With Alien: Earth here, a lot of fans are rewatching the Alien films and reacquainting themselves with Ellen Ripley, xenomorphs, and the corporations who run things. And as someone who grew up with these films and is loving the new series on FX, I’ve got thoughts. Some of them being controversial.
You would think that Alien: Resurrection is the worst when it comes to any fans list. But in my book, it fairs better than multiple movies in this franchise, including Alien 3. So sit back and see if you agree with me on what are the worst and best Alien films in the franchise are!
Note: The films included in this Alien franchise worst to best list are only from the current timeline. And in chronological order they would be: Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Alien, Alien: Romulus, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection.
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Starting with worst…
Alien 3
Besides giving us the iconic scene of Ellen Ripley turned away in fear as she faced a xenomorph… Alien 3 gave us nothing. The characters, which were all men, were one dimensional. And they proved that even in a prison with actual monsters running around, men are still the scariest threat for a woman. Also, this film killed Newt. And for what? Shock value? Hard pass.
Alien: Covenant
Alien: Covenant is a smidge above being the worst in the franchise for two reasons: unhinged David and what they did to Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth Shaw. Like Alien 3, the franchise deemed another female character disposable. But this movie took it a step further with David experimenting on her and treating her like nothing but an afterthought after she did so much in Prometheus. Oh, there’s also the fact that these explorers on the way to start a new colony didn’t wear masks on a new planet. The spores were just waiting for them.
Prometheus
Besides Noomi Rapace and Idris Elba, every single character in Prometheus was insufferable. And this is coming from someone who loves Charlize Theron. But she was a blank canvas in this movie and more of a robot than Michael Fassbender’s David was. They do get major kudos though for coming full circle as to how that engineer ended up in the drivers seat from the beginning of our Alien journey.
MORE: What’s the Difference Between Cyborg, Snyth & Hybrid on Alien: Earth?
Sorry, but things get a little better here…
Alien: Resurrection
I know people are going to disagreew big time with this pick but… I liked Alien: Resurrection.
No, I didn’t like Ellen’s weird tall baby. It was a little too Pumpkinhead for me. That I can’t get past. Also, the experiments. But I liked how Sigourney Weaver got explore a more in control and even provocative version of Ripley. I also liked Winona Ryder as a synth who was trying to do good out there. And it had some disability representation in the form of Vriess while also introducing me to Brad Dourif for the first time.
So, overall a better movie than the others that came before on this list.
Alien
For being the first of the franchise, it wasn’t my favorite. But it still landed in my top 3 for introducing us to this world, basically giving us truckers in space, and introducing us to Ellen Ripley. Also, it set the precedent for alien/space movies that came after it, especially when it comes to special effects and their women leads. They do lose points for the tiny undies they made Ripley wear. I said, what I said. In space, on long hauls, we’re wearing full coverage, people.
Alien: Romulus
There are many reasons why Alien: Romulus ranks so high on my list. I loved the sister/brother bond between Cailee Spaeny’s Rain and David Jonsson’s Andy. There’s also that trailer that drew me in with how chilling it was syncing the thumping to the chest burster. But the number one reason this movie ranks so high is Robert Bobroczkyi as the hybrid offspring of Isabela Merced’s Kay. I have never noped so hard in this franchise. He was terrifying and they did it all with practical effects. Thank you Fede Alvarez.
And the best Alien film is:
Aliens
Aliens has always been the clear winner as the best movie in the franchise. Weaver’s Ripley had matured, created new bonds, and took on the alien queen herself. I also really like this movie because every single character complemented her journey. From Burke to Bishop and Vasquez, everyone made this movie a memorable action film that you can watch over and over again, no matter how many years have passed.
