best Mother’s Day film!
Anyways, Aliens is just a damn good time. The cast is a little large but mostly very memorable, the action’s at its best, and the story is satisfying. My only gripe is just the sacrificing of an intimate scale and focus on horror, but in doing so, Aliens does create its own identity. It is a bit on the long side, too, to where I feel like maybe it could have been trimmed just a tad, but most stuff is gold. With this #3 pick, we have 3 excellent Alien movies.
4. Prometheus (2012)
Prometheus at #4 marks significant drop in quality, but by no means do I think it’s a bad movie. The biggest problems are too many characters in general - particularly too many I don’t care about -, too much exposition, and not enough of the Engineers. While I like that not everything ends up being explicitly explained, I would rather have had a little more content with the Engineers and other meaningful lore instead of so many scenes in the first half with characters I have a hard time being all that interested in.
I do really like Elizabeth Shaw, though I’m biased because I love Noomi Rapace! She really gets put through the ringer in the movie, and I you really, or at least, I really, rooted for her to survive, particularly after her insane struggle and impressive survival against her “baby.” The best part of this movie, as well as Covenant, though, is David. Michael Fassbender is perfect in the role, and I found myself captivated by every scene he’s in.
Overall, Prometheus is one of the least Alien-y Alien films, but it’s still a good movie. There’s still several moments that make you feel right at home in the Alien universe, especially the very ending with the Deacon Xenomorph, and it’s the best at incorporating some horror after my top two picks. It’s flawed and a bit messy, but I liked Prometheus pretty well overall, more than I expected to.
5. Alien: Covenant (2017)
Alien: Covenant is a hot mess. I didn’t really understand what was going on half the time and strongly desired more explanations and backstory, but the back half of this movie is still so entertaining! David really carries it; Fassbender is so much fun to watch, particularly in the last scene, just too good. I love how this movie ends.
But yes, lots of issues I’m afraid still. No good characters other than David for me in this one, plus the first half is kind of a slog in general that feels a bit like a retread of Prometheus. There are several things I liked a lot, though, like the introduction of a backburster, the entire thrilling climax, and the rare look at Xenomorphs getting along with something beyond their species - in this case being David.
I can understand this one ranking lowish on people’s lists, but I did still have a good time with it. David’s just too entertaining, and there’s genuinely funny lines and stuff going on that make it joy to watch. Also, that shower killing scene is vintage horror stuff! It’s sloppy and needed a lot of work, but Covenant has plenty of elements that still make it worth at least checking out.
6. Alien 3 (1992)
I know this film has its fans, but boy, I am certainly not one of them. We get another big gap in quality, for me at least, between this one and the previous two films I ranked. I remember actually liking the theatrical cut I watched of this a long time ago a bit better, but the special edition was the common recommendation I went with for this latest watch and I just couldn’t get into it much.
The first few minutes of the movie are the most infamous, naturally, with the unceremonious killings of Newt and Hicks. It really is an insult to the audience after everything from the last movie, and I was pretty upset about it (I also didn’t like how they gave Shaw this treatment in Covenant). I can’t say I’m a big fan of how Ripley goes out, either, though at least Weaver gives us one last solid performance as Ripley. Her death is inevitable with the chestburster, and that unfortunately destroys the suspense with the Xenomorph knowing it won’t kill her the whole way.
Besides Ripley, the one other thing I like about this movie is Charles S. Dutton as Leonard Dillon. He really got into his role and made for an interesting character, while I found just about everyone else in the supporting cast to be quite forgettable. I respect Alien 3 for trying new things instead of being a rehash or something, but almost none of those new things really worked for me. It was too glum, too frustrating, and honestly too boring. I would have gone in a much different direction myself, starting with a significant time skip following Aliens. Sorry to anyone who likes this one, it’s just not for me.
7. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
I’ll include the two AVP films in the ranking, because why not? I don’t have a lot to say about either of them, though, except that they’re both pretty dumb popcorn flicks I’m unlikely to ever revisit. At least with this first one, there is some semblance of structure going on, and I can usually actually see what is happening.
Lex is the most wooden, unlikable lead this franchise has ever seen, and it was a very painful performance to watch. The side characters aren’t good, either. I thought it was super silly how the Predator teams up with Lex, though I suppose it makes more sense than her teaming up with the Xenomorphs.
I don’t like much about this movie except some of the actual moments of the aliens vs. the predators. There’s some fun action here and there, but really this kind of thing just isn’t my cup of tea in general. I’ll be moving on to a Predator marathon next, and I’m hopeful all of those mainline films will be better than the AVP films, as NEARLY all the Alien films were…
8. Alien Resurrection (1997)
Between this and Halloween: Resurrection, I’m starting to think “Resurrection” might be a bad sign for a sequel title! Alien Resurrection is goofball city, and not in a good way, at least for me. I could see it being a guilty pleasure for some, maybe, but it was a painful experience for me.
Frankly, the film feels like a bad parody of the series. The wacky, unlikeable characters, excessive zoom-ins, and ridiculous plot all sink this stinker very, very low. It’s one of those rough movies I was just basically waiting to get to the end of since the very beginning.
9. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Easily one of the worst films I’ve ever watched. Seriously, this was so impossibly bad, I won’t even be able to articulate about it. It’s been just barely over a day since I saw it and I don’t remember any character names, nor do I care to as everyone was quite unlikeable. Evidently the movie thought so, too, since triumphant, happy music played seconds after tons of people were bombed in the city as collateral to get rid of the aliens and predator.
The movie’s directionless, pointless, annoying, literally unwatchable with the way it’s shot, and impressively boring for being a monster vs. monster movie. I just don’t know what else to say except I hated everything about this film. It’s a clear-cut choice for last place, and thoroughly destroys anything good about the Alien and Predator franchises.
Whew, that was a lot! Thanks to anyone who reads all of this! It was a pleasure marathoning this franchise! :D
EDIT: The list without details / sploilers:
1. Alien (1979)
2. Alien: Romulus (2024)
3. Aliens (1986)
4. Prometheus (2012)
5. Alien: Covenant (2017)
6. Alien 3 (1992)
7. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
8. Alien Resurrection (1997)
9. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)