In 1979, director Ridley Scott brought Alien to the big screen. It was a frightening movie that oozed creativity, gave people nightmares, and reminded viewers that "In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream." Five years later, James Cameron created The Terminator, an action-packed movie that included time travel, killing machines, and catch phrases still used today. When people leave a room, they still say, "I'll Be Back." It's fair to say that both movies changed the perception of Science Fiction and still inspire filmmakers of the genre today.
Alien was a financial success but opened to mixed reviews. The film would eventually win over critics due to its haunting premise and also won an Academy Award for Visual Effects. The Terminator received critical praise and was considered a hit, thanks to its fall release and not having to go up against summer and holiday blockbusters. Both films gained an even larger following with their home release, and both Alien and The Terminator were included on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills and 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains lists. The success of both movies, and their sequels, has naturally caused debates as to which franchise is the best.
10 Alien – Newer Films Are Better
The first two entries in each franchise are considered four of the greatest Sci-Fi movies ever made. Alien and Aliens are an amazing mix of horror and Sci-Fi, while The Terminator and T2: Judgement Day are two of the best action Sci-Fi movies of all time. It's safe to say that the other films for both franchises have not come close to repeating their successes. The Terminator franchise had mild success with Salvation and Dark Fate, but went wrong with T3: Rise of the Machines and Genisys.
Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection were huge failures, but the more recent Prometheus and Alien: Covenant are visually stunning and serve as an origin story for the original Alien. Prometheus was thought to have been a separate entry, but was revealed to be apart of the Alien universe and led to Covenant. Both franchises may not be able to replicate the originals, but the newer Alien films have been more interesting.
9 The Terminator – Great Action And A Lot Of Heart
The Terminator was filled with violence and action, but also served as a love story between Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese. Kyle tells Sarah that he came across time for her which may be the most loving gesture a movie character has ever done. T2 turned up the emotion to a whole other level by having John bond with the T-800 and serve as a father figure to the future leader of the Resistance.
In The Terminator, the T-800 killed the man Sarah loved, but would return as a different model in T2 and gain her respect. Each film in the franchise includes either a loving relationship or an everlasting bond of friendship. The balancing act of action and heart makes the Terminator franchise one of the most unique. Who doesn't tear up when the T-800 sacrifices himself and gives the thumbs up at the end of T2?
8 Alien – Scarier Premise And Villains
The Alien movies may not have the heart of Terminator, but they weren't made to be. Alien introduced the scariest creature in movie history... the face-hugger. After the face-hugger jumps out of an egg and attaches itself to John Hurt's Kane, people fell out of their seats. In the most famous horror movie scene of all time, the Xenomorph alien bursts out of Kane's chest and runs amuck around the ship. It's later revealed that the science officer, Ash, is a robot and was tasked with bringing the alien back to Earth.
Aliens would introduce the queen Xenomorph, who would birth a lot of eggs and wreak more havoc than the first alien. T2 had the greatest CGI character of all time in the T-1000, but the combination of face-huggers, Xenomorphs, and evil robots give Alien the upper-hand in the villain department.
7 The Terminator – Linda Hamilton As A Damsel In Distress And A Tough Heroine
Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor started off as an innocent victim in The Terminator. Kyle explains to her that it's vital she stay alive so her son can be born and lead the future fight against the machines. Kyle dies, but Sarah defeats the evil T-800 and eventually gives birth to John. Fast forward to T2 and Sarah has a mental breakdown because she knows the world will be destroyed. She's eventually saved by the good T-800 and reunites with John.
John explains that after he was born, his mom would date military-type men so she could teach John to be a soldier. Linda Hamilton's performances showed her acting range and commitment to the role. Her transformation from a scared damsel in distress to a badass soldier might be the most important part of the franchise.
6 Alien – Space Offered Unique Worlds
Movies about space are usually interesting because no one knows what's really out there. Alien took us to a whole other galaxy and started out as a story of exploration. Most people will never leave Earth so movies are the only way of imagining what else is out there. The fictional LV-426 is the moon Dallas, where Ripley and the rest of the Nostromo crew lands on to investigate a mysterious signal in Alien and again in Aliens.
LV-223 is the moon the crew of the Prometheus land on to find the engineers of human beings. Both places are dark, scary, and have spacecraft that are filled with alien DNA and eggs. If these moon planets were real and people investigated them, they'd probably scream in fear... unfortunately, no one would hear.
5 The Terminator – Stayed In Their Own Universe (No Versus Movies)
Alien movies would pivot after the outrageous Alien Resurrection, but it wasn't a good pivot. Instead of focusing on explanations for their own universe, they would join the Predator franchise and make two forgettable films. Alien vs Predator and AvP: Requiem were clearly a cash grab for the studio.
In Predator 2, a Xenomorph skull is shown in a Predator's trophy case. Instead of just staying a cool easter egg, the studio forced a versus movie for financial gain. While Terminator has taken some wrong turns, they've stayed in the course and haven't shoved a pointless crossover down fans' throats.
4 Alien – Sigourney Weaver As The Original Tough Heroine
Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley showed that anything men can do, women could do as well. In Alien, Ripley starts off as a third officer on the Nostromo, but after the whole crew is decimated by the Xenomorph, only she and Jones the cat survive. She blows the alien out of the exhaust of the ship and goes back into hypersleep. In Aliens, she teams with colonial marines, saves Newt, and leads them to defeat an army of Xenomorphs. In one of the greatest action movie scenes, Ripley uses a construction payloader and goes toe to toe with the "mama" Alien.
3 The Terminator – Spine-Tingling Theme Song
Is there a more iconic theme song than Terminator? Of course, it's all opinion, but Brad Fiedel's score is still used today and even though it's been updated, the original core of the song is still there. While the theme debuted in 1984s The Terminator, the epicness grew in the sequel. The opening credits and the emotion of the last scene in T2 are heightened when the music hits. Fiedel said on the DVD commentary that the recurring metallic sound in the main title was created by hitting a cast-iron frying pan with a hammer.
2 Alien – Consistent Continuity
Time travel adds a lot of interesting scenarios, but it also proves difficult to maintain continuity. Some of it worked well, but it also added so many different timelines in the Terminator world. While Alien movies aren't perfect, the prequels were perfectly leading up to the events of Alien. Prometheus showed how one of the aliens was created and Covenant expanded on other versions of Xenomorphs.
Terminator Genisys really messed up everything by going back to the original and changing what happened. Some movies can effectively do this, but when movies recreate beloved scenes and alter what happens, it diminishes the importance of the original.
1 The Terminator – Arnold Schwarzenegger As A Villain and Hero
Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800 should be on the Mount Rushmore of movie villains and the Mount Rushmore of movie heroes. His physical presence and robotic voice made him so believable that no one has come close to replicating his performances and he has been asked back for every Terminator movie (he was CGI in Terminator Salvation due to being the Governor of California).
Even with the disappointing Terminator movies, Arnold is always entertaining and performs at a high level. He trained with gun experts for months to prepare for The Terminator and T2 and was praised by military personnel for his handling of the weapons.
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