Am I the only one who thought ALIENS kinda sucked?

[Jamal]

WOAH WOAH...

Thats a big call lol:maul

 

[Les Walker]

This thread is still here....

As for the ALIEN ALIENS indestructible in one, easy to kill in two, deal....
They couldn't use guns in one, due to acid blood and spaceship..."We don't dare kill it!"....but in Aliens, of course, pulse rifles and my favorite weapon, SMART GUNS, lay waste! No problemo! Easy killin's! Except for blood spray of course...poor old Drake... Anyway, I hate when that comes up AGAIN and AGAIN....does anyone watch and listen? It's all there. Same critters. Same problems. No news. I'd say they are pretty consistant.

 

[-=LoneWolf=-]

Aliens might have become a little dusty over the years, but it's definitely one of the most satisfying sci-fi action films i've ever seen. but Alien is still better

 

[Snowtrooper]

I still like Aliens to this day. Even by todays standards, it is still a pretty good action film. It was a worthy successor, but will never be as good as the original was.

 

[uscmhicks]

is this thread for real.. ?

 

[Idioteque]

Good on ya for a strong and contentious opinion.

However, I disagree.

ALIEN - Masterpiece
ALIENS - Cracking sequel
ALIEN3 - Grows better each year

I don't count the rest.

 

[gdb]

Here's the thing about action films and comedies: they don't age well. Gags get tired after awhile and both type of films are really grounded in the era that they are made -- just look at any Jerry Lewis film today and realize that he was HUGE in his day. Aliens is a sci-fi film and a great one but above all it is an action film. Alien is a suspense film. They age better. And even if they didn't, Alien, like Ridley Scott's other sci-fi film Blade Runner has a larger sci-fi element and those types of films age better than suspense films.

So yeah, today's audiences are more prone to think that Aliens kinda sucks. It doesn't suck, but today's audiences are going to have a different reaction than audiences in the 80s.

 

[Riko]

Before I get lynched, let me explain. I first saw ALIENS on TCM a few years ago, and it was the first Alien film I had ever seen. I originally found the film too long and pretty boring, with all of the good stuff saved for the very end. As a fan of the Predator and Terminator films, I was expecting another fun balls-to-the-wall 80's action flick. Sure it had a couple of neat scenes, but as an overall film, it was really dissapointing.

Flash foward to a few weeks ago. I finally saw Ridley Scott's original ALIEN. It is without a doubt one of the scariest films I've ever seen, and a genuinely suspensful thriller. Sure it was a bit slow at parts, and it probably wouldn't hurt if 10-15 minutes were cut throughout the film to pick up the pacing. Still, I'm not complaining. I was in awe of the special effects, art direction and set design. This is one of those sci-fi flicks like the original STAR WARS, where the film's look has a timeless quality, and the EFX blow the CGI crap of today out of the water. Overall, it's probably one of my all time favorite sci-fi or monster movies.

So tonight, I had a little double feature thatnks to Cinemax. I got to watch my beloved ALIEN, and saw that it was followed by the Cameron-helmed sequel. I decided that maybe ALIENS would be alot better the second time around, since I had seen the original.

I'm sorry to say that it wasn't. My GOD, is ALIENS a boring film, and people say the same about the original. Aside from Hicks and Bishop, most of the characters weren't as likeable as those in the original. Some like Hudson were downright annoying. The set design was alot less Giger-inspired than the sets in the original, and seemed more TERMINATOR than ALIEN (well, whaddaya expect with Cameron directing?) The first hour seemed to drag forever, and in the end most of it was unnessescary. However, the few action scenes in the film were well done and exciting, but never made me jump like the ones in the original. The only part of the film I genuinely liked was the last half hour (which in essence, mirrored the climax of the original.)

Even the Aliens suffered. I liked how the Alien in the original was intelligent and manipulative. We also had no idea what it was. Now, it's just a giant mindless insect. At least the Queen creature was neat.

The thing is, ALIENS had so much potential. The marines were pretty bad-ass, and the idea of using more aliens in an action flick is a great one, I just don't think Cameron did a good job of executing it. I think if he had tightened up the script, shortening the first half of the film, and collaborated with H.R. Giger for the film's look, it would have been a much better film.
It is obvious that Cameron wanted to pick up where Scott left off and wanted to do his own thing with it. He suceeded, but in my opinion, the finished film wasn't as good as Scott's.

But hey, that's just me. What do I know?

will not flame you, but sting you...a bit

nono
you have to see them as 2 different types of movie, the main-genre of Alien was: thriller-suspense-alone in the dark. More a pyscological kinda approuch whereas Aliens was a real neat mean fighting machine action flick

As much how I like and love Alien, the franchise starter (let's not forget, it all began with this movie, and thank god for Alien and Ridley Scott and Giger of course) I prefer Aliens

not because I dislike Alien, but I like the action approach from Aliens more than the psychological one in Alien.

And it is common to see that most of the fans of the franchichise liked Aliens more than Alien, but hey, there are a few opposite opinions of people who prefer Alien above Aliens, that is okay! I cannot see why but that is okay

however: saying it sucks is going to far !

 

[Riko]

No, but I thought it was alright. ALIENS was definitely a technically better film of course, but AVP-R wasn't bad to kill 90 minutes, either.

now I've read this, I actually CAN say without being bad in judgement:

someone who has no critic or is soft at the least for a film like AvP:R ánd who dislikes Aliens...sorry: but you have no taste what so ever

I can conclude that just by your posts here.


about Aliens, and the prefered approuche from Cameron:
it is different (nog better) from Ridley, because:
- the action, was on going...you say boring, I say: were you on drugs?
- the military stuff: dropship, apc, guns, flamethrower
- sfx, you simply got more to see than in Alien: facehuggers
- the photograpy: being an action flick, this allowed more for Cameron to do his thing
- The Queen: no explanation needed, you even said it yourself, that last scene is Legendary!
- Power loader...
- THE MUSIC woow, the Queen vs Powerloader was awsome

damn there is just so much! you cannot ever be bored by it!

one last time: how could you give AvP:R a break and bash on Aliens
AvP:R directors should have wachted Aliens before making this movie!
wich they clearly did NOT

and maybe that explains why you like AvP:R more than Aliens? hmm
so you like the: I-cannot-see-what-the-****-is-happning-on-screen-action flick huh

 

[Riko]

Aliens did stink. They died too easily and their blood was not as acidic as it was in the original. You couldn't kill one of the things in the first movie without serious consequences, it took the lack of air in space to vanquish it. In the second film they were dying like flies with a few bursts with a gun.

that is a rathter strange remark, becaus you are viewing aliens from the alien-point of view.

why do that? when you watch a movie, you watch the movie by it's own...otherwise you never can enjoy the approach of the new movie.
damn, aliens is action! alien is psycological of course they die faster! If it took a whole squad of marines a whole year to kill one alien, than it would be a very dull movie!

but okay, you simply ignore the superiority in story telling and technical specs in Aliens just because "they died faster as in Alien"
that is okay, I guess

 

[Riko]

People can talk **** about sequels like PREDATOR 2 all day and night, so what makes ALIENS so untouchable?

ow, I do not know, besides being the only film of THIS genre (action-sci-fi-monster) I remind that actually won 2 oscars and was nominated for another 5 oscars

only thing AvP:R is going to "win" more than Aliens are Razzie-awards, mark these words

 

[Riko]

I'm going to have to agree with Rob...

The fact is, as great as ALIENS was, as a movie...we have Cameron to thank for turning them into nothing more than big bugs. Fodder for whatever comes along and "pokes a stick at the nest".

This is why we have the type of Alien we have in movies today. Everyone wants to smack Anderson around for his "raptor" Aliens, but it was Cameron that started the ball rolling.

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE the movie. But that bit of film really is the turning point for these creatures.

they were different kind of aliens as in the movie Alien

weren't the Warriors in Aliens kinda like the bees who protected the Queen....
oh yeah, there was Queen in Aliens as I remembered

point is, everybody liked the Queen (I guess ) so it is inevitable that when you got yourself a Queen, you got some Aliens behaving like big bugs...

that wasn't a problem, I enjoyed it, such as the most of the aliens-going people, and isn't that what counts?

 

[Riko]

Aliens is a sci-fi film and a great one but above all it is an action film. Alien is a suspense film. They age better. And even if they didn't, Alien, like Ridley Scott's other sci-fi film Blade Runner has a larger sci-fi element and those types of films age better than suspense films.

So yeah, today's audiences are more prone to think that Aliens kinda sucks. It doesn't suck, but today's audiences are going to have a different reaction than audiences in the 80s.

than the level of the audience sucks if you follow your thinking..

I think not! Maybe all the youngsters (<15) yes, but the broad older moviegoing public still want descent story telling.
About the suspense films, I kinda agree!
But I disagree about the action movies, all movies age well as long as those movie have good solid story telling...therefor Aliens will live forever (same with Die Hard, first 2 terminators,...)

but a good story in an action flick and it becomes interesting, make a mindless action flick and it will be forgotten.
AvP:R will be remembered...for how bad it was.

 

[BillyBudd]

I think the degree to which either Alien or Aliens drags during the first half depends largely on who is watching the film with you. I don't know about you guys, but the level of enjoyment of other people can actually affect my experience. For this reason, I watch certain types of movies by myself a lot...horror and drama, especially. Sometimes I go solo to the theater, too. It's nice to not have to worry about whether someone else is getting bored.

Anyway, I love both Alien and Aliens, and I own both on DVD. As others have mentioned, both films are science fiction, but Alien is more of a horror/suspense film, and Aliens is more of an action film. In my opinion, Alien is the superior film. Why? It's the original, and horror/suspense is harder to do well. I appreciate a good horror/suspense movie more than a good action movie.

 

[RJMacReady16]

Couldn't you be clinically diagnosed as "retarded" if you think Aliens sucked?

 

[danfaz]

I'm going to have to agree with Rob...

The fact is, as great as ALIENS was, as a movie...we have Cameron to thank for turning them into nothing more than big bugs. Fodder for whatever comes along and "pokes a stick at the nest".

This is why we have the type of Alien we have in movies today. Everyone wants to smack Anderson around for his "raptor" Aliens, but it was Cameron that started the ball rolling.

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE the movie. But that bit of film really is the turning point for these creatures.

I concur, Dr.

 

[Slingblade]

That and I sure as hell wouldn't compare ALIEN to O'Donnel.

I wouldnt either, the Alien is much better looking.

 

[barryo]

ok, food for thought, if aliens was released as alien 2 or "aliens" (without cameron) and set at the same pace as alien the first movie............what then?..........a certain number of people (probably a majority) would say, "ah hell, its just a knock off of the first alien"........but for the times it was released when movies were just screaming for the kind of pace it was actually filmed at it was exactly what the budding franchise needed. if you weren't a young person, say a teenager or close to that when it was released, which is basically the target audience of the 80's & 90's, you may not understand. i guess its easier to armchair quarterback 22 years later and say it sucked or could have been better if they did this or that, but imho, for the times "aliens" was a kick ass non stop action movie that definitely "DID NOT SUCK".

 

[Dr.Mirakle32]

ok, food for thought, if aliens was released as alien 2 or "aliens" (without cameron) and set at the same pace as alien the first movie............what then?..........a certain number of people (probably a majority) would say, "ah hell, its just a knock off of the first alien"........but for the times it was released when movies were just screaming for the kind of pace it was actually filmed at it was exactly what the budding franchise needed. if you weren't a young person, say a teenager or close to that when it was released, which is basically the target audience of the 80's & 90's, you may not understand. i guess its easier to armchair quarterback 22 years later and say it sucked or could have been better if they did this or that, but imho, for the times "aliens" was a kick ass non stop action movie that definitely "DID NOT SUCK".

I like the idea of Cameron making the sequel an action film. I just WISH the overall film actually was a "kick ass non stop action movie", instead of dragging the first 2/3rds of the movie out (without even the cool Giger visuals,) and saving all the good stuff for the last thrity minutes.

Again, it had good points. But overall as an standalone film, it still left me dissapointed. That's why I said it "kinda" sucked.

 

[icruise]

Frankly, it's that way of thinking that brought us stuff like AVP, with no build-up, no recognizable characters, and battles that start practically immedately. The fact that they spend so much time building up the characters and the world of Aliens is precisely why it is great, and why the climax is so rewarding. There isn't a second of that movie that I would call boring.