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RTTP - Alien series.
- Thread starter Lightning Count
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Alien is like... classic cinema. That growed up shit.
You haven't seen Alien in a while.
You haven't seen Alien in a while.
Personally, I think Alien is way superior to Aliens. I get that they are completely different movies (both are excellent) but Alien just is one of the ultimate sci-fi horrorfilms to me.
Aliens is fun and all, but from what I remember (it's been a while since I've seen it to be honest), it was mostly an actionfest with some horror elements, whereas Alien was pure and utter horror.
Aliens is fun and all, but from what I remember (it's been a while since I've seen it to be honest), it was mostly an actionfest with some horror elements, whereas Alien was pure and utter horror.
Garcia el Gringo
Member
I agree. I can remove my expectations from Aliens and enjoy it for the well-crafted film that it is, but it's disappointing to me as someone who was looking for more psychological cosmic horror and further exploration of the mythology within the universe the way it was established in the original movie. Aliens doesn't compliment Alien well for me at all. Much of Aliens, like the Power Loader and Queen and Colonial Marine bravado, doesn't feel compatible with the original. It's aesthetically off-brand.
Prometheus was a step in the right direction with its genre aspirations. I hope Ridley Scott keeps the ambiance of Covenant in line with Alien and Prometheus. I adore the cerebral, mysterious tone of his Alien films and I appreciate the way that he's attempting to enrich the mythology. I'm just hoping for better execution for the rest of this Alien prequel trilogy.
Whether or not you think Alien is scary/tense or not, I think it's the superior film because the whole thing is so symbolic and allegorical. Capitalism raping its workers and making them produce more capitalism, etc, the phallic/vaginal images surrounding that idea, etc. There are essays about it. It's amazing.
I fucking love Aliens, and it's a far better straight-up thriller, but it can't match Alien for that level of depth.
Also, did you watch the director's cut of Alien? It actually includes the people being trapped and impregnated and stuff. If you watch that version, Alien actually stands entirely on its own and doesn't need any of the ideas introduced in 2.
CartridgeBlower
Member
People actually putting Alien Isolation next to Alien and Aliens?
wtf?
There is literally ZERO story in Alien Isolation.
There is literally ZERO conclusion.
There is literally ZERO character development.
Great atmosphere, though.
wtf?
There is literally ZERO story in Alien Isolation.
There is literally ZERO conclusion.
There is literally ZERO character development.
Great atmosphere, though.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I think they're rating it based solely on the scare factor. Alien: Isolation makes you feel like an Alien movie is supposed to make you feel.
But it's not the story or the characterization that does any of it. It's the design and the gameplay. If you had to just watch the story of Alien: Isolation play out, with one or two scare scenes out of your hands, it'd be a boring, uninvolving, uninteresting affair.
Probably my favorite game of 2014, though.
But it's not the story or the characterization that does any of it. It's the design and the gameplay. If you had to just watch the story of Alien: Isolation play out, with one or two scare scenes out of your hands, it'd be a boring, uninvolving, uninteresting affair.
Probably my favorite game of 2014, though.
Conkersbadfurday
Member
I love it too. I think it IS the weakest of the four, but it's a good movie.
Garcia el Gringo
Member
I am so grateful that Alien: Isolation was made. It was refreshing to see a modern product in the franchise crafted with such deep reverence for the original film.
hypotc
Member
I agree. Finally a game that could capture the magic of Alien. It seems like every other game in the Alien universe is inspired by Aliens, and thus "shoot everything action action"
It's not a cinematic narrative, though, so it doesn't really need to rely on character development or story. It's a videogame narrative, so it's all about the design of the world, the integration of the game mechanics, etc. Which it excelled at.
Even if, yes, it is a disappointing story. Especially that shoddy-ass conclusion.
Chips Fission
Banned
I got into drunken fight with a stranger about Alien 3. He insisted it was best out of the three. We had a long talk about the movie and he made some good points. I decided to watch it again (last saw it in the 90s). And yeah, it's a dam fine movie, some stupid stuff here and there doesn't ruin it, great movie.
First movie is best. Second and third are on the same line. Both have good and bad stuff.
First movie is best. Second and third are on the same line. Both have good and bad stuff.
cyberheater
PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
Yep. A3 is a good Alien movie. Fuck the haters.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Like others have said, but I feel it's personally worth reiterating: a ludic narrative is not, despite all the industry screams of "Great stories! Oscar winning story! Cinematic storytelling!", actually directly comparable to the cinematic variant.
More like Dora the Explorer really. Watch only when high or three years old.
Or perhaps an interactive theatre play, which may be one reason why cardboard set pieces are always so endearing and fitting in video games. Or creepy, like in Dead Space 2. You know which part if you played it.
Also, the fact that skipping cutscenes and the lack of them in (early) pirated games actually makes those games better and more enjoyable should convince people that story isn't a main focus in video games.
However, that hasn't stopped Hollywood from using 'game' concept in movies, and it's fucking awful. By contrast, Alien Isolation knows what it is and it does a marvellous job with that. There is no need to hate it for just wanting to be fun game.
btw, while we're on this topic: I just want to see an AvP Left for Dead at some point. Because we've never actually been able to play as a queen in any of the AvP or Alien games. Killed a lot to the point where it's like 'oh, this again, yawn', but never played one. If the Primal games can do dinosaurs, I don't see why that wouldn't work with the Alien franchise. Oh well.
(and He-Man 2002 Advance Wars clone, while we're at it. Seriously, it's so fucking obvious it hurts it wasn't made)
It's really not, alternate cuts be damned.
I love Alien, Aliens, and definitely enjoy the Assembly cut of Alien 3. Yeah it's clearly flawed in some ways, but it felt like a worthy conclusion to Ripley's story. And then they made Alien: Resurrection and shit the bed, hard. Then they milked the series to death with a bunch of sub-par games and spinoff films, until finally making Prometheus (which I still haven't watched), finally culminating in the ultimate "back to the roots" project, Alien Isolation. Isolation has SO MUCH going for it, I didn't think anything could actually make the Xenomorph scary again, as it's been around for so long and the mystique of it is long gone...but damn did that game deliver, even if the story is rather bare-bones, the atmosphere is top-notch, and I really hope they can deliver with the sequel (if SEGA lets Creative Assembly make one).
Lightning Count
Member
Going to rewatch Alien tonight and Aliens tomorrow, I'll watch Alien twice, once with the director's commentary love those the offer so much insight on the filmmaking process.
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