Rating: 
Summary: Very Unpleased
Review: A year ago i bought the Alien Legacy i was very pleased with all of the deleted sences and options.....but im disappointed in seeing them come out with another boxed set with the deleted sences already in the film....i wasted 80 bucks for nothing....i should of waited....i kinda think some alien fans might not buy this new set...what a good way to get an extra buck....very disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: crap packaging
Review: i love the movies, but the packaging is some of the worst i have ever come across. the plastic trays that hold to the cardboard foldout have already started to pop off completely. there is a serious issue with the quality in the packaging. why did they do so poorly on this. i'm very disappointed. i wish i would have waited to purchase the discs separately. i am now stuck with a box set that is a real pain in the ass to fold out (it's five feet long folded out, and is one of the msot awkward box sets to get into.) and after 2 days of having the box, the trays are already popping off completely. i've had to superglue them back on myself. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. don't bother with this box set.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutley Beautiful!!!!
Review: Well this is definatley the be all end all of box sets this thing is huge!!! the packaging i agree could've been a little better but come on people were talking 9 discs i think putting each one in its own case and then slapping it all together would have resulted in a package so big it would've been challenging you for breathing space, and to put to rest some rumors some people say they didnt keep the original aspect ratio for the first alien this is incorrect i have viewed the movie and the aspect ratio is indeed 2.35.1 and i also had no freezes or difficulties viewing the movie in its entirety and lastly call me crazy but i liked all the alien movies and alien resurrection was my favorite, so say what you may but as far as i'm concerned alien fans that bought this set are definitley getting thier moneys worth
Rating:
Summary: Worth every penny
Review: Personaly I thought I was setting myself up by purchasing this set. I thought the first and second were excelent but I never thought much of Alien 3 and Resurection, they were not the best of movies. After watching the special editions of the first two, the added scenes added ALOT to the movies, good things. Alien 3 with the added scenes was actually ALOT better then the theatrical release, still flawed, but not nearly as much as the theatrical version, its actually enjoyable to watch. Alien Resurection, thats still the same old movie with 8 minutes more. Good movie for alien fans, but for people who wanna see a movie, you might be upset. The extras combined have never been matched, even in the Lord of the Rings box set ( probobly because there is an extras disc for each movie and an extra disc overall) there is nothing missingTeres anything else you could possibly want in aliens
Rating:
Summary: Buy this, whatever you feel about all four films
Review: I will be the first to admit that I am quite fond of Alien 3 narratively and visually, but also recognize it as a departure from what had been set up in the first two films. I will also admit to the utter dissapointment I felt when I first saw Alien Resurrection in theaters (but have warmed to it over the last six years - mainly for its visual presentation being the best of the series and having Ron Perlman in it), but this is an amazing DVD set.In the mold of the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions this set gives you everything Alien you could ever want. All the movies are digitally restored and presented beautifully (highlighting the look of Alien Resurrection against the other three when viewed back to back to back to back). There are two versions of every film (commentaries on each version by cast and crew - noted absences are Fincher, Weaver, and Khondji) and even though the original theatrical releases are ultimately the better, more balanced and paced cuts in every case it is interesting to see some of the deleted scenes worked back into the films. And the supplemental materials go on forever. Alien is a masterpiece. Aliens is a close second (close). Alien 3 is an intriguing work almost apart from the series. And Alien Resurrection is not without merit. That said this collection makes even the more difficult moments of the third and fourth films worth watching again and gives us a greater appreciation for Ridley Scott's vision and James Cameron's extrapolation of that original vision. Cameron's commentary is not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Just Magnificent
Review: Easily the best DVD collection I've ever owned. The special edition of Alien 3 was worth the price of admission. The documentaries offer some incredible insight into the movie making process in general and the Alien universe in particular. I was fascinated by Michael Biehn's (Hicks - Aliens) vehemence about being left out of Alien 3, David Giler's disdain for Alien: Ressurection, and Fincher's notable absence. This is truly a wonderful collection. If you're a fan, it is must have.
Rating:
Summary: The Best DVD Set Ever!
Review: When I first heard of this set, I was angry because I felt like I was being ripped off after bying the Alien Legacy. Once i saw the features packed into this baby, all my anger subsided, and I just couldn't wait to get a copy. this set contains two versions, Theatrical and Director's cut, for each movie, and over 44 hours of documentary footage, storyboards and much more. When totally unfolded, this spectacular set reaches five feet! There are two discs for each movie and a ninth disc. Anyone who wants more is just plain greedy! Don't miss this explosive action set!
Rating:
Summary: The definitive collection
Review: Wow! This set managed to give me appreciation for the ENTIRE Ripley/Alien trilogy, and even some respect for "Resurrection". I remember my dad and I watching "Alien" when I was 10 years old or so in a hotel Spectravision, and I remember being terrified by "the perfect organism", (as Ash put it), and the conspiracy and duplicity of "The Company". Then in 1986, I remember seeing Sigourney Weaver and the Queen on the cover of Time with the caption "Horrors!" - and my dad and I just HAD to see it! Everything about it was great - Cameron executed this perfectly. One of the best examples of this is when Ripley, after rescuing Newt, stumbles into the Queen's chamber. The dramatic score suddenly stops, the camera pans around, and I'll bet there wasn't a single audience member who didn't gasp upon seeing the multitude of eggs and the egg-laying itself. I still shudder when I see it. For a long time I thought Alien 3 and Resurrection where just pieces of junk, more Hollywood attempts to squeeze money out of a good franchise (and in the process, squeezing the life out of it as well). To me, those movies never existed - I thought they shamed Ridley Scott, Cameron, Weaver, and the xenomorph. When I bought this, I gave the special edition of Alien 3 a whirl, and I found I liked it a lot better than the original. Yeah, so some of the Alien CGI isn't great - so what. By now we've seen the creature enough we know what it looks like. I came to enjoy the starkness of the movie, and the feeling of finality and despair for the inmates and Ripley. (Not to mention I like the way the Alien was born in this one...I don't like movies with canine casualties.) Resurrection was pretty much the same. I never really liked it, and it was useful only in explaining more of the creatures life-cycle, which I always found interesting. The extras are great - I usually skip them, but the "Aliens" disc, with all the interviews, commentaries, etc. was FANTASTIC for a fan like me. Since the original "Alien" and "Aliens" are out of print, I think this is the only way to get them on DVD now. But those two films are worth the price of admission.
Rating:
Summary: Good Package for Aliens Fans
Review: The picture-quality is beautiful on all disks. The extras are great. The sound is superb. There really isn't more you could want. The problem is overkill. At what point is too much simply "too much"? I mainly bought the set for the 2003 Director's Cut of the original "Alien" from 1979. This is the director's cut of the film that was screened in theaters in the Fall of 2003. Primarily, I was interested in the restored image from the original negative and as I compared this with a previous DVD release, there is recognizable improvements in picture-quality (less grain, better highlights, sharper image, blacker blacks, etc). The original Ridley Scott "Alien" is one of my all-time favorite movies - and it has never looked or sounded better! Watch the brilliant bright reds of the splattering blood from the now legendary kitchen scene and you'll see "Alien" like you haven't before. I am not as much of a fan of the sequels, as they work primarily as science-fiction films exclusively, nor do any of them stand-up on their own. For better or worse, sequels were eminant in any case; but let it be said that none of them live up to even half of the brilliance of the original 1979 Ridley Scott masterpiece, some being completely silly and others being just average. The decision to originally make a B-rated monster movie into an "A" movie of the highest quality was a major innovation and brought back a level of film as a thrilling good time. (We must remember that the original Universal Studios monsters films from the 30s and 40s were not "B" films in their day, but big-budget blockbusters). I do think that 9 disks is a little ridiculous, nor will I likely ever bother to even view half of the footage included in this box set. It's entirely overkill to the point of decreasing impact rather than strengthening it. I would safely guestimate that over 50% of the material presented in this box set is unecessary and you wouldn't likely ever watch it. The packaging, (I completely agree with one reviewer here), is too creative and structurally isn't sound. Why not just give us 4 clamshell boxes inside a strong outer box? The roll-out of 9 disks is absurd and cumbersome, and because of the weight the glue starts to give and your CD caddy will soon come apart. It's a valuable lesson in how NOT to package DVDs! Please don't get too creative with packaging. Personally, I wouldn't spend the money UNLESS you absolutely adore the ENTIRE "Alien" series, (or are Sigourney Weaver's mother). Otherwise, you'll be left with WAY too much info and extras and stuff. Otherwise, just buy the films indivdually. Case in point: these remastered director's special editions will be available in early 2004 individually. In my opinion, only the first 1979 original "Alien" is a great film. The sequels are Saturday afternoon rainy-day fare, and don't make the exhorbitant fee worth it in the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed bag in Alien quartet boxed set
Review: Film direction is like gambling; no matter how well you've done you always think you can do better. That's the premise behind this re-release of the four Alien films. So did putting it all on the line pay off? Sometimes. Ridley Scott's original film was a masterpiece of suspense and terror. The snail's pace pacing, like Hitchcock's best films, created an underlying tension that found release in a few key scenes. Unlike Blade Runner, Scott's vision of Alien hasn't changed significantly. The extended branching scenes do add a number of fine character moments but they don't make the film any scarier or more effective. In the boxing match between Alien vs. Alien Revised Directors Cut, it's nearly a draw where both films have their merits. Ultimately, though, the leaner, meaner original cut wins simply on the sheer power of the film. It's hard to improve on perfection. Cameron's Aliens is an altogether different matter. Cameron was contractually obligated to provide a film to Fox that didn't go over a certain time limit. As a result, Cameron had to work with a number of restrictions and knew, despite the power of many sequences, that he was going to have to slice and dice the film. The original theatrical version was pretty powerful (and has been only available on video and laserdisc--this is its DVD premiere) but the extended version (which saw life on DVD and laserdisc previously)wins the match. Cameron's ability to craft strong characters and create complex, intelligent storylines only enriches this film. The extended version has visuals that were completed long after the film wrapped but the quality is comparable to the original visual effects. These sequences seamlessly fit in with the older visual effects. I still like the idea of having both because they are each unique. The theatrical version is a punchier and more direct experience. The extended version is like watching a flower unfold; you appreciate each individual petal and its unique form. OK, that was a lousy simile. Fancher's Alien 3 was crippled from the start. Vincent Ward's original premise was fascinating and the rewritten screenplay kept some of the basic elements but dispensed with some of the best plot points and themes. Still, the workprint offers a fascinating glimpse into what might have been if Fancher had been allowed to release a longer version of the film. I have to agree that the newly added CGI effects don't measure up to the original (unlike the care that went into Cameron's revised version)but the added sequences do improve the film and make it much more distinctive and less derivative. I have to disagree with the assessment of most critics regarding Alien Resurrection. It's an underrated gem that manages to be both satrical and full of over-the-top dramatic moments. It lacked the power of the original, the character development of Cameron's second film (and action)but played with the conventions and expectations of the audience. Joss Whelan's original screenplay is witty and fun. It's a script (and a film)that's self reflective and about film. The final theatrical version is the superior version although it's interesting to get a glimpse at the "alternate" version as well. The extras include a number of featurettes (the original Alien only come with 9 vs. 11 for most of the others). There's also the original laserdisc extras archieved on the final disc. You also get a glimpse into screen tests and other cool rarities. The big question would be--is this worth the gamble and the additional money? It all depends on how much you appreciate the first two films. The previous DVD version of Alien had a wonderful commentary by Ridley Scott but it didn't have anything near the extensive extras this version has (including Dan O'Bannon's original Star Beast treatment which, in my mind, resembles It! The Terror Beyond Space even more than the finished product does but with signiciant departures as well). Cameron's second film also was available on a terrific DVD previously. It had lots of extras but, again, the extras are more indepth here. Still, without a Cameron audio track, this DVD reissue is missing something. On the other hand, for those who were fans of the original theatrical version of the film, having both versions is a big plus. The third film is a toss up; Fancher's film wasn't well liked by most fans or critics. It had its merits but was compromised from the beginning by the revised screenplay. Still, there are marvelous performances given by Charles Dutton and Weaver among many others. The work print version gives a glimpse into what might have been and makes for interesting viewing even if you dislike the third film. The fourth film showed the franchise on its last legs; the satire and tongue-in-cheek approach to the material revitalized much of the film. On the other hand, the much of the plot and the character of Ripley had been played out by the time of the fourth film. It's still a noble effort that doesn't quite capture the raw power of the original or vitality of the second film but does improve on the third film. If you need to have the extras and the digitally improved picture quality for the first two films (I didn't see a huge difference but Alien did look a bit sharper and cleaner) and all the extras, this is well worth picking up. First I have to admit I haven't had the time to investigate all the extras or investigate every crevice of this new version. If you're a fan of the third and fourth film as well, this would be a good boxed set to pick up.
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