Ripley - DUH. Ripley shows the most character development over the course of the franchise and transforms from a smart warrant officer into a scared baby into an Alien exterminator.

 

Dallas - Dallas is interesting because he seems like such a tired, world-worn (universe-worn?) officer. He's in charge but doesn't seem to like being in charge, and defers to policy/SOP pretty regularly. But in cases where he should defer to policy (after Kane is infected and brought back to the ship), he shows more human characteristics. Thanks for getting the crew killed JERK.

 

Lambert - Lambert seems like a pretty shy, likeable character until she totally loses her mind at the drop of the hat. Until Johner gets into a fight with Ripley, Lambert does more damage to her than hundreds of Aliens. Lambert's complete collapse is pretty convincing. Also, Veronica Cartwright was in The Birds and The Birds owned.

 

Dr. Gediman - Brad Dourif rules.

Also really liked Bishop and Ash. Androids are fun characters. Not so much Call, but that's only because of Wynona Rider. And, uh, the fact that she didn't act like an android.

 

Also wasn't it Ash who let Kane in? Dallas obviously wanted back into the ship, but it wasn't his doing that got em there. Ash would've gotten Kane back in whether Dallas had wanted it or not. He had higher authorities to answer to.

 

Also SPOILERZ MAN

 

Also good topic, I suppose. It's been rather quiet 'round the Aliens subforum.

Edited July 23, 200817 yr by Pop

I liked Lt. Gorman. An inexpert USCM officer that's overwhelmed by combat stress and suffers a nervous breakdown. Very credible if you ask me. He later gets his act together, too.

 

Carter Burke. It's hard to find a character that fits the description "vermin" better than this guy. Ash comes close, but this guy is flesh and bone.

 

Pvt. Hudson. Need I give reasons? Bill Paxton nailed it.

 

And I thought Clemens was Alien

I liked the self-destruct computer. Classic lines, well delivered.

"strap yourselves in boys"

 

dropship pilot in aliens

"strap yourselves in boys"

 

dropship pilot in aliens

 

Given your recent posts, I'm thinking you're simply attributing the line to someone you met last night.

"strap yourselves in boys"

 

dropship pilot in aliens

 

Given your recent posts, I'm thinking you're simply attributing the line to someone you met last night.

 

Perhaps he met the dropship pilot from Aliens?

Edited July 24, 200817 yr by Hell Kitty

I liked the self-destruct computer. Classic lines, well delivered.

What you need is a soothing female voice to tell you you have T minus 5 minutes to self destruct.

 

Anyway.

 

Ripley, grew with each challenge.

 

Hudson, His reactions to the crisis was the most human, ups and downs, running on adrenaline. Gave a really good psychological edge as the movie played out.

 

Burke, He's the most misunderstood of the bunch. Just trying to make the most of an opportunity, like everyone else. He didn't ask for the plane to come crashing into the building.

 

Bishop, the best of the androids. Probably because nobody does the 1000 mile stare like Lance Henriksen.

 

Dallas, He is extremely well rounded, a 'company man', but not by heart. As the ranking officer he seems slightly uncomfortable with the burden of command, but still belongs in that position.

 

Parker, thats Yaphet Kotto. The 'silverback', and I use this racial racial epitaph unyielding respect and admiration. Amazing screen presence, although we don't get to see much of his personality beyond being a lazy union worker, but this makes an interesting observation, not all 'stock' characters are bad. You can only absorb so many supporting characters before things become unwieldy, what you need then are characters who deliver.

Edited July 24, 200817 yr by Gorgon

Burke, He's the most misunderstood of the bunch. Just trying to make the most of an opportunity, like everyone else. He didn't ask for the plane to come crashing into the building.

 

 

[Moe Sizlak] Whah?

 

Burke was a totally amoral and almost sociopathic greed monkey!

Ok, I'm biased.

"strap yourselves in boys"

 

dropship pilot in aliens

 

Given your recent posts, I'm thinking you're simply attributing the line to someone you met last night.

 

*ahem*

 

well... not last night

 

i always kinda liked Bishop

well... not last night

 

i always kinda liked Bishop

 

Eeww...

mmm good topic.

 

I always like Vasquez. She just kicked butt and was hilarious. And I just assumed she was a lesbian. Yay for my people!

Ash, in that you did not know he was a synthetic and what his ulterior motives were.

I liked Bishops character as well. He was the I'M NOT EVIL! REALLY! The dynamic of Bishop and Ripley mistrusting him was good.

And finally... Newt. Yes Newt. I liked her. I also liked her addition to the dynamic in that now you have a child to protect. And I liked the way her character was written. It was well done. They mostly come out at night. Mostly. <3

well... not last night

 

i always kinda liked Bishop

 

Eeww...

 

okay that wasn't meant to come across like that

Parker, thats Yaphet Kotto. The 'silverback', and I use this racial racial epitaph unyielding respect and admiration. Amazing screen presence, although we don't get to see much of his personality beyond being a lazy union worker, but this makes an interesting observation, not all 'stock' characters are bad. You can only absorb so many supporting characters before things become unwieldy, what you need then are characters who deliver.

 

The arguing about bonuses, the pretending the machinery isn't working (how long is this going to take? make it 24 hours)... Very human. Adds to feeling of being a "real" ship with a (sometimes) functioning civilian crew.

Ripley is very much a blue collar hero. I mean the whole way through it's about governments and megacorps shafting the ordinary worker/soldier.

Bishop

 

An android played by Henriksen, nuff said.

 

Pvt. Hudson

 

Johner

 

The main reason I enjoyed Alien Resurrection.

 

Honourable mention:

 

Ash

Cpl. Dwayne Hicks

Dr. Jonathan Gediman (Any mad scientist played by Chucky deserves a nod)

I guess I like Hicks and Drake the best. Hicks is just a good Marine. Stays cool even in a crisis, an honorable guy you can count on when the chips are down, and a skilled fighter. And Drake rocks. Super gung ho Marine attitude, always up for a fight with the enemy, tough and ready at any time to kick butt and take names. When a battle breaks out, he doesn't fool around, he lays down serious lead, a Marine's Marine. Lock and load!

I suppose I might point out that with a bit more fire discipline, and a bit less random spray and pray they might have conserved enough ammunition to fight effectively?

A reasonable point. But we have to bear in mind that the Marines were being attacked from all directions, by creatures that are very difficult to spot until they are on top of you, and by then you're in serious trouble. So in that situation, heavy suppressive fire on all quarters is called for. The fire that Drake and the others were laying down was one of the main reasons the Marines were able to make it back to the APC.

I suppose I might point out that with a bit more fire discipline, and a bit less random spray and pray they might have conserved enough ammunition to fight effectively?

Vasquez and Drake were using smartguns, so I don't think "spray and pray" really applies to them.

Isn't Smartgun based on infra-red to aim? I recall the Aliens are not detectable based on infra-red, thus aiming with a smartgun is pretty much useless unless the weapon itself is based on other method to lock onto its target.

In the AvP video game, they don't show up on the Predators' infrared (infrared is for humans, electrical for androids/aliens), but I think that's more of a game mechanic than anything "official" -- the smartgun still tracks Aliens in the game. Actually, even the smartgun operating via infrared is extra-canonical since it's out of the USCM Technical Manual.

The fact they weren't showing up on infrared could have been as much a part of the initial contact occurring in the atmosphere processor. Hot machinery, cold air, hot air "Yeah man, but it's a dry heat."

In the AvP video game, they don't show up on the Predators' infrared (infrared is for humans, electrical for androids/aliens), but I think that's more of a game mechanic than anything "official" -- the smartgun still tracks Aliens in the game. Actually, even the smartgun operating via infrared is extra-canonical since it's out of the USCM Technical Manual.

 

Actually, there was a scene in the movie where the motion sensor started to pick up the alien movements in the reactor, the marines were using the infra-red vision (The rectangle thingie attached to the helmet covering one eye) complaining that their infra-red device aren't picking up anything.

 

But again, I don't have much reliable resources to refer to other than the very scene of the movie itself.