Alien 5

[Whisky]

So with the new movie now greenlight and Signorny Weaver back as Ripley I just wanted to share my thoughts on the matter and see what you other diehard fans thought, both of my ramblings and of the movie.

This was off the back of a couple of us discussing the merits of the love/hate view of Alien 3. The following is a bit of a ramble but bare with it.

[With Alien3's shift back to isolated horror I still] I think Aliens shift to action was the best option, the scary thing is no longer scary once you know what it is. Alien 3 is a good movie, just plagued with so many problems during production that stopped it being even better. Resurrection, eh, it's fun but has no place as an Alien movie. I put it in the same place as the AvPs. As for Alien 5? Fuck me is that going to be awful and you know it.

As much as a kick in the teeth killing off the 3 main characters was, it was a ballsy move that not enough movies try to take. It brought closure, if not the type you'd hope for, to the franchise. (Then that french pillock cloned her) The fact that Riply is making a comeback, even if only for a cameo which is what I suspect, it's a bad move in my opinion. They could go so many places with the franchise, and yet they choose to stagnate.

Thing is, unless it's officially cannon (I don't recall if there was an official stance), I don't consider ACM to be part of the same story, just like AvP is neither part of Alien or Predator universes, they are spinoffs, slightly better written fanfiction. Alien Isolation was good because it moved on, using the events of the movie as the backdrop and motivation of the main character (Amanda trying to find out what happened to her mother).

Two books, Out of the Shadows by T.Lebbon and Sea of Sorrows by J.A.Moore did the same thing. First was set between Alien and Aliens and has Ripley as the main character, the second is on the same planet but features an ancestor of Ripley's. Although well written they are essentially they are just Alien and Aliens again with new faces. Even if the new movie doesn't do something stupid (Not holding my breath), at best it'll just be a shinier HD version of Aliens. I say let the franchise rest. Go come up with something better. Do what the first Alien do and actually bring some terror back to the big screen.

What do you guys think?

[Corporal Hicks]

I am extremely excited for the new movie. For about 8 to 10 years now I have been bitterly angry about the death of Hicks. If they bring Michael Biehn back I am happy. Also I think each movie is good in its own rite.

Alien = 7 or 8
Aliens = 10
Alien 3 = 7 or 8 on its own (Minus 3 for killing Hicks, Newt, and Bishop)
Alien Resurrection = 5 on its own (Minus 4 for being part of the franchise)