Ridley Scott’s been at the whole directing thing for a while. Well, that’s an understatement, actually. His firstfeature film came out in 1977 (The Duellists), and he’s refused to slow down ever since. There are other directors who rose to prominence earlier than him who are still active today (likeFrancis Ford CoppolaandMartin Scorsese), but they don’t tend to pump movies out as rapidly as Scott does. Detractors might bring up it being a “quantity over quality” kind of thing, but most films of his –from large-scale historical epicstoworks of science fiction– have something to offer at worst, and are genuine classics at best. The lattercan certainly be said aboutBlade Runner, andAlien, too, which was Scott’s second feature film and his first foray into the sci-fi genre.
Alienthen became a series, and one that generally benefited from having a different director helm each one, withJames Cameronputting an action spin on the series withAliens,David Finchermaking something white-knuckle and hellish withAlien 3, andJean-Pierre Jeunetdoing whatever it was he was doing withAlien: Resurrection. Ridley Scott came back to the series following a couple of poorly-receivedAlien vs. Predatormovies, and according to some, redeemedAlien, but according to others, kind of floundered. But now, given the number of years that have passed (and becauseAlien: Romulushas got the series back in the zeitgeist),it’s worth looking back on all Scott’s contributions to the series, and ranking those three movies, starting with the interesting yet flawed and ending with a near-untouchable classic.
3’Alien: Covenant’ (2017)
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup
After 2012’sPrometheusproved somewhat divisive, theAlienseries sort of recalibrated withAlien: Covenant, the title here promising that things would feel a little more Alien, for lack of a better descriptor. Certain ideas first explored inPrometheuscontinued being explored here, but outside any flashbacks, the only character who truly returned wasDavid, played byMichael Fassbender. He’s a good deal more sinister here, butting heads withthe actual aliens as far as villains go. And, speaking of aliens, the Xenomorphs play a much bigger role inAlien: Covenantin a way that you’d assume would win alienated viewers back, followingPrometheus, but didn’t seem to. In fact,Alien: Covenant,even though it was recognizablyAlienin look, feel, and narrative, proved even more divisive thanPrometheus, and was also criticized for having some of the same slip-ups that film had (most notably when it came to characters doing foolish things).
Alien: Covenantis not perfect, but it has a great deal more to offer as anAlienfilm than many give it credit for. Like almost anything Ridley Scott has directed, it looks amazing, and the big sequences in the film are unnerving, viciously violent, and dripping with atmosphere. There is a small amount of awkwardness when it comes to merging the feel and thematic content ofPrometheuswith a more traditional structure that involves people getting picked off one-by-one by things they were not prepared to face, but it comes together in the end. It is about as good as a Frankenstein-ed mix ofPrometheusandAliencan be, sacrificing some of the mystique and brazen lack of typical horror associated with the former while delivering the kind of terror and body count one might expect of something aping the latter. Ridley Scott honestly delivered here, despite what the naysayers might think and say.Alien: Covenantis not a series high point, but it topsthe likes ofAlien 3andAlien: Resurrection, as well as eitherAlien vs. Predatormovie.
Alien: Covenant
Alien Covenant is a sci-fi horror film set in the Aliens franchise and takes place after the events of Prometheus. Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, members of the colony ship Covenant discover what they consider an uncharted paradise. While there, they meet David, the synthetic survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition. An expedition deeper into the planet soon turns dark and dangerous when a hostile alien life-form forces the crew into a deadly fight for survival.
2’Prometheus' (2012)
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
Prometheuscould beconsideredone of Ridley Scott’s most underrated films, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it tends to get over-hated by detractors. Like with its follow-up,Alien: Covenant, there are things to nitpick and critique here. Characters do silly things, they’re relatively simple overall (with the exception of David, who was wisely carried over intoCovenant), and it’s possible to say that some of the bad things that happen feel contrived. But such critiques can be made about other sci-fi movies that don’t get picked apart nearly as much, and you could argue such conventions are, quite simply, a staple of the horror genre in general. Though, to try and understand the problems people have,Prometheusdoes position itself as more of an adventure/mystery movie than an outright horror movie, so perhaps some people just expected a little more care screenplay-wise.
Still, it would be hasty to callPrometheusbadly written because one’s not crazy about the characters, as the premise here is fascinating and themes surrounding the meaning of life and humanity’s purpose in a cold and uncaring universe are interesting.Prometheushas a sense of spectacle, awe, and discovery to it that sets it apart from other Alien movies, and the general lack of a xenomorph or xenomorphs (until right near the end) also adds to this feeling ofPrometheusbeing admirably unique. It was a triumphantreturn to the sci-fi genre for Ridley Scott; his first in 30 years (sinceBlade Runner). Also,it is an undeniably stunning-looking film, which hopefully even those who don’t love aspects of the writing would be able to acknowledge. When approached as a sci-fi movie about big, lofty ideas,Prometheusis gripping, and it might well be the best-looking and most immersive/authentic-feeling film in theAlienseries to date.
Prometheus
Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.
1’Alien' (1979)
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerrit, Ian Holm
There are many superlative things that can be said about a classic like the originalAlien, includingthat it’sa contender for Ridley Scott’s best overall movie, that it’s one ofthe greatest films of the 1970s, and that it’s the gold standard for how to executea movie that’s both horror and sci-fi. It’s all so simple on the surface, too, essentially being a slasher movie set in space. The characters are the crew members of a spaceship who unluckily encounter an alien life form that’s set loose on board their ship before growing rapidly and becoming a deadly threat. It’s effective in the way it pits a perfect killing machine against a handful of people who are severely unprepared for such an encounter, and it’s the claustrophobia and sense of things being a true underdog fight that help the film remain terrifying all these years later.
Alienhelped establish Ridley Scott as a powerhouse director, following on from the already solid (albeit very different)The Duellists, and itmadeSigourney Weaveran instant star, too.Aliensgives it a run for its money when it comes to crowning one movie as the greatest in the overall series, but the simplicity, influence, and novelty ofAlien(1979) can’t be overstated. It may feel quaint nowadays, and the knowledge that Weaver’s Ripley returns can undermine some of the suspense – particularly in the final act – butAlienis nevertheless about as good as sci-fi/horror movies get. It does a lot with a little, and introduced the world to one of themost iconic and terrifying movie monsters of all time. It’s perfectly cast, filled with iconic sets and images, and expertly builds tension slowly but surely throughout. It’s great, but you likely knew that already. The common consensus is thatAlienis a masterpiece, and it’s hard to argue against that.
In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The terror begins when the crew encounters a nest of eggs inside the alien ship. An organism from inside an egg leaps out and attaches itself to one of the crew, causing him to fall into a coma.
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