Blomkamp's Alien 5 is "Innovative, Amazing, Performs Fan Service"

[Corporal Hicks]

He popped onto the Aliens Legacy board at one point. I think all the stuff he mentioned would have been cross posted to our topic about the book.

Could have been a grand grand grand grand nephew or cousin.

[Kurai]

That's pretty interesting and opens up a whole lot more "Ripley bloodline" characters for exploitation if Fox really wants to go down that route.

[Perfect-Organism]

I felt that the recent Alien Loose trilogy was fox's experiment to test which continuity people prefer.  They wanted to know (and I'm guessing here) which timeline and which point in time people would respond to most so they could shoehorn in a film there.  We had the post-Alien, post-Aliens and post-A:R realities.  I expect that Sea of Sorrows was liked the least.  Anybody's guess about the other two, but I one of those books got turned into an epic audiobook.

[Corporal Hicks]

And they continued the novels in a post-Resurrection world, following on from Sea of Sorrows. And there's talk of adapting the next novel into an audio drama but nothing official.

[Kurai]

I expect that Sea of Sorrows was liked the least.

Sea of Sorrows was very good, regardless of when it was set the writing was just really on point.

[Perfect-Organism]

I couldn't get through it.  It languished on my night-stand for ages before I was able to pick it up and force myself through it.  More disposable characters that it was impossible could connect with.  You have to understand that every time you start a new film with new characters, you waste a lot of time with exposition.  That wastes action time.  But if you don't do it, you have hollow characters that nobody cares about.  That is what will happen if you have an Aliens film with all new characters.

Ya.  Of course.  I will agree with you there. 

There's all that plus there's nothing to add to Ripley's character.  It's all been spelled out and explored across 3 movies*.  What else is there to add without retreading the ground in the first 2 movies?  What is it, exactly, that people want from her? 

More of the same..?  Ripley running around corridors, holding a flame thrower and rescuing children..? ? ? ?

Give it a break, Man. 

It's time for the series to move on and it can't do so if its  permanently shackled to what amounts to a character that's already run her course. 

-Windebieste.

* I guess 4; but Ripley 8 really is a different character.

I certainly don't want more of the same Ripley type of story.  Having the same character does not mean being imprisoned to repeat their story.

A good story always involves a character going through an arc and changing the values on which they stand.  That is what Ripley needs.  What if she sets out to destroy W-Y, but realizes that W-Y is a necessary evil to combat an even greater threat?  What if she reluctantly understands and even condones what Ash did?  Wouldn't that be an amazing arc?

[HuDaFuK]

You have to understand that every time you start a new film with new characters, you waste a lot of time with exposition.  That wastes action time.  But if you don't do it, you have hollow characters that nobody cares about.  That is what will happen if you have an Aliens film with all new characters.

Yes, because Alien really sucked with it's crappy, undeveloped characters. Wish they would've recycled some characters from an existing movie, it would've made it so much better.

Characters, new or returning, are as good as you make them. Saying a new film will be crap if they opt to use all-new characters is ridiculous.

[Kurai]

I couldn't get through it.  It languished on my night-stand for ages before I was able to pick it up and force myself through it.  More disposable characters that it was impossible could connect with.  You have to understand that every time you start a new film with new characters, you waste a lot of time with exposition.  That wastes action time.  But if you don't do it, you have hollow characters that nobody cares about.  That is what will happen if you have an Aliens film with all new characters.

Did you read Out of the Shadows? Heck, going into that you know no one is gonna make it out alive except for the Ripster. XD

I certainly don't want more of the same Ripley type of story.  Having the same character does not mean being imprisoned to repeat their story.

Very true, Alien and Aliens is a great example of this. In Alien Ripley was the victim, in Aliens she was the fighter.

What if she reluctantly understands and even condones what Ash did?  Wouldn't that be an amazing arc?

You lost me. I don't see that as good at all. 

Characters, new or returning, are as good as you make them. Saying a new film will be crap if they opt to use all-new characters is ridiculous.

True words are true. 

[Perfect-Organism]

You have to understand that every time you start a new film with new characters, you waste a lot of time with exposition.  That wastes action time.  But if you don't do it, you have hollow characters that nobody cares about.  That is what will happen if you have an Aliens film with all new characters.

Yes, because Alien really sucked with it's crappy, undeveloped characters. Wish they would've recycled some characters from an existing movie, it would've made it so much better.

Characters, new or returning, are as good as you make them. Saying a new film will be crap if they opt to use all-new characters is ridiculous.

I'm not saying that a film would be crap with new characters.  I'm saying that it will spend more time on character development and exposition and less on the actual business end of the movie which is the action with the aliens.

Moreover, the fact that I am Captain Retcon, doesn't mean that I don't want a film that doesn't include the established characters.  I'm all for a completely new Aliens story without any of the main characters, after Blomkamp's film gets made.  Those type of movies can be made whenever.  But to use some of the original cast from Aliens, that needs to be done now or time will run out on that possibility.

[Kurai]

I'm not saying that a film would be crap with new characters.  I'm saying that it will spend more time on character development and exposition and less on the actual business end of the movie which is the action with the aliens.

The thing is, even a film with recurring characters will spend quite a bit of time on exposition. Blomkamp's Aliens 2 will have to reintroduce Ripley, Hicks and Newt to a totally new audience. Newt will need the most since she's grown up now and thus a new character anyhow. This isn't taking into account the various supporting and cannon fodder roles.

Moreover, the fact that I am Captain Retcon, doesn't mean that I don't want a film that doesn't include the established characters.  I'm all for a completely new Aliens story without any of the main characters, after Blomkamp's film gets made.  Those type of movies can be made whenever.  But to use some of the original cast from Aliens, that needs to be done now or time will run out on that possibility.

I will burst out laughing so hard if Blomkamp's movie gets a public outcry of "Where's David?!" "What about Shaw and Daniels?" "Where are the Engineers???" from the casual audience. 

[Perfect-Organism]

I couldn't get through it.  It languished on my night-stand for ages before I was able to pick it up and force myself through it.  More disposable characters that it was impossible could connect with.  You have to understand that every time you start a new film with new characters, you waste a lot of time with exposition.  That wastes action time.  But if you don't do it, you have hollow characters that nobody cares about.  That is what will happen if you have an Aliens film with all new characters.

Did you read Out of the Shadows? Heck, going into that you know no one is gonna make it out alive except for the Ripster. XD

I certainly don't want more of the same Ripley type of story.  Having the same character does not mean being imprisoned to repeat their story.

Very true, Alien and Aliens is a great example of this. In Alien Ripley was the victim, in Aliens she was the fighter.

What if she reluctantly understands and even condones what Ash did?  Wouldn't that be an amazing arc?

You lost me. I don't see that as good at all. 

Characters, new or returning, are as good as you make them. Saying a new film will be crap if they opt to use all-new characters is ridiculous.

True words are true. 

Well consider why Ripley does what she does.  She doesn't want the Aliens to wipe out humanity.  She can be ruthless at times when necessary.  She was willing to allow Kane, Dallas, and Lambert to stay outside the Nostromo after the Alien encounter.  She was willing to say you can't help some of the soldiers in Aliens because they are being cocooned.  (But she was willing to save Newt who was under the same circumstance.)

So what if she learns that Special order 937 was really because the company wanted to save the world?  I mean what do they need weapons like the Xenomorphs for?  Maybe W-Y knows of something even more dangerous out there?  Wouldn't that be something if she reluctantly switches teams and participates in efforts to secure the Alien?  That could be good, and fresh.

[BishopShouldGo]

And the theme to that hypothetical is that you can't better evil with evil; both are bad.

[Perfect-Organism]

And the theme to that hypothetical is that you can't better evil with evil; both are bad.

Arguably in keeping with the theme of the series, while not painting the series into a corner and depriving the series of its lead heroine and her raison d'etre.  Ripley could be cursing the company the whole time as she does their work.  Maybe it's just me, but that would be compelling.  Nah, it's not just me..

[BishopShouldGo]

It would be compelling. Maybe that's what Neill is thinking. I could see the "bomb strapped Ripley" scene being her at the breaking point.

[Novak 1334]

And the theme to that hypothetical is that you can't better evil with evil; both are bad.

Arguably in keeping with the theme of the series, while not painting the series into a corner and depriving the series of its lead heroine and her raison d'etre.  Ripley could be cursing the company the whole time as she does their work.  Maybe it's just me, but that would be compelling.  Nah, it's not just me..

Ripley working for the Company would completely undermine everything her character is.  She was a vicim of the Company, she went along with the Company, got betrayed again (Burke) and in the end, realised that she had to do everything in her power to stop the Company getting their hands on the Xenomorph, making the ultimate sacrifice to destroy their chances.

And as for the Company maybe trying to save the world.  That doesn't work for two reasons, it completely changes the dynamic of the movies by making all of the heroes inadvertently the villains.  If they were trying to save the world, why would they go through all of the secrecy? You want to save the world, so you purposefully lead one of your own teams to a planet, get them infected and kill all of them.  How is that heroic?  Surely they could just send a ship with an android crew, pick up a few specimens, bring them home, allow an animal to be facehugged and boom, you have your specimen.  The whole point of the company, is that they are the bad guys, the xenomorph is the monster, but the real villain is greed.  And a story where the aliens are supposed to be the weapon to fight something worse would be ridiculously convoluted, and again completely ruin the menace and the threat of the Alien itself. 

Aliens did a bad enough job turning them into 'bugs'