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Dr Acula wrote:

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I'm hoping to keep this more focused on the first two Aliens, because I think that even defenders of Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection would largely admit they are the lesser films in the series.

Plus you could argue that basically after Aliens the other films are essentially a variation of either Alien (Alien³) or Aliens (Alien: Resurrection, Alien vs Predator 1 & 2) so keeping the discussion to the first two essentially boils down to the two styles of film - straight horror, being stalked and eliminated one by one (Alien) vs action-horror, groups of people fighting the alien monsters (Aliens).

To my mind, Alien is the superior film. While I like Aliens, its never as scary as Alien and that's something I just appreciate so much more in Alien. Both are tension filled movies, but they approach it in different ways. Aliens builds its tension off of a slow dread, facing the unknown that could lurk around every corner. Aliens builds its tension off action and adrenaline and a group of people who get completely over their head with a situation. But here's the thing Alien couldn't really work without the monster; Aliens could - after all Aliens is in many aspects a war movie. So that gives Alien the leg up in my mind.

I also find that the characters in the first film are more compelling and given that we spend so much time on them, when they get picked off it means so much more. Aliens, most of the marines are archetypes and not up until the end (after most of the marines are dead) do you really get some idea of character with the survivors.

I also have to say the final fight in Aliens never worked for me. Its a neat idea and well presented but...I just felt like the film had one too many endings.