I watched all the movies back to back a few months ago. Here was the tier list/rankings I came up with just with a few modifications to the scores.
Amazing
1. Aliens (10/10)
2. Alien (9.5/10)
3. Alien Romulus (9/10)
Good
4. Prometheus (8/10)
5. Alien vs Predator (7/10)
Meh
6. Alien Covenant (5/10)
7. Alien vs Predator: Requiem (4/10)
Bad
8. Alien Resurrection (3/10)
9. Alien 3 & Assembly Cut (2/10)
Some notes why:
Aliens
is simply a perfect movie. Theres not much to say. My favorite part is when Ripley and the space marines first arrive at Hadleys Hope and begin investigating the aftermath of the massacre. The sense of dread is overwhelming, and you really feel the full impact of a brutal battle that ended very badly for the colonists. Even after multiple viewings, knowing the Xenos wont appear until later doesnt dull the intensity of that scene. I prefer the Aliens Special Edition since I like the turrets scenes.
Alien
s only real flaw is that it feels a bit dated. I love the crew dynamic, the aesthetics, the reveal of the alien craft, and how the character who tries to follow protocol ends up being right, while the captain, whos trying to save a crewmate, isnt. And of course, the way the alien is dealt with is brilliant. Not sure if I prefer the theatrical or directors cut. Still not sure how I feel about eggmorphing.
Romulus
is also fantastic. I love the dystopian vibe in the beginning, how Andys character flips on a dime with the new program, and the terrifying stampede of facehuggers hunting people down. The movie also seamlessly transitions from an Alien-like atmosphere to an Aliens-like tone in the latter half aboard the Renaissance. I also appreciate how it incorporates elements from
Alien: Isolation
(the director is a fan, apparently), the clever integration of the
Prometheus
strain, and the nightmare fuel that is the Offspring. Ive been considering bumping this up to a 9.5 (tied with
Alien
), but Ill hold off for now. Both films are excellent, of course.
Prometheus
was a movie I didnt like at first, but after a second viewing, it made much more sense. The crew did mostly follow proper safety protocols. My biggest previous criticism, being the "pointless/careless" deaths, no longer holds up, since most deaths were caused by creatures far stronger than they appeared (like the snake-like creature that kills Millburn and transforms Fifield, who then kills more crew members), David (who kills Holloway and nearly kills Shaw in ways they could never have anticipated), or Weylands refusal to realize that the planet wasnt the salvation he thought it was. Its implied to be an Engineer military base, where the Engineers lost control of a virulent biological weapon. I appreciated the movies tone and how it gradually revealed its mysteries. I also didnt mind the absence of Xenomorphs, given the variety of monstrous creatures we encountered instead.
Alien vs. Predator
was just a fun movie with a novel concept, and I enjoyed it for what it was.
Alien: Covenant
initially seemed like a step up from
Prometheus
, but I no longer feel that way. Unlike the
Prometheus
crew, the crew of the
Covenant
throw caution to the wind when exploring an unknown world. They wear no safety suits and have no respect for quarantine protocol. They also have a bad habit of splitting up and getting picked off one by one. That said, the movie had some great moments, particularly everything involving David and the final confrontations with the Xenomorphs. Also, I never understood why people thought David was the creator of the Xenomorphs, given theyre seen in ancient human history in
Alien vs. Predator
(not interested in a not canon guys...) and depicted on the walls of the temple in
Prometheus
.
Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
was similar to the previous film but much less enjoyable. The focus on human subplots, most of which didnt add anything to the story, was a major letdown. However, the Predalien concept was pretty cool.
Alien Resurrection
was a film I thought I liked somewhat when I saw it years ago, but not anymore. The entire cast is unlikable, made up mostly of evil scientists and human traffickers who deliver people to be facehugged (though Ripley takes a liking to the latter group). Oddly enough, the Synthetic is the most likable character. After watching
Romulus
, I also feel less positive about the hybrid in this movie, as it wasnt very threatening, especially when its clear it would never harm Ripley. I actually felt bad for it when it died, which just shows it failed to be scary when I mostly felt pity.
Alien 3
, whether theatrical or assembly cut, is just bad and is my least liked movie in the Alien franchise. I hated how Newt and Hicks didnt even get a proper death on-screen. The setting, the cast, and the religious undertones didnt resonate with me. I did watch a video detailing the massive development hell the film went through (including hiring people and building scenes before the script was even in place), and Im amazed we even got a movie out of it. Its clear from how incoherent the final product is that the film had a troubled production. And did they really have to kill off the most interesting non-Ripley character, Charles Dance, so early in the film? That was a terrible decision. Also, oddly enough, I liked the drawn-out fall/death of Ripley in the theatrical cut better. In the assembly cut, she just drops like a rock.
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Also, just for fun, I made a plot of Alien Franchise Rankings by Release Date (below this paragraph). It looks like after the disasters that were Alien 3/Resurrection that the series has been on an upswing. A good sign for the future I hope. More stuff like Alien Romulus would be great. Probably should watch the Alien: Earth show. Hopefully it is good.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/da217548.png
I'm...the...master...of...ellipses...