Alien vs Aliens and Terminator vs Terminator 2

[DA_Champion]

The Alien and Terminator franchises are similar in that they both start off with excellent horror movies about an impossible-to-defeat monster in their first entry, they are movies of a finished era that hold up very well over 30 years later, they are both followed by action sequels, and then subsequently followed by unbelievably bad third and fourth movies.

Alien did get a crossover with Predator whereas Terminator never got his crossover with Robocop.

Anyhow, of the Alien franchise, which is the better of the first two, and similarly of the Terminator franchise.

ETA: The poll didn't work for some reason. Can a mod fix it? I want 4 options listed with users allowed to vote for multiple options so that they vote for two.

 

[redhawk23]

I'd say Alien is probably the better film of the two as I find it excels in pretty much every area. I think the acting all works, I like the characters, I love the visual style, I love the designs of the ships and costumes and of course the alien itself. I find that no matter how many times I see the movie it remains quite unnerving. Giger's work, as well as that of the other artists worked on the film, is some of the best ever set to celluloid.

Aliens also succeeds in pretty much everything it attempts though and of the two it might actually be even more successful. Though the film itself plays on a lot of ideas and imagery from Heinlein's starship troopers, so much of military science fiction, particularly in videogames takes from Cameron's film.

The problem with trying to pick between Alien and Aliens is that they are more or less in different sub genres and both happen to pretty much be the best or defining entries in those sub genres.

I actually don't think Aline 3 is bad. The choice of character deaths at the beginning invalidating the end of Aliens was a bad choice but really overall I think its a pretty effective film.

As much as I love Terminator 2, I'd probably say the first film is better. I find the story to be a lot tighter.

Side note: Naming the sequel to Alien Aliens is pretty much the best titling ever. I mean, its kind of goofy but it gets right to the main difference between the films. In Alien the creature is a singular, haunting force and in the sequel there's a hive of them. It just works so well.

 

[The Endless]

Love all 4 movies. But i think my preferences lean more to the more suspenseful first installments.

Whilst i think Alien is technically the better film, Aliens is still brilliant in how it creates this world and fully immerses us in it. It is also suitably tense. It's nearly 2 and a half hours long but there is only 3 big action scenes. The rest is world building and creating a sense of impending dread.

 

[HopeOfTheFuture]

I prefer Aliens over Alien.

Can't choose between T1 and T2.

 

[Zantera]

T2 over T1, Aliens over Alien.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Personally...

Alien better than Aliens

The Terminator superior to Terminator 2 : Judgement Day

 

[Lord]

Alien films were better overall, but Terminator is easier to get into. Alien 3 was pretty good, just not what people wanted after Aliens.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Aliens and Terminator 1 as the best in their respective franchises for me.

 

[marvelrobbins]

Aliens and The Terminator for me.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Love all four Alien over Aliens and T2 over The Terminator.

 

[Soapy]

Alien > Aliens
T1 > T2

 

[Broseph44]

Aliens and T2. Boom.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I love the space trucker atmosphere of Alien and I love the SFX/action set pieces/narrative of T2.

So those two win.

 

[MrCandy]

Alien > Aliens
T2 > T1

 

[DA_Champion]

Alien and The Terminator for me. But both the sequels are phenomenal and worthy.

Relating to this thread, Alien > Aliens from Devin Faraci
http://badassdigest.com/2010/11/30/the-throwdown-alien-vs-aliens/

CBG19 heaps praise on Aliens.
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