That is where the story of Ripley should have ended, but we got Alien: Resurrection anyway. And that might have been okay if the film stuck its ambitious landing…but it didn’t. Alien: Resurrection ...

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It is a rare thing indeed to find a movie sequel that outstrips the original. Terminator 2, perhaps. The Godfather Part II, probably. The Dark Knight, definitely. But greater sequels are hard to find.

Much like a Xenomorph bursting through your chest, Alien first surprised audiences more than 45 years ago, and it hasn't stopped growing since. With nine films (including the two Predator crossovers), ...