'Alien' vs. 'Aliens': One of the toughest debates in movie history

Alien

There are several heated debates over certain films and their sequels.

There is The Godfather vs. The Godfather Part II, where there are passionate feelings in both camps. There can be similar arguments to be made about the first two Terminator films and of course the original Star Wars trilogy.

Still, for me, the hardest one to call in terms of quality is Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986).

Both films are stone cold classics as far as I'm concerned -- although they're wildly different in tone.

Having watched them both back-to-back recently I'm still struggling to decide which film I like better. The first film is more beloved by serious film critics -- and that makes sense. Its director, Ridley Scott, is more of an artist than James Cameron, who made Aliens after his triumphant first Terminator film. But Aliens delivers relentless action that stands up alongside the best genre films of its era.

The thread that ties both films together is the remarkable leading performance of Sigourney Weaver, one of the most underrated actresses of all time. Weaver has never won an Oscar, although she was nominated for Aliens and, in my mind, she has never gotten enough credit for her breakthrough and influential role of Ripley.

Sigourney Weaver in Aliens

If it weren't for Weaver it's unlikely we'd have Charlize Theron's terrific Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road, or a host of other action heroines. But I digress. Which is the better film: Alien or Aliens?

I would usually say I lean towards Alien, which seems to be more psychologically complex and cinematically sophisticated. The first alien "birth" via John Hurt's chest is one of the most shocking moments in movie history and the production design is just as, if not more, impeccable than movie's released thirty years later. It's creepier and more mysterious than the Cameron film, which is probably why it was able to spawn a big budget prequel (the underwhelming Prometheus).

On the other hand, Aliens is big and brawny, with some of the most exciting and intense sequences in sci-fi history. Weaver gets to play a lot more levels of emotion here and she is totally authentic in action hero mode. Cameron takes everything that was disturbing and scary in the first film and turns up the volume even higher. But instead of being indulgent or excessive, he pulls it off. He even manages to shoehorn in a child character that isn't even the least bit annoying.

Both films have a brilliant fake-out finale where we are made to feel safe and secure, only to have the rug pulled out from under us in horrifying fashion -- Aliens' is more elaborate, but Alien's is just as effective.

They also both have enough humor to keep the audience on its toes too. Neither Scott nor Cameron are known to have much comedic timing and yet the work is always filled with a certain gallows humor and clever character choices. It's a small element, but an appreciated one.

If I had to choose I think I would pick Alien by a hair -- only because Aliens doesn't necessarily add anything new to original concept and is somewhat retrograde in the way it seeks to domesticize Ripley. Still, these remarkable movies have yet to be topped by so many films to come in their wake.