In the entire Aliens franchise, there's not really much to debate regarding the first two entries when compared to the rest of the franchise; they are the cream of the crop. However, when the two films are pitted against each other, it's another matter entirely, as both films are outstanding.
Both bring a lot to the table, and both are remarkably different from each other. Ridley Scott's Alien is a sci-fi/horror film, whereas James Cameron's Aliens is a sci-fi/action flick. So, which holds up better? It's ultimately a matter of taste, but here are 5 things to keep in mind about each.
10 Alien: Drenched In Atmosphere
Alien is a film that doesn't rely on too much exposition, and it doesn't suffer the issue of explaining too much in a horror film, thereby taking away the horror. What we don't understand is often what we can fear. Alien has an eerie aura to it that allows for the horror atmosphere to seep into the audience.
The audience is as lost and confused about what the alien is capable of as the crew is. The claustrophobic setting and loneliness of space make for one of the most stress-inducing environments for a horror film.
9 Aliens: Expands The Universe
While Aliens does tackle the mythos more in-depth than Alien, it never does so in a ludicrous or disappointing manner, only explaining things when needed, and the revelations about the universe are logical.
The Alien Queen is one such addition, giving background as to where the aliens come from and how they function. It also expands on the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, fleshing out the company's sinister dealings and motivations, and further cements the necessity for Ripley's victory in the first film.
8 Alien: The "Xenomorph" Is More Threatening
In Aliens, the term "xenomorph" is introduced, which actually is a fancy (Greek) term for "alien." It doesn't mean the aliens that the Space Marines are sent to fight specifically, rather, it means that they are going to engage aliens. However, the term "xenomorphs" has sort of latched itself onto the franchise's malicious foreign life forms...or, aliens.
But this term of "xenomorph" is a tidbit of knowledge (seemingly) that makes the aliens just slightly less scary, now that they have a name. Along with that, the revelation that they are hive-mind insect-like creatures with a Queen and the fact that the marines can butcher tons of them makes them a bit less terrifying than the unknown and seemingly invincible creature that wiped out Ripley's crew in Alien.
7 Aliens: The Stakes Constantly Get Higher
In Alien, the stakes are pretty high, regarding the survival of the 7 crew members, and the stakes are raised once the discovery of the mission's true purpose is revealed. However, Aliens takes those same stakes and multiplies them, along with adding a ticking time clock to really crack down the pressure.
And while things frequently go wrong in Alien, things constantly go wrong at every turn in Aliens. While the events in Alien wiped out an unprepared crew, the events in Aliens wiped out an entire colony of settlers and a platoon of heavily armed marines.
6 Alien: It's Scarier
Because of the atmosphere and the mystery surrounding the sole alien, Alien has a horror edge, which was the intended style of the film. The horror is top tier in its execution, utilizing every possible location to its advantage, often isolating its characters to put them in hopeless situations.
Likewise, the unpredictability of who's going to die is pretty helpful in constantly keeping the audience on their toes. From the moment the crew is exploring the decrepit ship on LV-426, the audience dreads what's to come. It's a high form of art, in a horror style.
5 Aliens: It's More Action-Packed
Aliens is a very action-oriented film. Every set piece sets up action, and virtually every tense scene in the film bursts into action. There are one-liners, explosions, firefights, and mech suit brawls. Just as Alien nailed the horror format, Aliens does with the action format, playing with conventional tropes and putting them on their heads, and managing to pack twists and turns.
For an action film to be satisfying, it has to be thought out, like Die Hard or Predator, and Aliens manages to not just meet that criteria, but surpass it. It was a good move on Cameron's part to move the film to an action direction rather than try another inferior horror film. It's a blockbuster entertainer, made to show off Hollywood's prowess in spectacle.
4 Alien: Set The High Bar
Without Alien, there would not be Aliens. Simple as that. Alien is the film that originated all of the creative aspects of the entire franchise to come, it's the film that guaranteed an audience, and it was a groundbreaking film in pioneering special effects and tightly-wound storytelling.
The chest-burster scene is downright impossible to top, and this was the film that would win audiences over with Ripley to further develop in Aliens.
3 Aliens: More Memorable Script
Aliens has funny one-liners, like any classy action movie, but boy, are they fun. Phrases from the film have entered the pop culture codex and are referenced in media constantly. Alien has the great poster tagline of "In space, no one can hear you scream," and while perfect, it's not a line from the script.
Aliens has such quotes as "They mostly come out at night...mostly," "Get away from her you (censored)," and "Game over man!" Along with the zingers, it also hosts beefier and human dialogue than Alien's somewhat generic and vague lines meant to spook the audience.
2 Alien: More Depth
While Aliens is ultimately a loud "will they survive" thrill ride, Alien has more to explore and philosophize on, and it's often (though not always) subtle. There is a lot to be analyzed regarding science and progress through technology, and most famously, the film is littered with reproduction symbolism.
The alien is so horrifying because it essentially assaults the crew through its entire reproductive cycle, and the less than subtle moments speak for themselves. Alien has a lot to say, and it speaks it eloquently, whereas Aliens is just showing off.
1 Aliens: Better Characters
The cast in Alien is fairly decent, but the cast of Aliens is better because all of them, even the victims of the aliens, undergo arcs and are given more depth. Aliens primarily is Ellen Ripley's film, and it deals with her motherhood and her trauma from the last film.
On top of that, Newt, Bishop, Hudson, Vasquez, Hicks, Gorman, and even Burke all get more layering than the original crew members in Alien. Because of that, the audience is inclined to care more about these fleshed out characters and their fates than the original film, and the investment is higher, even if it feels like a big blockbuster. Alien has a lot to say, but Aliens has a lot to give its audience feeling beyond terror.
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