Casey Chong on the best scenes in the Alien franchise…
The last time we got an Alien movie resulted in the so-so effort of Alien: Covenant. That was seven years ago, back in the day before Disney acquired Fox. The movie franchise found itself in hyper sleep ever since until Fede Alvarez of the Evil Dead reboot and Don’t Breathe pitched his story for the studio. The upcoming Alien: Romulus takes place between Alien and Aliens, offering a refreshing change of pace by introducing younger characters in peril while retaining the essence of Ridley Scott’s seminal first movie.
With Alien: Romulus arriving this month, let’s take a look at the best scenes in Alien franchise…
The Chestburster Scene in Alien (1979)
The first Alien may be 45 years old but it still stands the test of time. Ridley Scott effectively combines the deliberate pace of a sci-fi horror that favours atmospheric mood and dread over in-your-face visual set pieces. The most memorable scene would be the chestburster moment that seals the fate of Kane played by John Hurt. To pull off the iconic scene, Scott doesn’t telegraph it with music score or suggestive camerawork but through a seemingly ordinary get-together meal as the crew enjoy their time eating, drinking, and laughing. The horror unexpectedly begins when Kane starts to choke and convulse as his action surprises everyone on the table before a baby alien bursts out of his chest. It is a shocking moment that escalates the tension for the rest of the movie.
Ripley vs. the Alien Queen in Aliens (1986)
The tagline for James Cameron’s action-packed sequel Aliens isn’t kidding when it reads “This time it’s war.” Fresh off the 1984 surprise hit of a little movie called The Terminator, Cameron proves he belongs to Hollywood’s big league in his next directorial effort. He’s smart enough not to repeat the slow-burn dread of Ridley Scott’s Alien and instead goes for the jugular. He combines sci-fi horror with an all-out military action and as a result, the 1986 sequel gives us plenty of riveting moments. But the one that matters the most is the climactic third act. With the Marines down, it’s up to Ripley to save the day. Operating an exoskeleton cargo loader a.k.a. the Power Loader, she is determined to take down the formidable alien queen and not to forget, her iconic line: “Get away from her, you bitch!”
The Close-Up Scene Between Ripley and Xenomorph in Alien 3 (1992)
David Fincher famously disowned Alien 3 and even almost quit Hollywood because of the painful experience working on the much-troubled production at the time. The third movie, coming off from the unforgettable success of James Cameron’s Aliens, has an uphill task to climb. But with studio interference, resulting in lack of creative control for Fincher to fully realize his vision, what we have here is a half-baked attempt in capturing the essence of what makes the first two Alien movies such beloved genre classics. It’s not like Alien 3 is a complete disaster with a particular scene still resonating to this day: a scene in the infirmary where the Xenomorph approaching towards the scared Ripley as she finds herself cornered against the wall. Credit goes to Fincher for amping up the tension as we anticipate whether Ripley will make it out alive when the Xenomorph closes in. We see Ripley look away and the Xenomorph seems as if it going to kill her in a gory fashion, only to step back and surprisingly spare her life.
The Underwater Chase in Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Hiring Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the French filmmaker extraordinaire behind genre classics including Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children, was a bold yet interesting choice to direct an Alien movie. And given the troubled Alien 3 five years prior, the once-lucrative franchise certainly needed to get back on track at the time. But despite blending Jeunet’s signature quirky touches with the familiar storytelling and action beats of the Alien franchise, Alien: Resurrection is mostly a forgettable genre fare. There is however one scene that is worth mentioning here: the riveting underwater chase as the human survivors led by the cloned Ripley must swim their way through the flooded kitchen, only to be chased by two Xenomorphs from behind. It was a remarkably tense moment, showcasing Jeunet’s flair for mixing nail-biting suspense and thrills with John Frizzell’s throbbing score in the background.
The Shuriken Scene in Alien vs. Predator (2004)
The much-maligned Alien vs. Predator may get a bad rep for its ill-advised PG-13 rating in the initial theatrical run but Paul W.S. Anderson, who is no stranger to directing genre movies from Mortal Kombat to Event Horizon and Resident Evil, knows well how to put together some money-shot moments revolving around the confrontation between the two cinematic monsters. At one point, there’s a cool scene where we see the Scar Predator (Ian Whyte) throws a retractable shuriken as it spins in the air and slices an incoming Facehugger in half. The Scar Predator even reacts fast enough to use the shuriken to decapitate a Xenomorph sneaking up from the side in one swift motion, showcasing its tremendous agility as a hunter.
The Final Fight in Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Alien vs. Predator culminates in a final showdown between the lone human survivor, Lex (Sanaa Lathan) and the Scar Predator against the Xenomorph Queen. The scene combines thrilling action choreography elevated by Harald Kloser’s pulsating score and Paul W.S. Anderson’s dynamic camerawork as we see Lex and the Scar Predator trying their best to take down the Xenomorph Queen. It was a satisfying payoff in the otherwise derivative sci-fi action horror and if there’s any further consolation, at least Alien vs. Predator is an enjoyable guilty pleasure compared to the violent but poorly-lit, almost-impossible-to-watch Alien vs. Predator: Requiem released three years later.
The Med-Pod Surgery Scene in Prometheus (2012)
Ridley Scott’s much-anticipated return to the Alien franchise was met with mixed reviews. Prometheus does have an ambitious but convoluted backstory that takes place before the first movie’s timeline. The movie has a few thrilling set pieces but none of them comes close to the nerve-racking scene where the panicked Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) quickly makes her way to the Pauling MedPod and confines herself on a table with an enclosed tube. Scott’s camerawork evokes a sense of claustrophobic dread within the confines of theMedPod as Shaw anxiously waits for the automated surgery to carve open her stomach and remove the foreign foetus after she finds out about her impossible three-month pregnancy.
The Med-Bay Scene in Alien: Covenant (2017)
Alien: Covenant feels like a step back to the comfort zone after the divisive but fascinating Prometheus. It works but only to a certain extent since it’s pretty much the same old clichés. It does, however, contains some violent and engrossing moments, notably a scene in the ship’s med-bay after Karine (Carmen Ejogo) tries to help the infected Ledward (Benjamin Rigby). Faris (Amy Seimetz) quarantines them both and tries to get help, leaving Karine in danger as Ledward starts convulsing. What happens next is an escalating moment of suspense, gore, and terror that Scott doesn’t shy away from delivering matter-of-fact consequences.
The Walter/David Bait & Switch in Alien: Covenant (2017)
Michael Fassbender is the scene stealer in the otherwise cliché-ridden Alien: Covenant. His dual performance as the advanced android Walter as one of the Covenant ship’s crew members and the rogue David from Prometheus highlights some of his best acting, which helps to elevate the bait-and-switch moment. It all begins with Walter squares off against David and the former manages to pin him down on the ground. He repeatedly punches him in the face before David starts questioning his decision as he tries to distract Walter while his hand reaching out for the knife. The is-he-or-isn’t-he moment continues to ponder for the rest of the movie until the end with a sly twist. Too bad the mixed responses, coupled with the lower-than-expected box office result put Scott’s intended third movie in the Alien prequel trilogy in limbo.
What are your favourite scenes from the Alien franchise? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Casey Chong
