Variety is the Key!
The great thing about this franchise is it's ability to be almost 4 different movies. The first 3 are directed by 3 different awesome directors and the fourth (the weaker) was partially written by Joss Whedon.
Alien
This movie was directed by Ridley Scott who went on to direct movies like Legend, Black Hawk Down, American Gangster and Gladiator. This movie is probably the best of the series. I like the way the sci fi is handled in this movie, which is a sign of its times. Most sci fi, in the beginning of cinematic history was very grandiose and would show off all of its tech and try to amaze you with its ships and ray guns, but this movie almost doesn't acknowledge that its on a ship, or atleast doesn't make a big deal about it. I like its desire to also capture some sort of believablity by being such a dirty and grimy future. There are no streamlined space suits, or bright lighting that blind you when shined on bright white sets. It really tries for a worn in look. This is a commonality that I see in a lot of sci fi movies of its day. This is also usually part of a Ridley Scott vision. You can be fantastical without being so damn bright. I think the story is paced very well. Between the performances and suspenceful moods set you really get drawn into what is happenning. I think for a movie that is now over 30 yrs old, it still holds up well as well.
Aliens
The second installment in the franchise is directed again by a strong and yet to be reckoned with James Cameron. To think that I would have to tell you what he has directed would be to insult your intelligence. This movie now takes on a whole different feel. This movie is a perfect example of how different a movie can be, just by changing directors. This is a definitive James Cameron film. James, different from Ridley, loves showing off the sci fi tech and gadgets. He also LOVES stretching out a franchises mythos. In the first movie all we are given as insight into this world is a mining ship owned by a company that has no regard for human life. In this movie, we are shown Earth and told of colonies of people who are trying to Terra-form other planets. This is alot more expansion in scale from the first movie. I really do think James LOVES the idea of interactive mech suits. This is the introduction of the mech-suit fork lift. This is also the normal time when in the second movie of a franchise we have to up the ante of villians. We are now introduced to the Queen and about a thousand drones, upping the scale of the threat quite considerably. That is why the movie is only titled "Aliens" and not simply "Alien 2". With the army now of aliens in this movie we have to see what kind of firepower the humans can muster, and so we are introduced to the Space Marines. Love the space marines and especially Bill Paxton's performance.
"Game over man! Game over!!"
Aliens 3
We are introduced to the species in general in Alien. Then, in Aliens we see what kind of damage an hive can do. I like the choice that they go with in this installment, they scale back down. I like the idea of going back down to one drone. I think the one drone can do a whole lot more for a movie. Just one of these motherfuckers are so badass that it is enough for the audience to keep up with. This one is directed by yet another fine director David Fincher. David Fincher is known for great movies like Fight Club, Se7en, and Zodiac. This movie takes place on a prison facility and has such a rich story without having to wow you with tech and gadgets. I like this. Watching the movies in a row like I did, you feel like you do after experiencing a great mix tape. The plot and resources used to tell a great story in this movie are so minimal that there isn't much to say about this movie, other than it is a great film, and I think underated because of its placement and counter parts within the series.
Alien Resurrestion
The return to the grand diouse. This movie is almost a hybrid of the first and second films. You have to stretching of the mythos a little bit and the over the top team of alien hunters with their over the top attitudes. Though, I will admit, I am a sucker for Ron Pearlman and Wynona Ryder. This movie is directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet who later directed Amelie, which is a cult classic for foreign film buffs. The big fanboy name attached to this film though is Joss Whedon, the main writer. Why not? Joss has always been known for his love affair with strong female leads and by this time Ripley is as respected in her badass-ness as Sarah Conner. This time Ripley is a alien/human hybrid clone and her spunky sidekick is a synthetic (a staple of the franchise by now) played by Wynona Ryder. Their interaction and the interaction with the mercenary group on the ship lead by Ron Pearlman is also entertaining. Like I sorta alluded to in the beginning, this movie is a little more heavy on the action/horror/gore side than it is on story. The Alien (only) goes out with a bang, for now. Its a fun movie to pop in and watch.
All in all, this is not a franchise I am crazy about, but it is one that is worth a watch for any sci fi lover.
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