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Alien Legacy Box Set
ALIEN
Movie: 9/10
If you haven't seen "Alien" you've got a big problem. This is a classic, I mean, it's one of the true great horror/sci-fi movies out there. If it wasn't that great, do you think they would have made sequels and video games after it? "Alien" tells the story of the crew of a space cargo ship called the Nostromo. The crew consists of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Lambert (Veronica Cartwright), Brett (Harry Dean Stanton), Kane (John Hurt), Ash (Ian Holm), and Parker (Yaphett Kotto). The crew is awakened by the ship's on board computer, Mother, due to a distress signal in the area. The crew lands on a near by planet to find the source, only to find an alien ship. One of the crew members becomes implanted with one of the creatures in one of the most famous moments in film history. The alien gets aboard the ship and starts to kill people. End of story, it's your typical horror formula. However, director Ridley Scott choses to tell the story more psychologically and as a character piece run by the ensemble of actors. This is a gutsy move and it proves to be very effective. The only complaint I have is that the movie starts off kinda slow, there is forty five minutes before anything really starts to happen. This only bothers me sometimes and I appreciate what Scott is doing. However, if you try and watch this with a bunch of caffeine crazed teenagers, they quickly become impatient. (The slow pacing reminds me of the horror film, "The Exorcist".) This is a classic and I love Scott's techniques, it is a ground breaking film, but it's not for teenagers who just drank a case of Mountain Dew and a really short attention span.
Video: 8/10
This is a really decent looking film for being twenty years old. I mean, it has a few moments which could look better. (Some of the space ship look kinda dated.) The film is THX certified and looks great overall, as it should. It doesn't look as good as Fox's "Fight Club" DVD, but that was mastered in the same year of it's release. This could have been a lot worse... Nice job Fox and THX.
Audio: 8/10
I'm basically going to give this the same comments as above. Sounded great for a twenty year old flick. At times it became a bit loud for my taste, but the added music tracks bounce this baby up from a seven to an eight. I only wish Fox could make the 5.1 audio track the default. I forgot to change it the first time I watched it and I was disappointed. Nice job again THX.
Extras: 7/10
This disc is packed and is one of coolest titles I own. The commentary by Scott is a nice touch (especially the chapter headings for the commentary to find what you want to hear). It gets technical at times and at other times it's not, it's a great balance though. Worth a listen or two. The deleted scenes are also a very nice touch. I do wish, however, that Fox would have left the scene with Ripley and blow torch in the final cut, this provides another tie to "Aliens". Also included are story boards, trailers, two alternate audio tracks and other goodies. The only two gripes I have are the lack of commentary by the cast, which would have been a nice extra. Also, since I bought the DVD set in 2000, I did not receive the infamous fifth disc. This disc has a documentary on the making of "Alien" which I would love to see. Shame on you Fox, I don't want to pay thirty bucks on e-bay for a disc that should have been included!
Overall: 8/10
(The lack of the bonus disc hurts this set as a whole, if I had the disc, it would be at a 9.)
ALIENS: SPECIAL EDITION
Movie: 9/10
This is a tough call, this is one of those sequels that is as good, if not better than the original. I have a hard time deciding. They both are great films. Ripley is back in this film as the sole survivor of the Nostromo. A great deal of time has passed and she has finally been found after escaping the alien. Upon her return, she finds that a colony has been opened on the planet where they ran into the first alien, however, her superiors doubt the existence of the species until the colony begins to run into problems. They convince Ripley, along with a team of space marines (including Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, and Jenette Goldstein). The Marines travel to the planet to destroy the creature, but do some of them have alternate motives? The Marines find a small girl, who looks to be the only person left, and Ripley immediately takes her under her wing. This is one of James Cameron's first films and it's not bad at all. However, like it's predecessor, it seems to drag at times and foreshadows Cameron's venture into epic long films ("The Abyss", "Titanic", and "Terminator 2"). This is the special edition also, which adds an extra twenty minutes to put the film at about two and a half hours. While the film goes quickly, it is still a long film, but you gotta respect the script, characters, and acting. (Weaver was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal as Ripley.) Cameron can certainly make a good sequel.
Video: 8/10
Like the first film, this is an older film and it looks great. It is THX certified also so you know it was placed in good hands. At times, however, the film has a few flaws. Blacks don't look as black and some scenes look a little hazy. Nice job over all though. Check out the final confrontation ("Get away from her you bitch!") for an example of the nice transfer.
Audio: 6/10
I was a bit disappointed with this film's audio. Not so much that the film had a poor transfer, just that James Horner's score changes from too soft to way too loud at times and I hate adjusting the volume while I'm watching a DVD. It is very poorly balanced at times and could have been a lot better, but I have heard worse. Again, a THX master, try and come up with a better balance.
Extras: 6/10
The only reason this title gets an added title of "Special Edition" is because of the extra twenty minutes. Other than that, it was kinda disappointed. There is no commentary (I wouldn't have minded a text one like the one supplied with "The Abyss") but there is nothing but an interview with Cameron. While it's not bad, it's a little short. The DVD also features behind the scenes footage, which isn't bad, but doesn't do much for me. If all the little vignettes would have been put together in a decent documentary, I would have been a lot happier. There are also photo galleries and trailers, which are a nice extra, but as a whole I was disappointed, mainly because there are not two versions of the film. Cameron's "The Abyss" gives you the choice of the theatrical version or the director's cut, I would have liked both to see the difference.
Overall: 7/10
(Disappointed, but a far cry from being bad. Still worth buying.)
ALIEN 3
Movie: 5/10
This is my least favorite out of the series. The script and whole premise is kinda poor. I mean, how could you just pass off Newt and Hicks like that? It's an insult! I feel horrible for David Fincher (this is directorial debut). He is such a great director and this film really sucks compared to the first two. Don't hold it against Fincher, from what I've heard he disowned this film long ago and was unhappy with his relationship with Fox. The basic premise is that Ripley crash lands on a male-only prison planet and is the sole survivor of the crash. She also has a strange feeling that she has been implanted with an alien while she was asleep. Meanwhile, a dog becomes implanted with another one, which pops up and begins to kill people. There are no weapons on the planet and the prisoners soon hatch a plan to kill the alien after a few deaths. Not bad performances and camera tricks make this film worth a few watches, but it is very disappointing. I never want to see Weaver with a shaved head again.
Video: 8/10
A lot better than the movie, THX certified, little more I can say. Nice transfer, but again, it's a newer film. Too bad the movie as a whole wasn't as good, I don't even think it deserves such a good transfer.
Audio: 8/10
Again, it's a lot better than the movie. THX certified, little more I can say. The tunnel chase scenes are really nice.
Extras: 4/10
Just as disappointing as the movie itself. All the disc has is a documentary, which isn't bad, and some trailers. Not that I can blame Fincher for not doing a commentary, it's just the rest of his discs are packed. Where are the photo galleries? At least give me that!
Overall: 6/10
(Not a great movie, not a superb DVD. Don't buy it separately unless you're a major fan of the flick. I suggest fans just buy the box set, buying the fist two movies will cost you maybe sixty bucks. You can get all four of them for maybe eighty and in a cool looking box.)
ALIEN RESURRECTION
Movie: 6/10
John (the editor) (He is crazy. - John)is probably going to think I'm crazy, but this flick isn't a bad popcorn movie. I mean, it's not half as good as "Alien" or "Aliens", but I think it's better than the third film. I mean, this club was founded just on how bad this movie was, which I agree, the film is bad, but it's far better than the third film. It follows Ripley, who has become resurrected by scientists so they can spawn a bunch of the alien creatures. Meanwhile, a ship docks with the scientific/military ship Ripley is on to deliver a bunch of people frozen so they can become implanted with the aliens. Soon, a pack of aliens gets out and reaks havoc on the ship. (That's creative, isn't it?) Soon, Ripley joins up with the crew of the ship, and they take on one of the ugliest things I've ever seen, a half alien/half human creature. Entertaining, but far from good. Winona Rider and Weaver don't have bad chemistry though and I love the under water chase.
Video: 8/10
A new movie, and THX certified, too bad the movie wasn't this good. Check out the under water chase!
Audio: 8/10
A new movie, THX certified, see comments from video... I'm getting tired of repeating myself.
Extras: 4/10
Just as bad as "Alien 3"'s features. All it has is a featurette with a couple of interviews and a few trailers. Could have been a lot better, but then again, so could the movie.
Overall:6/10
(Better than the third, but that's not saying much.)
THE WHOLE SET: 7/10
(How badly I wanted to give this an eight, but the last two movies aren't even worthy of being packaged with the first two. I've seen a lot worse though. Just check out some of the Halloween sequels...) Packaging and transfers aren't bad at all and I suggest this set to any sci-fi/horror fan. It's a really decent set and it is worth the extra twenty bucks for the added two films.
- Dr. Strangelove (aka Drew Morton)
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