To Ripley or not Ripley that is the question

You know my answer, but I think people should try thinking about it in the context of there being only the original film, before the character becomes more fleshed out and we become more attached to her. And maybe also ask if they would have the same opinion if it was one of the other characters that survived.

Of course, I think Ripley's powerful presence, strong nature, and yet still "girl next door" image was appealing to a broad spectrum of audience. Do I think someone else could have done it? Sure, but...based on the ones I remember reading about at the time, I don't think any "known" actress could've carried that role as well at the time...

"before the whole franchise got bastardised into the AvP universe" Well i think the AVP could have worked fantastic the idea of AVP is great and would not have ruined the Alien universe if it was done correct. The AVP movies relied on the cheap Action of AVP than a Story and its Story did not add up or link to Alien as Earth had no knowledge of Aliens prior to that. But then in Alien and Aliens they never mentions Predators which may have been known from the two times they vistited Earth in Predator 1+2 My thoughts was a Alien 5 which in the plot involved the Predators which could be set as the first time mankind came across them, could have worked. The Story route behind the AVP Games and especially the AVP2 on PC and its Expantion Primal Hunt (where we first saw Pred Alien) could have worked.

Sure... but the thing is, You now cannot have her show up BEFORE the Original as she is now in her 60's (but good Lord... She still has it going on!! ) So, the only logical place to put her would be in a re-visit to an ALIEN 5 project, like Ridley & Cameron were attempting to collaborate on back a decade ago before the whole franchise got bastardised into the AvP universe... Uggggh.

I think the way the original franchise was done well, even the idea of Alien 3. Like the Thing Prequel the Idea and basis was very sound, its execution was flawed. But after Alien 3 that should have been the end of Ripley, i dont think it made sence to create her From DNA. i guess in the context of the movie being set so far in future that a person could be cloned from a tiny strand of DNA yes, but there are other ideas in that movie that was just rushed and half done based purley of the cheap thrill of just because movie got Aliens in it again. Much like the AVPs, they relied more on the fact its got Aliens and Predators than any concreate and good plot. So i dont think Ripley should be in any more films at all......... unless. As a Andriod based on her?

Ripley made Alien. Without her it would be just another monster flick. For me the performances were more important than the Xenomorph. Ripley's on screen authority and charisma has not been matched by a woman since...Tell me one other woman who can do what Ripley does...Noomi Rapeass is good but nothing compared to Ripley Alien 4 would have been a far better movie had they treated the Xenos with some respect..they were too CGI, shown too often and too cartoony...Michael Wincott dies too quick...other than that I like watching it sorry

AVP2 on PC is the best Alien AND Predator game ever made. Although wasn't a fan of the crazy fast, but weak xenos

Biehn-Bandit I do agree on how we should approach Ripley. My point is that she was interesting enough in the first film to be fleshed out more in Aliens. Weaver herself said that the only problem she has with Aliens was they cut some of her character development (and that she wasn't a big fan of all the guns). Well, if you have read any of my other posts you all know I would have been happy if Dallas survived. Would have been a nice arc to see him face his mistakes and have to live with them. Originally, Skerrit was Ripley, or more specifically, Roby when first approached to do Alien. And I have to admit that, excluding Ripley, there would have been some justice in having Parker (never wanted to land in the first place), Brett (who wouldn't want a Brett for a best friend?) or even Lambert (she says it best before anyone else, "Let's get the hell out of here.") survive. But of course, this is horror movie so likeable people have to meet horrible ends. Nope, I think Ripley is the best choice.

One of the disappointments I have with the franchise it that they never took the ripley character into SJ territory. In fact, it would have been great to have her go back to LV426 in the sequel but go in a different direction storywise. We could have had Prometheus with the Ripley character many years ago had the sequels been more creative. You set up this great mystery element of what is the large creature in the chair in Alien and you think it will be touched on in the sequels but never happens. I get that they wanted to capitalize on the first movie but they could have really tried something different with the sequel (not Aliens bashing but jmo). Hell, they could have tried doing it in 3 and 4. Oh well, now we have Prometheus.

@ the coming couldn't have said it better @canadaphil I am just talking sequel here, not prequel @bigdave I am with you on the idea of Alien 3, if you bring her back, put her in real jeopardy, kill her off!

The funny thing is, I believe the whole began when someone came up with the idea of a videogame in 1994 on a system that virtually NO ONE but me owned it seemed... the ATARI JAGUAR. But to be honest, Alien vs. Predator on the Jaguar was a pretty ground breaking game for its time then. A very creepy first person shooter. I think it was THIS game that started the events in motion to turn it into a movie franchise.

I would leave Ripley for the second film but make her refuse the offer to go to LV-426 again or even get her driven mad by alien related nightmares in order to highlight psychological effect of alien encounter.

it's a shame we will never see Ripley perform again, saw her the other day on 'Rampart' and boy she has aged a lot, it would be impossible to cast her again as Ripley really pissed because we were expecting an Alien 5 for so long and now it is too late...and Prometheus doesn't appear to have any strong lead Im sorry

@ I feel safer already I think you could have had your cake and ate it too if Aliens as Cameron did it had some link to the SJs with an ending that would have set up a 3rd Alien movie that would essentially be Prometheus. But better late than never.

Nowadays, strong female characters in this genre just don't exist. They are far and few between. She really represented a strong character but also very unique. She began the series slightly unlikable and as the events progressed, she became more dimensional. It's sad those roles just don't happen anymore. It's weird, as society becomes more progressive with gender roles, the movie roles for women narrow.

@ the coming We have to wait to June 8th. Maybe then we'll be sorry. Hope not. As for liking Alien Resurrection, you should be ashamed of yourself lol

They could pull a stunt out of the Mc.G hat ala 1980's CGI Arnold in Terminator Salvation. Hahaha... a 29 year old CGI Sigourney Weaver... And real Siggy could just provide the Voice Over. PS: Mc. G ... Lolz! What kind of complete douche bag do you have to be to call yourself Mc. G !!!!

@CanadaPhil lol where did the McG thing come from? Nah cameo's of that sort are lame, Ridley is correct to make it almost completely unrelated..I hate all those nods and winks in prequels @dallas Alien 4 is a guilty pleasure..if it makes u feel better Alien is still my top movie, the one with dallas in it lol..maybe they should have cloned Dallas instead then you'd be happier..except he'd probably just bum around all day

I think all of you who haven't followed Noomi's career closely will be MORE than surprised at how capable a lead she is. Really...

@the coming lol A clone Dallas. Could you see him the with his Alien "baby?" [i]Alien/Dallas hybrid creature looks at Dallas, as a baby to its parent Dallas: Alright, you can stay. Just quiet it down. Anyone got any Mozart I could listen to? The End

I think she will be absolutely perfect!! Geez, just pay attention to that scream sequence. The utter terror on her face. She is giving her all there.. Like she has been completely destroyed by what she has experienced.

I think the Ripley Character was great, i only think that it kind of diluted the idea a bit after they decided to kill her in Alien 3 (which i think went well with the plot in that her final act was to sacrefice herself to stop a new Queen Alien from getting lose). I just think maybe it should have been left at that. A Alien 5 could have worked with Ripley as she did survive Resurection, which i think had good parts and others well they just never had much depth in the Story. To me it was more a case of take advantage of a franchise like they had done with those Scream Movies, Saw Movies etc. Basically making movie after movie where plot never mattered because well their was a franchise to exploit. I think thats why a Alien 5 never happened, its a risky business as after the disapointments of the last 2 films and the AVPs especially (again just take advantage of the franchise of Alien and Predator) and more so the high standard the Orginal Alien and Aliens set. It was best maybe not to go revisit because potentially you could do a Alien 5, 6, 7 etc etc etc but then can you keep up the quality of Story, Cast etc to near match Even Alien 3 yet alone the president the first movies set.

From what I read Cartwrighht was initally down to play Ripley but Ridley swithced her role once they clapped eyes on Weaver. Cartwright is sensational as Lambert and her performance is one of the many film highlights but I often wonder what her Ripley would have been like? At the same time I often wonder how Jon Finch would have portrayed Kane?

Yeah, my problem with Aliens isn't bringing Ripley back. I just think the tone was a little too upbeat. But people seem to forget how titanic (pun intended) the change in movies b/w 79 and 86 was. Everything was upbeat, rah-rah, Stallone, Arnie heroic by that point, at least in the mainstream. I give Aliens some slack for that. it still manages to work, not like the original. I just agree with some others who wish Cameron explored other facets of the xeno. Biggest problem I have with Aliens: Not bringing HR Giger on board. Aliens could have easily outshone Alien if it had gone more into Necronomicon territory. And have been a brilliant transition to a Space Jockey film.

@dallas you are right it was an upbeat few years for movies, and Aliens is very action movie...hell Arnie would not have been out of place as a marine I think despite no Giger the Alien Queen is a very nice design, but you are right it lacks a certain level of darkness...it's the difference between European vs American director

@ snugs, yup, but Skerrit was asked before they changed the role to a woman, @ the coming The Queen is a nice design. I just think the movie should have had even more with no specific queen. All kinds of variations which may have been a great lead in for a Prometheus type movie. As for the 80s flicks, they could be great fun. The first Die Hard!, a lot of Arnie's stuff, oh hell, I even like Van Damme for the laughs. But I draw the line with Stallone. After Rocky he is totally worthless. His flicks aren't even fun to make fun of. Except for the Rocky sequels. Hilarious.

She was fine in Alien as a character, but I thought it was really stupid how Aliems kept following her story. There was an entire universe established by Alien, no need to keep following the same person. That's why I like Prometheus, because it focuses less on "Ripley" and more on "Story"

from a pure movie making view, no Ripley was not a needed character, her story should have ended after aliens, but from a nostalgic view i love Ripley and i am actually kind of sad that Prometheus wont have her. i actually think it would be cool if sigourney made a cameo, not in a role or anything but as like a walk in the background person, and i know that most big actors wouldn't do that, but weaver has always struck me as a nice actress (i dont actually know this) and alien did start off her whole career.

I think noomi will be every bit as good as ripley i liked the ripley character to a point but after alien 2 i wanted a new direction . For me she was not the appeal or the draw despite what a lot of you guys think now about her, at the time i couldn't care less about her character arc after aliens. but thats just me.

@alteredstate actually you are agreeing with many, if not most, of us. I for one argue the same thing: the character was excellent for two movies but then it was time to move on. My main point is that Aliens without Ripley would have been weaker. The character's story needed to be finished and in Aliens it was.

ok well i felt they milked it after aliens but the 3rd instalment was ok i guess .

It's a complicated issue really.........On the one hand, Ripley (specifically Weaver's harrowing and brilliant performance) in 'Alien' has a great deal to do with it's success. The birth of the female action lead as well as the sudden and surprising situation in which she is the only survivor make for a film that is instantaneously unique. On the other hand, in spite of Weaver's name on the marquee as lead in 'Alien', the fact of that isn't even clear until the opening of the film's third act - immediately after Dallas disappears and Ripley takes command rather commandingly in a confrontation with Parker with Ash, Lambert and the movie going public as audience to THE moment when she becomes the film's focus. On top of that, it can just as easily be argued that Ripley isn't meant to be the star of 'Alien'. She, along with her fellow crew, are bi-standers. 'Alien' is not about Ripley. Rather it concerns man's headlong push into the unknown, his unprepared lack of caution in confronting the alien nature of the universe outside our tiny blue marble and the callous inhumanity man can possess, even against his own in pursuit of progress, greed and zeal. I have no issue with Ripley's inclusion in later installments, but it seems as though the focus shifts to her rather heavily and to an extent that detracts from the elements and concerns of the original. That focus on Ripley dilutes the immediacy of 'Alien' and what it represents for its successors, creating a natural state of inferiority that is regretable.

Its funny listening to david giler,... he on the anthology extras on almost all the films keeps repeating the fact that the sequels had to have ripley and the franchise wouldn't work without her we felt ripley had to be part of this film he says and i'm saying no you have no idea that your average decent sc fi fan just wants a damn good story and doesn't get attached to characters that way. As long as the story evolves, and becomes deeper in scope and ideas, then we can transfer our enthusiasm to a great idea, a good story, and a whole new set of characters. I mean films are not soap operas they exist in their own set of ideas and dimensions a single thread as a continuation is enough to tie in a film to sequels, and prequels. After that breath fresh life into them and keep them alive by letting them take their own creative random paths but keep the quality on a upward momentum, not a downward trend. Every film should be better than the previous generation like children of it parents the idea is to make all subsequent film better and have the gaul to be adamant that is the criteria for anyone attempting to do sequels, or prequels. In most industries this is the model and the quality control for products that come after the original is for it to be better . Even though its not always the case lol.

Perfectly stated alteredstate......HA..look, I made a funny.......but seriously, you nailed it.

Thanks craigamore i needed to get that of my chest and have a good rant and rave in cyberspace lol.

Exactly...I've always had this love/hate relationship with Ripley and I think you and I hashed out all the details as to why it so surely has driven me nuts......

I don't have anything bad to say about ripley in the respect of her character or sigourney weaver who i think is great but the studios insistence that the franchise wouldn't succeed without her .

Neither do I have anything disparaging to say about her....just as you say...it's that insistence that she BE the franchise that drives me nuts...that's what was infering with love/hate remark......

@ craigamore and alteredstate Regarding the franchise, there is no doubt that by Alien 3 Ripley was more of an albatross around its neck. What some appreciate about it was its attempt to kill her off once and for all, while treating the character with some reverence. I say this because there are many who agree with Giler and Hill. Why, I don't know, but they do. I would have preferred a straight jump into something brand new with Alien 3 but if you have to bring her back, killing her was a good idea. It's just too bad the movie was never ready for prime time.

one thing which I very much dislike about Sigourney Weaver was the whole 'anti-guns' phase she was going through...I mean good but please leave your personal politics out of the movie making process..wasn't this the whole reason Alien 3 had no guns? Ironically in the movie she says 'You mean we have no weapons of any kind, we are fucked'...lol