Dan, I love your commitment to being thorough and not just dismissing some projects as "not canon" or "just a short film so it doesn't matter". Keep it up!
Alien (1979) succeeds for me, not because of plot, story, or character; its success, its appeal, in my opinion, is entirely due to mood, tone, and atmosphere. This mood, tone, and atmosphere are accomplished through art design, set design, costume design, lighting design, atmospheric effects (smoke, haze, etc.), texture effects (water droplets, sweat beads, industrial surfaces, etc.), and pacing (a meditative pace). Aliens (1986) has more action and spectacle, and is thus, in that sense, more entertaining, and perhaps more rewatchable, but Alien (1979) is more interesting to me because I see it as a kind of sci-fi tone poem, or an experiment in how far atmosphere, mood, and tone can carry a movie. And they carry it far indeed! [But some of the special effects do look like a man in a rubber suit to me, so that is one flaw that brings down my enjoyment of the film a bit.]
I know you're not a video game guy, but you should give the actual Alien Isolation game a shot. It's one of the best pieces of media to come out of the franchise, and easily the best one in the video game format.
I haven't finished Alien Isolation, but what I have played is excellent. If you want another great Alien franchise video game, play Aliens: Dark Descent. In the way that Alien Isolation is like og Alien movie, Dark Descent is controlling a squad of Colonial Marines dealing with a xenomorph outbreak. Completely different than Isolation and equally as good. Not a first person horror game, it's real time squad-based tactical game, and it gets the adrenaline and fear going so well. That bioscanner beeping still haunts me.
I think maybe at least watching someone play it would be a decent experience, it is a pretty video gamey video game, it's been awhile but i don't remember the game explaining much, so someone who doesn't play games might get stuck or frustrated.
Alien Isolation has amazing atmosphere, but personally I hate games where I have an invincible enemy following me, that is faster than me and can kill me one shot. And at first you can't defend yourself at all. Also, the whole game is very "happened by chance" with unpredictable enemy AI and it doesn't feel great. I didn't even mention the fact that it takes a very long time until you even first meet the Alien and as far as I remember the androids were also kinda annoying. Great atmosphere though.
@@Madferit91 - eh, there's something to be said for "you can see quality". I don't care for Country Western music, for example, but I can appreciate Johnny Cash's American recordings. Same with Reggae - I don't seek it out, but it's super-easy to see that Bob Marley's Legend is an excellent [greatest hits] album. With that in mind, Alien: Isolation is currently sitting at 79 on Metacritic - I would put that at "it's good, but not necessarily a definitive entry into the genre". (For that, I would generally need to see scores in the high 80's, at least.) In looking at Metacritic's "best of 2024 so far", I would say that Minishoot Adventures (indie OG zelda-style shooter game, but with spaceships) and Ballatro (what if poker was a roguelike) would be the two I would start with as an "intro to video games"; maybe the re-make of Paper Mario: 1000 year door (although I've never played it, I've heard its fantastic.) Obviously that's not an Alien game (and thus getting away from the original question here), but rather I mention them as examples of what I would expect the minimum quality to be for the scenario of "what if someone doesn't like video games?" But yeah - while I disagree with your general stance, I agree with it in the specifics here. Alien: Isolation is a good game, but not good enough for someone who isn't into video games to really appreciate, IMO. (Although there MIGHT be the "it's a good Alien game", which may get someone who likes the franchise, but not video games in particular.)
Hearing this breakdown really hit home how hard it is to turn a haunted house slasher into a franchise, especially one so iconic. Stick too close to the formula and it’s a retread, drift too far and people say it doesn’t feel like an “Alien” movie anymore. It probably never should’ve gone on this long, but they just can’t help themselves.
That's my thoughts exactly. Especially because you have what's considered the most terrifying monster in the universe, but you can't make it too action oriented because then it becomes too hoaky. Which, to me, makes Aliens even more unbelievably good
Dan, I appreciate how much effort and time you’ve put into this video. Being such a big, lifelong fan of the franchise as I am, this was thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining to watch. I love how you ranked basically all “Alien” content. Bravo 👏 I'm also glad you finally got to see the shorts of the franchise. There's some surprisingly great stuff there.
I truly feel that the diner scene in “Spaceballs” (1987) should have been part of this list, because it is as much a part of the Alien fascination and, dare I say, story as the rest of the short films. I think it’s canon. There is a xenomorph out there in the universe that only wants to sing show tunes.
Almost seemed to happen in "Alien: Covenant". The xenomoph popping out of the guy's chest and just standing around taking in it's long limbs. It really was THAT damn close to straight up feeling like something out of "Spaceballs" unironically.
One of the best parodies! And while I go back and forth with which one I like better Aliens or Alien, I prefer the Special Edition of Aliens because Sigourney Weaver losing a daughter gives her a MUCH better arc!
The Crossing being cut from Covenant was honestly so head scratching. Literally leaves massive plot threads hanging. I wasn't mad on Prometheus, but I do remember being so confused during Covenant about what happened in between with David and Shaw. Very odd choices made. 😅
Fully agree. Prometheus had problems but it was enough of a start. Covenant could’ve made good on all those promises and it totally didn’t for me. Then finding The Crossing and Advent on the disc later.. my jaw has rarely dropped for a short film. I couldn’t believe this had been cut. And now… maybe we’ll never get the conclusion
I think that watch order at the end is horrendous. Almost as bad as watching the Star Wars movies in numerical order. I would just recommend people to see any available version of 1, 2 and 3. Then watch any other movie that you're interested in. I have a soft spot for 4 but it's not really necessary viewing...
LOVE this video Dan! That Sentry scene from the Director's Cut of Aliens is so good! (I definitely feel like Fede was nodding to it in a similar moment in Romulus)
Your ranking is significantly different from mine, but I like how well you articulate what parts of which movies you appreciate. It gives a great image of how you enjoy movies.
I'll never get over Alien 3. I'm bitter about that movie to this day. Alien 2 was so great, and I was SO excited to see where Ripley, Hicks and Newt went from there.
I'm with you there. I found Ripley waking up from cryosleep alone, with no one believing her experiences *again* , so repetitive. Fans can reference the Assembly Cut all they like, but the movie is flawed beyond repair given the inherently unlikable supporting cast (Charles S. Dutton is the lone exception, while Charles Dance is killed off before he can impact the story) and bad narrative pacing. The theatrical cut feels like it's missing key sequences, but the AC is way too damned long and slow.
Pick up the comic books and the adaptations of the original Alien 3 script. I think there’s an audio drama with both Michael Beihn and Lance Heinricksen
Great video, Dan! Love seeing Covenant above Romulus, I've been getting a lot of flack for having the prequels ranked above it on my list. My rankings: 1. Alien 2. Aliens 3. Prometheus 4. Covenant 5. Romulus 6. Resurrection 7. Alien 3 8. AvP 9. AvP: Requiem
Thank you Dan for taking the time to make this epic list. I actually have not seen most of the shorts and have put them on my “To Watch” list. Also, I paused this video and re-watched the Weyland Ted Talk. Soooo good. Again, I know you spent a lot of time on this. I appreciate it. You are awesome!
there are two really excellent video games, that are more than just shooters, that really expand the alien lore. i highly recommend alien: dark descent (for aliens lovers) and alien isolation (for alien lovers). both are absolutely fantastic, and reasonably priced
I almost didn't click on this because I wasn't that interested in the topic, but this was a very cool and interesting analysis and recommendation! I've only seen the original Alien and Aliens, and I don't plan on watching anything else, but I enjoyed your comments on all of the films immensely. 🙂
Awesome video man this is an excellent breakdown of all things Aliens and even though im not the biggest fan of the movies ill definitely check these out as i love sci fi
I am still very patiently waiting for someone out there to tell me that Aliens vs Predator Requiem is their favorite Alien movie… it’s going to happen I just need to find them!😂
The online space has shown me that people will stick up for the worst/medicore things in the strongest ways. You keep that ear to the ground, it's bound to happen.
AvP: Requiem is the lone entity in this universe that makes me question, “Am I actually insane?” Because I’ve always thought it was perfectly fine. It’s not the best in either franchise, but I find it an adequate entry in both. I feel like each series individually has produced worse movies and, to me, the first AvP is the lesser mashup. But then I see how widely detested Requiem is and I wonder, “Am I broken?”
It makes it into my top 5 - it delivers on Alien 3's original promise of having the xenomorph come to earth (check out Alien 3's teaser trailer for that), the kills made by the xenomorph are brutal and live up to the film's R rating, the characters are more likeable than Resurrection, AVP, Covenant, Prometheus and Alien 3, you have the 2nd most badass female lead of the franchise (my ranking would go Ripley>O'Brien>Shaw>Woods>Daniels) and Alien has always worked best within the slasher genre more than the action, nihilistic drama, goofy comedy, exploration adventure or philosophical genres.
I enjoyed the use of the same synthetic model for the Science Officer in ROMULUS as in Alien. The fact that his character was melted by acid explains away deep-fake discrepancies, although i though it was a face mask. And it being the same WaylenYutani synth immediately told me that "this dude is a BAD GUY"
Awesome 😎 video 👏 Dan. So comprehensive and enjoyable and cant wait to find some of those shorts! Been meaning to rewatch the extended Aliens 👾 cut for some time now
I guess it was good marketing back in 2017, but I remember thinking that I would’ve loved to have seen the prologue scenes in the Alien: Covenant film.
How about an honorable mention for “Alien: The Play”! What the kids of North Bergen High School did on a nothing budget is simply unbelievable. It’s hard not to shed a tear when you see the footage of Sigourney Weaver greeting the kids backstage at their encore performance. And personally seeing as how that encore performance was funded by Ridley Scott himself I’m fine considering it an official adaptation.
I always appreciate how thorough Dan is. I didn’t even know there were alien short films, but the fact he went and watched every single one of them is fantastic.
I would rank Prometheus and Covenant higher personally, but I love your watch order and agree that Aliens Directors Cut deserves no 1 for sure, it's literally a perfect film.
I'm pretty sure there's a "good xenomorph" that smokes cigars and is actually a synthetic in the comics. I think this deserves to be in cannon due to the sheer ridiculousness of it.
I know these large rankings take a long time to make so thanks for all the effort Dan, I was pleasantly surprised at your number 5 pick and agree with it wholeheartedly.
Alien 3 Special Edition is such a gem. All of a sudden, it actually feels like a David Fincher movie. I don't even mind Hicks and Newt being killed off this time around, because it fits so well with the themes of how Ripley has basically descended into her own personal hell. I love how every character is just the worst person in the world trapped on this shithole of a planet, but the presence of the xenomorph kind of makes them all dig deep within each other to find some sense of morals, faith and solidarity between one another to try and make it out alive. It's a beautiful exploration of misery, whereas the theatrical cut is just miserable.
Great video - I really enjoy your reviews but this is one of your best Dan. It's hard to find ranked comparisons of different cuts of the films but this was thorough, interesting and clear. Would love to see more rankings of different cuts of films and/or assembled with deleted scenes like the Covenant prologues. Oliver Stone's Alexander?!
I liked Prometheus. The main issue, I think, that it had was that it relied so much on having its questions answered in later films that it lacked enough to answer on its own.
I love these ranking videos that you do. I had to stop once you u got to Romulus simply because i dont want to be spoiled. Ill come back and finish it when i have seen it.
As always, Thanks Dan! Though having seen these films likely more than I would like to admit, and having some quite different perspectives from yours, I think you did a great job ranking and explaining why. Keep it up my friend! Coming up on 10 years I have been following you. I have watched a lot of movie CONTENT on the tubes in those years. You have always been the genuine one. Real recognize real. Though I do miss those call in commentaries back in the day on Plus. My favorite franchise and you did it honor. Wouldn't change much myself... save put 3 and Prometheus well above Romulus. Maybe Romulus will pay off in time with 20 mins of missing footage in a Special Edition. One can only hope.
Started a watch through with my family recently and i had forgotten to see if our versions were direcrors cuts so i was happy by the end of your video to realize that they were and we had at least watched your favorite version of your number 1 choice.
Great Breakdown, Dan! I didn't realize how many shorts there were, so I will definitely check those out, as I am also doing a timeline rewatch of the Alien franchise again! Cheers 🥃
I'm *SO GLAD* you mentioned the stupidity of the characters in Covenant. I've seen it four times and each time reinforced what I hated about it, and the vast majority of the things were rooted in the terribleness of the characters. Alien was space truckers. Space truckers making insanely stupid decisions in a heated moment is fine. Covenant is about the best of the best, an elite team that many of the hopes of humanity are resting on. And they're DUMBER than the space truckers. The one scene where someone makes the correct decision (keep the door locked) is immediately undone by their stupidity. And, of course, helmets... And there were other issues, such as the inciting incident being made possible because "Android starts to give order to the computer but the thing happens before android could finish its sentence"...... meaning "one computer couldn't talk to another computer because, for some stupid reason, it had to use vocals" ... yeah I just can't suspend my disbelief that much. Fassbender was amazing and there were some superb sequences. It's just the second worst of the main franchise in my eyes.
Thank you, Dan. I didn’t know of all these shorts from the anniversary celebration or the promos for the more recent films. I look forward to looking them up later today.
I think you landed correctly with Aliens Special Edition. My ranking is a bit different. I did a rewatch of all of them for my channel and this is how I landed: 1. Aliens (Special Edition) 2. Alien Covenant 3. Alien 4. Alien Resurrection 5. AVP 6. Alien 3 (Either Cut as my main criticisms are in both versions but I agree the Production Cut is much better) 7. AVPR 8. Alien Romulus 9. Prometheus
That final 2 had my blood pumping with anticipation Dan. I myself find it pretty much impossible to choose a fave between the first 2. Gun to my head i would have to go with Aliens not dissing Alien at all no way. I just love how Aliens blended not just Sci Fi and horror but the action was top notch as well.
Thank you! This is exactly whaty wife and I were looking for. I have watched all the alien movies but my wife's first alien movie ever was romulus then after looking and failing to find this list we just watched alien and aliens in hulu.
Great work, Dan! Didn’t realize there was so many shorts. I remember loving the TED talk back in the day. Appreciated you going above and beyond with the watch guide. My personal ranking would look like: 1.) Aliens 2.) Alien 3.) Prometheus 4.) Alien: Romulus 5.) Alien: Covenant 6.) Alien³ 7.) AVP: Alien vs. Predator 8.) Alien Resurrection 9.) Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem But I have not seen the alternate cuts. I appreciate the deep dive!
Great video, thank you! My Ultimate Alien Watchlist for a new viewer start to finish: Alien (theatrical) Aliens (special edition) Enjoy two of the greatest films ever made 💙
Wreckage and Rage, the documentary about Alien 3, is very good. Fincher didn't participate but the people that are interviewed are pretty candid about where they screwed up and how they didn't put Fincher in a position to succeed from the start. Just be sure to track down the longer cut on the Blu-ray, the DVD version was censored because it made the studio look bad.
I luv all those bones/extra content from the prometheus & covenant films it’s cool when film like those and the dark knight did bonus stuff like that, wish movies did that again haha
1) Watch Alien 2) Play Alien Isolation 3) Watch Aliens SE That's it. Ripley's story. Her daughter's story. Her new family's story. Both women earn their happy endings.
@@michaelelmes2135you clearly need to rewatch aliens again the special edition anyway because in it they explained that Amanda Ripley passed away 2 years before Ripley was found so no Amanda was not Lost in space although I do believe in the theory that Amanda Ripley never actually died of old age but that Weyland yutani actually froze her in hypersleep because she knew too much and they just lied to Ripley to get her to go to LV 246
I can understand your 1&2 rankings as much as I disagree with the decision. That’s what makes this fun, it really is a tremendous debate. Also, I never knew most of these shorts existed so definitely something new to watch
I love your notes and comments on Alien 3: The Assembly Cut, which I wholeheartedly agree with. It is firmly my third favorite film in the series (behind Alien and Aliens, of course), and I really am curious what David Fincher could have done without the studio interference he encountered. I also love the concept of the Royal Facehugger for some reason! And I'm with you on Aliens (Director's Cut) as the best movie in the series!
A great list and I love that you enjoy Covenant more than most, especially with the extra stuff. I like you, have no idea why some of it wasn't in the movie. Especially that jaw-dropping moment in Advent when David says to Daniels that she will be his queen!! Your Ripley watch list is pretty much perfect. I would only add Resurrection to it because I actually enjoy that movie very much, I love Jeunet's humor that he imbues it with and I like that it is the first move that properly shows how the military are trying to weaponize these things. My only complaint about the specal edition of Aliens is showing Hadley's Hope beforehand. Yes, it is nice to see Newt and her family beforehand but not seeing any of Hadley's Hope adds to the element of suspense and surprise when the colonial marines get there. You are on that journey working out the mystery with them, by seeing it all beforehand that element is somewhat lost. But yes, great video as always.
I haven't seen the various `cuts` of Alien 1, 2 & 3 so your video helped with that if I ever want to re-watch them again. I'm guessing I saw the theater versions of those films many years ago.
I can’t watch Alien: Romulus yet because it releases in Japan on September 6th. So I’ll watch this video as soon as I finish that film to avoid spoilers!! But can’t wait to watch this video! Thanks for all you do Dan.
David 8 is my favorite character next to Ripley in the franchise. It would be an honor for Michael Fassbender to close out his character's arc because the man is a talent. A Romulus sequel could be the place for it.
I have some sentimental feelings for Alien Resurrection because it was the first one I saw. It is what got me to watch the older movies in the franchise.
I am of the firm belief that Resurrection is the third best Alien film. And it can watched directly following Alien and Aliens, as the pertinent info from 3 is briefly covered. Sigourney Weaver has a lot of fun as a crazed part-human, part-alien clone, Winona Ryder gets to be a memorable synthetic, the Alien Queen evolves mammalian reproduction only to be murdered by the new human/alien crossbreed, and best of all, Brad Dourif gets to shout maniacally as a mad scientist.
Don't know if you watch fan edits, but the fanedit Paradise is really good. Has that Ted talk at the beginning and merges both Prometheus and Covenant with a focus on David as the main character. It includes deleted scenes and everything it's fantastic
I never realised there were so many other movie shorts out there, I'll have to check them out. I also didn't know that there was a third offering of Alien 3, I hope it's on the Blu ray box set, I know the Assembly Cut is. In regards to your list, I fully agree with it, apart from maybe placing Alien Romulus a little higher; I really did enjoy it. Aliens Special Edition is my all time favourite Alien movie and is actually tied in first [;ace on my all time list of favourite films with Taxi Driver. I reckon if the special edition had been released at cinemas Sigourney would have won the Oscar that year, the added context of what she had lost would have given more gravity to her portrayal of Ripley in regards to her relationship with Newt.
I felt the exact same way about covenant! My fiancé and I had a marathon leading up to Romulus and we both remember not liking covenant but were pleasantly surprised how much better it was than we gave it credit for. Glad to hear someone else feels the same and I hope more people do give it another shot. Most of the characters were pretty damn stupid though.
Say what you will about Prometheus and Covenant, but the tone Scott delivers is incredibly impressive. Honestly surprised a major studio let him do something so nihilistic with an unrelenting feeling of all-consuming, existential dread. I prefer Romulus as a movie, but Alvarez wouldn’t have been allowed to do that.
I saw "Alien Resurrection" in theatres. I watched it again when the "Quadrilogy" was released. I suddenly realized that Joss Whedon had reworked Ron Perlman's character as Jayne in "Firefly." It felt like Whedon got his inspiration for the TV show from this.
Hopefully we get some sort of directors cut for Prometheus and Covenant incorporating these shorts. They were the most interesting films since the first two Always great work Dan 👏
Really good Dan...thanks for watching all those short films. I won't dispute your ranking of the top films, since you make such intelligent points. I love your appreciation of Alien 3 special edition, I've always felt the film is underrated in any version, but agree the SE is the way to go (same with Aliens SE). Still haven't seen Romulus so I skipped past it here
Totally agree about Covenant working a lot better on a rewatch. Although I think the theatrical Alien 3 is also hugely underrated, and the moodiest film since the original.
I know I am in the minority, but I genuinely liked Alien: Resurrection. I had watched all the movies except this one because I always heard it was so bad, so my expectations were quite low. But I found its tone to be a really nice and fun shift from the other movies. It gave me a nostalgic vibe similar to other early late 90s and 2000s sci-fi, such as Riddick and Serenity.
I think it is the most underrated movie in the franchise, I really love it. But maybe it's the Jean-Pierre Jeunet fan in me. Anyway, there's at least two of us, cheers! 😂
Super cool to hear your rankings! Funny enough I prefer the Alien directors cut better because I like those added scenes a lot and I prefer the Aliens theatrical cut more than the directors cut bc I find the directors cut drags at times
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Dan, I love your commitment to being thorough and not just dismissing some projects as "not canon" or "just a short film so it doesn't matter". Keep it up!
Alien (1979) succeeds for me, not because of plot, story, or character; its success, its appeal, in my opinion, is entirely due to mood, tone, and atmosphere. This mood, tone, and atmosphere are accomplished through art design, set design, costume design, lighting design, atmospheric effects (smoke, haze, etc.), texture effects (water droplets, sweat beads, industrial surfaces, etc.), and pacing (a meditative pace). Aliens (1986) has more action and spectacle, and is thus, in that sense, more entertaining, and perhaps more rewatchable, but Alien (1979) is more interesting to me because I see it as a kind of sci-fi tone poem, or an experiment in how far atmosphere, mood, and tone can carry a movie. And they carry it far indeed! [But some of the special effects do look like a man in a rubber suit to me, so that is one flaw that brings down my enjoyment of the film a bit.]
I know you're not a video game guy, but you should give the actual Alien Isolation game a shot. It's one of the best pieces of media to come out of the franchise, and easily the best one in the video game format.
@@Madferit91 Yeah, specially Isolation. Not a good starting point for someone that doesn't play games
I haven't finished Alien Isolation, but what I have played is excellent. If you want another great Alien franchise video game, play Aliens: Dark Descent. In the way that Alien Isolation is like og Alien movie, Dark Descent is controlling a squad of Colonial Marines dealing with a xenomorph outbreak. Completely different than Isolation and equally as good. Not a first person horror game, it's real time squad-based tactical game, and it gets the adrenaline and fear going so well. That bioscanner beeping still haunts me.
I think maybe at least watching someone play it would be a decent experience, it is a pretty video gamey video game, it's been awhile but i don't remember the game explaining much, so someone who doesn't play games might get stuck or frustrated.
Alien Isolation has amazing atmosphere, but personally I hate games where I have an invincible enemy following me, that is faster than me and can kill me one shot. And at first you can't defend yourself at all. Also, the whole game is very "happened by chance" with unpredictable enemy AI and it doesn't feel great. I didn't even mention the fact that it takes a very long time until you even first meet the Alien and as far as I remember the androids were also kinda annoying.
Great atmosphere though.
@@Madferit91 - eh, there's something to be said for "you can see quality". I don't care for Country Western music, for example, but I can appreciate Johnny Cash's American recordings. Same with Reggae - I don't seek it out, but it's super-easy to see that Bob Marley's Legend is an excellent [greatest hits] album.
With that in mind, Alien: Isolation is currently sitting at 79 on Metacritic - I would put that at "it's good, but not necessarily a definitive entry into the genre". (For that, I would generally need to see scores in the high 80's, at least.)
In looking at Metacritic's "best of 2024 so far", I would say that Minishoot Adventures (indie OG zelda-style shooter game, but with spaceships) and Ballatro (what if poker was a roguelike) would be the two I would start with as an "intro to video games"; maybe the re-make of Paper Mario: 1000 year door (although I've never played it, I've heard its fantastic.) Obviously that's not an Alien game (and thus getting away from the original question here), but rather I mention them as examples of what I would expect the minimum quality to be for the scenario of "what if someone doesn't like video games?"
But yeah - while I disagree with your general stance, I agree with it in the specifics here. Alien: Isolation is a good game, but not good enough for someone who isn't into video games to really appreciate, IMO. (Although there MIGHT be the "it's a good Alien game", which may get someone who likes the franchise, but not video games in particular.)
Hearing this breakdown really hit home how hard it is to turn a haunted house slasher into a franchise, especially one so iconic. Stick too close to the formula and it’s a retread, drift too far and people say it doesn’t feel like an “Alien” movie anymore. It probably never should’ve gone on this long, but they just can’t help themselves.
That's my thoughts exactly. Especially because you have what's considered the most terrifying monster in the universe, but you can't make it too action oriented because then it becomes too hoaky. Which, to me, makes Aliens even more unbelievably good
Dan,
I appreciate how much effort and time you’ve put into this video. Being such a big, lifelong fan of the franchise as I am, this was thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining to watch. I love how you ranked basically all “Alien” content. Bravo 👏
I'm also glad you finally got to see the shorts of the franchise. There's some surprisingly great stuff there.
The Peter Weyland Ted talk is an all time promo short.
One of the most memorable I’ve seen for any movie.
Indeed! I remember it more vividly than I remember Prometheus itself
I truly feel that the diner scene in “Spaceballs” (1987) should have been part of this list, because it is as much a part of the Alien fascination and, dare I say, story as the rest of the short films. I think it’s canon. There is a xenomorph out there in the universe that only wants to sing show tunes.
Almost seemed to happen in "Alien: Covenant". The xenomoph popping out of the guy's chest and just standing around taking in it's long limbs. It really was THAT damn close to straight up feeling like something out of "Spaceballs" unironically.
I mean if that weird Isolation series I've never heard of made it, then why not
One of the best parodies! And while I go back and forth with which one I like better Aliens or Alien, I prefer the Special Edition of Aliens because Sigourney Weaver losing a daughter gives her a MUCH better arc!
Agreed lol
I always imagined he made a killing on his one man road show.
The Crossing being cut from Covenant was honestly so head scratching. Literally leaves massive plot threads hanging. I wasn't mad on Prometheus, but I do remember being so confused during Covenant about what happened in between with David and Shaw. Very odd choices made. 😅
Plp where furious about that lol. I remember all the Prom fan boys feeling rightfully betrayed
Fully agree. Prometheus had problems but it was enough of a start. Covenant could’ve made good on all those promises and it totally didn’t for me. Then finding The Crossing and Advent on the disc later.. my jaw has rarely dropped for a short film. I couldn’t believe this had been cut. And now… maybe we’ll never get the conclusion
I think that watch order at the end is horrendous. Almost as bad as watching the Star Wars movies in numerical order. I would just recommend people to see any available version of 1, 2 and 3. Then watch any other movie that you're interested in. I have a soft spot for 4 but it's not really necessary viewing...
LOVE this video Dan! That Sentry scene from the Director's Cut of Aliens is so good! (I definitely feel like Fede was nodding to it in a similar moment in Romulus)
Your ranking is significantly different from mine, but I like how well you articulate what parts of which movies you appreciate. It gives a great image of how you enjoy movies.
I'll never get over Alien 3. I'm bitter about that movie to this day. Alien 2 was so great, and I was SO excited to see where Ripley, Hicks and Newt went from there.
I'm with you there. I found Ripley waking up from cryosleep alone, with no one believing her experiences *again* , so repetitive. Fans can reference the Assembly Cut all they like, but the movie is flawed beyond repair given the inherently unlikable supporting cast (Charles S. Dutton is the lone exception, while Charles Dance is killed off before he can impact the story) and bad narrative pacing. The theatrical cut feels like it's missing key sequences, but the AC is way too damned long and slow.
Pick up the comic books and the adaptations of the original Alien 3 script. I think there’s an audio drama with both Michael Beihn and Lance Heinricksen
No matter how disappointed you are with it, David Fincher hates it more
Yeah the only movies since then to lose me quickly and likewise never recover are Rise of Skywalker and Black Widow.
Great video, Dan! Love seeing Covenant above Romulus, I've been getting a lot of flack for having the prequels ranked above it on my list.
My rankings:
1. Alien
2. Aliens
3. Prometheus
4. Covenant
5. Romulus
6. Resurrection
7. Alien 3
8. AvP
9. AvP: Requiem
Excellent list. Switch Alien 3 and Resurrection around and that’s my exact list. I too liked Prometheus and Covenant over Romulus.
Thank you Dan for taking the time to make this epic list. I actually have not seen most of the shorts and have put them on my “To Watch” list. Also, I paused this video and re-watched the Weyland Ted Talk. Soooo good. Again, I know you spent a lot of time on this. I appreciate it. You are awesome!
there are two really excellent video games, that are more than just shooters, that really expand the alien lore. i highly recommend alien: dark descent (for aliens lovers) and alien isolation (for alien lovers). both are absolutely fantastic, and reasonably priced
Based on Dan’s watch list order at 36:15, where would you place these games?
Isolation is after alien and dark descent after aliens@@benfranklin1533
Looks like an Alien Covenant needs a Super-Duper, Limited, All-World Director/Editor, Platinum, Definitive Cut
It needs redoing as Alien: Convent and be about some aliens who are nuns.
I almost didn't click on this because I wasn't that interested in the topic, but this was a very cool and interesting analysis and recommendation! I've only seen the original Alien and Aliens, and I don't plan on watching anything else, but I enjoyed your comments on all of the films immensely. 🙂
Personally (and without seperating the different cuts):
1. Alien
2. Aliens
3. Alien 3
4. Prometheus
5. AvP
6. Romulus
7. Resurrection
8. AvP2
9. Covenant
I haven't watched Romulus yet but I agree with the list, except I would put Covenant at #5 and AvP second to last, or maybe above Resurrection.
Fair
Not having AvP2 last is wild 😂
@@ZachBobBob AvP2 is a dumb movie that knows it's dumb. Covenant is a dumb movie that thinks it's smart. That's the one thing AvP2 has over Covenant.
@@SpedeVesku I guess I can get behind that reasoning
Awesome video man this is an excellent breakdown of all things Aliens and even though im not the biggest fan of the movies ill definitely check these out as i love sci fi
I am still very patiently waiting for someone out there to tell me that Aliens vs Predator Requiem is their favorite Alien movie… it’s going to happen I just need to find them!😂
The online space has shown me that people will stick up for the worst/medicore things in the strongest ways. You keep that ear to the ground, it's bound to happen.
Its not my favorite, but it's in my top 4
@@killaxero86 you are a madman, but honestly all power to you👍
AvP: Requiem is the lone entity in this universe that makes me question, “Am I actually insane?” Because I’ve always thought it was perfectly fine. It’s not the best in either franchise, but I find it an adequate entry in both. I feel like each series individually has produced worse movies and, to me, the first AvP is the lesser mashup.
But then I see how widely detested Requiem is and I wonder, “Am I broken?”
It makes it into my top 5 - it delivers on Alien 3's original promise of having the xenomorph come to earth (check out Alien 3's teaser trailer for that), the kills made by the xenomorph are brutal and live up to the film's R rating, the characters are more likeable than Resurrection, AVP, Covenant, Prometheus and Alien 3, you have the 2nd most badass female lead of the franchise (my ranking would go Ripley>O'Brien>Shaw>Woods>Daniels) and Alien has always worked best within the slasher genre more than the action, nihilistic drama, goofy comedy, exploration adventure or philosophical genres.
Covenant was so bad. Just so, so bad.
I enjoyed the use of the same synthetic model for the Science Officer in ROMULUS as in Alien. The fact that his character was melted by acid explains away deep-fake discrepancies, although i though it was a face mask.
And it being the same WaylenYutani synth immediately told me that "this dude is a BAD GUY"
This was worth the wait I love your mega ranking videos
Awesome 😎 video 👏 Dan. So comprehensive and enjoyable and cant wait to find some of those shorts! Been meaning to rewatch the extended Aliens 👾 cut for some time now
I guess it was good marketing back in 2017, but I remember thinking that I would’ve loved to have seen the prologue scenes in the Alien: Covenant film.
Nah, plp ridiculed and mocked them back in the day too and were confused as to why it wasn't included in the movie
@@alexsilva28 Yes, like I said, I wish the prologue scenes were in the Alien: Covenant film
@@brucecrawford_17 And like I said, nobody liked they weren't in the movie. So it wasn't good marketing like you said
How about an honorable mention for “Alien: The Play”! What the kids of North Bergen High School did on a nothing budget is simply unbelievable. It’s hard not to shed a tear when you see the footage of Sigourney Weaver greeting the kids backstage at their encore performance. And personally seeing as how that encore performance was funded by Ridley Scott himself I’m fine considering it an official adaptation.
I always appreciate how thorough Dan is. I didn’t even know there were alien short films, but the fact he went and watched every single one of them is fantastic.
I would rank Prometheus and Covenant higher personally, but I love your watch order and agree that Aliens Directors Cut deserves no 1 for sure, it's literally a perfect film.
I'm pretty sure there's a "good xenomorph" that smokes cigars and is actually a synthetic in the comics.
I think this deserves to be in cannon due to the sheer ridiculousness of it.
Yes haha, think his name was Jerry
I love your rankings videos. I know you put in the work for these, and I appreciate your diligence.
I know these large rankings take a long time to make so thanks for all the effort Dan, I was pleasantly surprised at your number 5 pick and agree with it wholeheartedly.
Alien 3 Special Edition is such a gem. All of a sudden, it actually feels like a David Fincher movie. I don't even mind Hicks and Newt being killed off this time around, because it fits so well with the themes of how Ripley has basically descended into her own personal hell. I love how every character is just the worst person in the world trapped on this shithole of a planet, but the presence of the xenomorph kind of makes them all dig deep within each other to find some sense of morals, faith and solidarity between one another to try and make it out alive. It's a beautiful exploration of misery, whereas the theatrical cut is just miserable.
Prometheus is the quintessential example of underrated
Alien: Isolation is the best piece of media from the franchise after Alien and Aliens.
What about the comics and novels?
Amazing game!
Really excited to seek out some of these shorts…thank you so much!
Aliens 10/10
Romulus 9/10
Alien 8/10
Resurrection 7/10
AVP 7/10
AVPR 5/10
Alien 3 3/10
Covenant 1/10
Prometheus 1/10
I appreciate your thoroughness, Dan.
Great video - I really enjoy your reviews but this is one of your best Dan. It's hard to find ranked comparisons of different cuts of the films but this was thorough, interesting and clear. Would love to see more rankings of different cuts of films and/or assembled with deleted scenes like the Covenant prologues. Oliver Stone's Alexander?!
I liked Prometheus. The main issue, I think, that it had was that it relied so much on having its questions answered in later films that it lacked enough to answer on its own.
I love these ranking videos that you do. I had to stop once you u got to Romulus simply because i dont want to be spoiled. Ill come back and finish it when i have seen it.
This video made me realize just how much I want them to make special editions of Prometheus & Covenant. LoL. Great video as always!
As always, Thanks Dan! Though having seen these films likely more than I would like to admit, and having some quite different perspectives from yours, I think you did a great job ranking and explaining why. Keep it up my friend! Coming up on 10 years I have been following you. I have watched a lot of movie CONTENT on the tubes in those years. You have always been the genuine one. Real recognize real. Though I do miss those call in commentaries back in the day on Plus. My favorite franchise and you did it honor. Wouldn't change much myself... save put 3 and Prometheus well above Romulus. Maybe Romulus will pay off in time with 20 mins of missing footage in a Special Edition. One can only hope.
Great video Dan, I had no idea they had this many shorts. Gonna have to look those up, thank you!
Started a watch through with my family recently and i had forgotten to see if our versions were direcrors cuts so i was happy by the end of your video to realize that they were and we had at least watched your favorite version of your number 1 choice.
Great Breakdown, Dan! I didn't realize how many shorts there were, so I will definitely check those out, as I am also doing a timeline rewatch of the Alien franchise again! Cheers 🥃
I'm *SO GLAD* you mentioned the stupidity of the characters in Covenant. I've seen it four times and each time reinforced what I hated about it, and the vast majority of the things were rooted in the terribleness of the characters.
Alien was space truckers. Space truckers making insanely stupid decisions in a heated moment is fine. Covenant is about the best of the best, an elite team that many of the hopes of humanity are resting on. And they're DUMBER than the space truckers.
The one scene where someone makes the correct decision (keep the door locked) is immediately undone by their stupidity.
And, of course, helmets...
And there were other issues, such as the inciting incident being made possible because "Android starts to give order to the computer but the thing happens before android could finish its sentence"...... meaning "one computer couldn't talk to another computer because, for some stupid reason, it had to use vocals"
... yeah I just can't suspend my disbelief that much.
Fassbender was amazing and there were some superb sequences. It's just the second worst of the main franchise in my eyes.
Thank you, Dan. I didn’t know of all these shorts from the anniversary celebration or the promos for the more recent films. I look forward to looking them up later today.
Great lineup, Dan! I almost agree with you on the top 4. Really well thought out lineup!
I really like your ranking videos
What’s next? Bond? Planet of the Apes?
i would LOVE a PotA ranking video
Aliens is my favorite one.
Great vid Dan, appreciate you talking about the shorts too!
Thanks Dan, there’s a lot of cool stuff in here I’ve never seen 😊👍🏼
Although not official, Alien: MONDAY, an anime horror short was recently uploaded to TH-cam and as a fan project it is phenomenal.
Dan Murrell: The Best to Ever Do It.
I think you landed correctly with Aliens Special Edition. My ranking is a bit different. I did a rewatch of all of them for my channel and this is how I landed:
1. Aliens (Special Edition)
2. Alien Covenant
3. Alien
4. Alien Resurrection
5. AVP
6. Alien 3 (Either Cut as my main criticisms are in both versions but I agree the Production Cut is much better)
7. AVPR
8. Alien Romulus
9. Prometheus
The Ripley Order. Very cool, thank you.
That final 2 had my blood pumping with anticipation Dan. I myself find it pretty much impossible to choose a fave between the first 2. Gun to my head i would have to go with Aliens not dissing Alien at all no way. I just love how Aliens blended not just Sci Fi and horror but the action was top notch as well.
Thank you! This is exactly whaty wife and I were looking for. I have watched all the alien movies but my wife's first alien movie ever was romulus then after looking and failing to find this list we just watched alien and aliens in hulu.
Great work, Dan! Didn’t realize there was so many shorts. I remember loving the TED talk back in the day. Appreciated you going above and beyond with the watch guide.
My personal ranking would look like:
1.) Aliens
2.) Alien
3.) Prometheus
4.) Alien: Romulus
5.) Alien: Covenant
6.) Alien³
7.) AVP: Alien vs. Predator
8.) Alien Resurrection
9.) Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
But I have not seen the alternate cuts. I appreciate the deep dive!
Great video, thank you! My Ultimate Alien Watchlist for a new viewer start to finish:
Alien (theatrical)
Aliens (special edition)
Enjoy two of the greatest films ever made 💙
Appreciate the content Dan!
Wreckage and Rage, the documentary about Alien 3, is very good. Fincher didn't participate but the people that are interviewed are pretty candid about where they screwed up and how they didn't put Fincher in a position to succeed from the start. Just be sure to track down the longer cut on the Blu-ray, the DVD version was censored because it made the studio look bad.
Short films? The f*ck? I've never even heard of these. Thank you, Dan.
Loving that Ripley Cut watch list. I think I will put that in my queue right away :)
I have probably watched Alien well over a hundred times, it is perfect.
I'd never seen any of those shorts- thanks for introducing us to them!
I luv all those bones/extra content from the prometheus & covenant films it’s cool when film like those and the dark knight did bonus stuff like that, wish movies did that again haha
Reference quality transfer.👌 True 4K (fine grain structure preserved/pristine clean print), dazzling HDR highlights, beautiful wider color gamut, and superb atmos effects. Other studios take note!
1) Watch Alien
2) Play Alien Isolation
3) Watch Aliens SE
That's it.
Ripley's story. Her daughter's story. Her new family's story. Both women earn their happy endings.
Amanda Ripley doesn't have a happy ending she's lost in space
@@michaelelmes2135you clearly need to rewatch aliens again the special edition anyway because in it they explained that Amanda Ripley passed away 2 years before Ripley was found so no Amanda was not Lost in space although I do believe in the theory that Amanda Ripley never actually died of old age but that Weyland yutani actually froze her in hypersleep because she knew too much and they just lied to Ripley to get her to go to LV 246
I'm pumped for this video
I can understand your 1&2 rankings as much as I disagree with the decision. That’s what makes this fun, it really is a tremendous debate. Also, I never knew most of these shorts existed so definitely something new to watch
I love your notes and comments on Alien 3: The Assembly Cut, which I wholeheartedly agree with. It is firmly my third favorite film in the series (behind Alien and Aliens, of course), and I really am curious what David Fincher could have done without the studio interference he encountered. I also love the concept of the Royal Facehugger for some reason!
And I'm with you on Aliens (Director's Cut) as the best movie in the series!
A great list and I love that you enjoy Covenant more than most, especially with the extra stuff. I like you, have no idea why some of it wasn't in the movie. Especially that jaw-dropping moment in Advent when David says to Daniels that she will be his queen!! Your Ripley watch list is pretty much perfect. I would only add Resurrection to it because I actually enjoy that movie very much, I love Jeunet's humor that he imbues it with and I like that it is the first move that properly shows how the military are trying to weaponize these things. My only complaint about the specal edition of Aliens is showing Hadley's Hope beforehand. Yes, it is nice to see Newt and her family beforehand but not seeing any of Hadley's Hope adds to the element of suspense and surprise when the colonial marines get there. You are on that journey working out the mystery with them, by seeing it all beforehand that element is somewhat lost. But yes, great video as always.
Finally, someone wo ranks the AVP films
Dan, you broke my heart with your top 2.
Just kidding, great video!
Thanks Dan, this is an awesome start to my day.
I haven't seen the various `cuts` of Alien 1, 2 & 3 so your video helped with that if I ever want to re-watch them again. I'm guessing I saw the theater versions of those films many years ago.
I can’t watch Alien: Romulus yet because it releases in Japan on September 6th. So I’ll watch this video as soon as I finish that film to avoid spoilers!! But can’t wait to watch this video! Thanks for all you do Dan.
I did NOT know about those Prometheus/Covenant shorts nor the 40th Anniversary ones. O.O Will start lookinh for them ASAP! Thank you for that list!!
I love the TED talk. So much charisma in that performance. I liked it more than a lot of the movies on this list.
David 8 is my favorite character next to Ripley in the franchise. It would be an honor for Michael Fassbender to close out his character's arc because the man is a talent. A Romulus sequel could be the place for it.
I have some sentimental feelings for Alien Resurrection because it was the first one I saw. It is what got me to watch the older movies in the franchise.
I am of the firm belief that Resurrection is the third best Alien film. And it can watched directly following Alien and Aliens, as the pertinent info from 3 is briefly covered.
Sigourney Weaver has a lot of fun as a crazed part-human, part-alien clone, Winona Ryder gets to be a memorable synthetic, the Alien Queen evolves mammalian reproduction only to be murdered by the new human/alien crossbreed, and best of all, Brad Dourif gets to shout maniacally as a mad scientist.
Don't know if you watch fan edits, but the fanedit Paradise is really good. Has that Ted talk at the beginning and merges both Prometheus and Covenant with a focus on David as the main character. It includes deleted scenes and everything it's fantastic
Your videos are so cosy. Great research again
Loved this list. Are you planning on releasing a The Crow review once the embargo lifts tonight?
No, I won't be able to see that one.
I never realised there were so many other movie shorts out there, I'll have to check them out. I also didn't know that there was a third offering of Alien 3, I hope it's on the Blu ray box set, I know the Assembly Cut is. In regards to your list, I fully agree with it, apart from maybe placing Alien Romulus a little higher; I really did enjoy it. Aliens Special Edition is my all time favourite Alien movie and is actually tied in first [;ace on my all time list of favourite films with Taxi Driver. I reckon if the special edition had been released at cinemas Sigourney would have won the Oscar that year, the added context of what she had lost would have given more gravity to her portrayal of Ripley in regards to her relationship with Newt.
Glad you enjoyed Ore!!
Top 4
1. Alien
2. Aliens
3. Prometheus
4. AvP
I felt the exact same way about covenant! My fiancé and I had a marathon leading up to Romulus and we both remember not liking covenant but were pleasantly surprised how much better it was than we gave it credit for. Glad to hear someone else feels the same and I hope more people do give it another shot. Most of the characters were pretty damn stupid though.
Say what you will about Prometheus and Covenant, but the tone Scott delivers is incredibly impressive. Honestly surprised a major studio let him do something so nihilistic with an unrelenting feeling of all-consuming, existential dread.
I prefer Romulus as a movie, but Alvarez wouldn’t have been allowed to do that.
Never knew that alien is one of my favorite franchises! 👽
I saw "Alien Resurrection" in theatres. I watched it again when the "Quadrilogy" was released. I suddenly realized that Joss Whedon had reworked Ron Perlman's character as Jayne in "Firefly." It felt like Whedon got his inspiration for the TV show from this.
I have not seen special edition of Alien 3 yet. Sounds like I really need to check that out.
I know it's a pure ego trip on my part (because we happen to agree on everything) Dan, it was a perfect ranking video, thank you!
The score from this movie took me back to late 80s early 90s and i loved it
Hopefully we get some sort of directors cut for Prometheus and Covenant incorporating these shorts. They were the most interesting films since the first two
Always great work Dan 👏
Really good Dan...thanks for watching all those short films. I won't dispute your ranking of the top films, since you make such intelligent points. I love your appreciation of Alien 3 special edition, I've always felt the film is underrated in any version, but agree the SE is the way to go (same with Aliens SE). Still haven't seen Romulus so I skipped past it here
Totally agree about Covenant working a lot better on a rewatch. Although I think the theatrical Alien 3 is also hugely underrated, and the moodiest film since the original.
I know I am in the minority, but I genuinely liked Alien: Resurrection. I had watched all the movies except this one because I always heard it was so bad, so my expectations were quite low. But I found its tone to be a really nice and fun shift from the other movies. It gave me a nostalgic vibe similar to other early late 90s and 2000s sci-fi, such as Riddick and Serenity.
I think it is the most underrated movie in the franchise, I really love it. But maybe it's the Jean-Pierre Jeunet fan in me. Anyway, there's at least two of us, cheers! 😂
Super cool to hear your rankings! Funny enough I prefer the Alien directors cut better because I like those added scenes a lot and I prefer the Aliens theatrical cut more than the directors cut bc I find the directors cut drags at times
I just watched Alien: Monday last night. So incredibly well done!
Does the Xenomorph dread Mondays in that one? 😂
@@Chri228 Yeah a couple people do not have a good day in that one.