While I do not think that Aliens was a bad film at all, I kinda wish it wasn’t a sequel to Alien. It’s a completely different film, far more action-oriented
Then again my view is probably significantly coloured by the fact that I enjoyed the first one a lot more
Which (IMHO) is the reason it works so well. The first movie can’t be topped because we’ve seen the Alien and the tension can’t be repeated (see: the later movies which try this same formula and fail). Aliens takes that and ramps it up in a different way to make the desperation of escaping with firepower on your side still nerve wracking!
The 3rd installment also takes a new twist and different approach but doesn’t succeed as well (I still found it enjoyable, and rewatch from time to time.
Everything since then has been a cash grab of hot garbage.
That’s one of the reasons it’s so good. Alien is perfect space horror. Aliens doesn’t try to match it but tells a different kind of story with some of the same characters.
I’m not sure about that, actually. There’s a similar power dynamic involved — Arnie’s terminator is unstoppable compared to Kyle Reese, but then the T-1000 is unstoppable compared to Arnie. Worse, it can now be anyone in almost any scene
It’s a completely different film, far more action-oriented
Terminator 2 is tonally almost completely different from 1. 1’s soul is much more a horror movie, complete with a damsel in distress and a heavily uncanny villain. 2 had every chance to lean into that sense of unease, but really doesn’t explore that uncomfortable emotion despite the T-1000 being much more threatening on paper.
I think that’s the fun of the movie. It’s not trying to recapture the suspense or tension of the original. It’s a natural evolution in a world of monsters. In the first movie, the crew are just people trying to survive on a ship in space with a terrifying novel threat. Any other monster movie sequel, they find new victims and run it back, but the characters in Aliens react as one should to a new threat. Gear up and go at them with soldiers and weapons.
It’s still terrifying because you and they know what lurks in the wet shadows. They are prepared to fight it which is why it’s an action movie, but it’s still very much an Alien sequel.
Oh I agree that it is an Alien sequel, I’m just saying I wish it hadn’t been. For me, it kinda cuts down on the dread that the xenomorph can create when there are dozens of them charging into a hail of automated machine gun fire and getting slaughtered.
I don’t think that they actually executed it very well, but I am far more keen on the ideas brought about in Prometheus and Covenant. That’s what I personally want out of Alien sequels. Just ideally with, like… a second look over the script. By anyone.
Aliens
The correct answer. The perfect duology.
Game over, man
While I do not think that Aliens was a bad film at all, I kinda wish it wasn’t a sequel to Alien. It’s a completely different film, far more action-oriented
Then again my view is probably significantly coloured by the fact that I enjoyed the first one a lot more
Which (IMHO) is the reason it works so well. The first movie can’t be topped because we’ve seen the Alien and the tension can’t be repeated (see: the later movies which try this same formula and fail). Aliens takes that and ramps it up in a different way to make the desperation of escaping with firepower on your side still nerve wracking!
The 3rd installment also takes a new twist and different approach but doesn’t succeed as well (I still found it enjoyable, and rewatch from time to time.
Everything since then has been a cash grab of hot garbage.
That’s one of the reasons it’s so good. Alien is perfect space horror. Aliens doesn’t try to match it but tells a different kind of story with some of the same characters.
The same could be said about terminator 2
I’m not sure about that, actually. There’s a similar power dynamic involved — Arnie’s terminator is unstoppable compared to Kyle Reese, but then the T-1000 is unstoppable compared to Arnie. Worse, it can now be anyone in almost any scene
Terminator 3, on the other hand…
Terminator 2 is tonally almost completely different from 1. 1’s soul is much more a horror movie, complete with a damsel in distress and a heavily uncanny villain. 2 had every chance to lean into that sense of unease, but really doesn’t explore that uncomfortable emotion despite the T-1000 being much more threatening on paper.
I think that’s the fun of the movie. It’s not trying to recapture the suspense or tension of the original. It’s a natural evolution in a world of monsters. In the first movie, the crew are just people trying to survive on a ship in space with a terrifying novel threat. Any other monster movie sequel, they find new victims and run it back, but the characters in Aliens react as one should to a new threat. Gear up and go at them with soldiers and weapons.
It’s still terrifying because you and they know what lurks in the wet shadows. They are prepared to fight it which is why it’s an action movie, but it’s still very much an Alien sequel.
Oh I agree that it is an Alien sequel, I’m just saying I wish it hadn’t been. For me, it kinda cuts down on the dread that the xenomorph can create when there are dozens of them charging into a hail of automated machine gun fire and getting slaughtered.
I don’t think that they actually executed it very well, but I am far more keen on the ideas brought about in Prometheus and Covenant. That’s what I personally want out of Alien sequels. Just ideally with, like… a second look over the script. By anyone.
I was about to say no, but you convinced me. They’re both phenomenal.