What worked so well about the Alien series?

[Spoke]

For me, the art direction was a big part of it. The derelict alien vessel was a masterpiece, and really set a creepy tone.

The Nostromo was also well done. It was grungy, which was unusual for the time. Most “space ships” in the 70s had gleaming white interiors. The Nostromo looked lived-in.

I actually didn’t much like the second movie. Too much action movie, not enough creeping horror.

[Mr.Excellent]

@The_Scrivener

That corporation has, by the end of the series, a long track record of sacrificing the lives of their employees in various attempts to learn about and secure an alien. If it was just Burke’s individual initiative, where did the diversionary wake-up call in Alien come from? Why did W-Y send a team of scientists/alien wranglers at the end of “…3”, and wasn’t that same company involved in the experiments on living alien specimens at the beginning of “…Resurrection”?

I think it’s more accurate to say that the weaselly Burke exemplifies Weyland-Yutani’s ideal middle-management-level special projects facilitator.

W-Y sent the wake-up call and the alien-wrangler team because they did, indeed, want aliens for their biowarfare program - I agree with you there. But look at the way they did it - they sent a ship, with a (clandestine) android on board to keep the mission on track. Or they sent a team of specialists. What they didn’t do was send random colonists out to wrangle the aliens.

Weyland-Yutani is smart about doing evil things. Burke wasn’t - and that’s why I don’t really believe he was acting with the Company’s blessing.

[Jophiel]

@carlb

Other than some bragging on their part, and Burke’s line about “tough hombres,” is there any indication that the Marines are elite bad-asses? If they’re just your average, every day, run-of-the-mill Marines, is there any reason to think they would be walking, talking superweapons? I got the impression that they were pretty much what they seemed to be - grunts (and I mean that in the nicest possible way). People just doing their job, but not any more talented, intelligent, or tough than any of thousands of other Marines. They were just the squad that got picked.

That was my thought – they were just grunts. Hicks says that Gorman is “too good to eat with us grunts”. Burke says that Hicks can’t take control of the operation because “he’s just a grunt!” (No offense). I never had any impression that they were special forces.

I’ve read before that Cameron sent the Colonial Marines off to a Marine bootcamp for a while to teach them how to operate as a unit and to build a sense of camaraderie among them. The actor playing Gorman was excluded so he’d stand out more as inexperienced and Ripley because she wouldn’t have that experience either. Of course, this doesn’t preclude Cameron writing whatever asinine dialogue but I thought the Colonial Marines scenes worked well.