The Core Films
Apart from being based in horror, each of the core Alien movies were directed by filmmakers with wildly distinctive styles, which led to a film series that is both wonderfully unique in style, while being quite jarring in tone. This is not a problem for everybody – indeed, many find that the jarring aspect of the series befits its horror story roots – but it’s certainly a bone of contention for some.
Alien found its audience and had its fans, but this was soon overtaken by Aliens, which had James Cameron at the helm. Those two films are almost polar opposites – with the first being something of a quiet, slow-burn terror-fest that gives a masterclass in the building of cinematic tension, and the second being an all-out war film that barely takes a moment to catch its breath. But then came Alien 3, and the corporate machinations behind closed doors at 20th Century Fox (with directorial and script issues being well-documented) greatly impacted the final product. With David Fincher ultimately at the helm, a very different kind of quiet menace permeated the strange tale, and the hero of the series – Ellen Ripley – apparently met her demise. Contrast that, again, with Alien: Resurrection, and we have a whole other direction taken by director Jean Pierre-Jeunet – both visually, and in terms of the story.
The reason that the core Alien films have remained such a phenomenon, in spite of such variations in quality, is the performance of Sigourney Weaver as Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley. Though 1979’s Alien was her first leading film role, she created the basis for this character to carry the franchise for the following 18 years. Her performance in Aliens earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress – the first time a woman had received such an accolade for an action film. She provided a necessary anchor for the oddness of Alien 3, and again for Alien: Resurrection – but across the four films, we have an example of a near-perfect character arc, unhindered by changes in writers and directors.
As a result, Ellen Ripley stands as one of the most impressive icons of modern cinema, and is as legendary as the Xenomorph Queens she’s faced on so many occasions. Beyond Dan O’Bannon’s initial idea, and H.R. Giger’s compelling alien designs, it’s thanks to the legacy of Ellen Ripley that we now enjoy a brand new era of Alien movies, featuring some spinoffs of variable quality and now, the prequels.
But, this is where it all began….