Product Details

• Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Michael Biehn, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
• Directors: David Fincher, James Cameron, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Ridley Scott
• Writers: James Cameron, Dan O'Bannon, David Giler, Joss Whedon
• Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, THX, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: June 1, 1999
• Run Time: 493 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (155 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000ILDH
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,082 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Movies & TV > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Series & Sequels > Alien Saga
  #31 in	Movies & TV > Action & Adventure > Action Directors > Ridley Scott
  #39 in	Movies & TV > Action & Adventure > Action Directors > James Cameron

• For more information about "The Alien Legacy" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

An interesting feature of Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien Resurrection, worth watching together if only for the chance to see how different directors handle essentially the same idea. The results are decidedly mixed. Ridley Scott's Alien is the most traditional of the bunch, essentially a haunted-house picture set on a space freighter, where a monster is picking off crew members one by one. James Cameron's Aliens is the all-out adrenaline bath, a pulse-pounding action thriller from start to finish. It plays a little like a Western in outer space, where the settlers are waiting for a cavalry that never comes--and the Indians are acid-veined aliens. And David Fincher's Alien 3 is the rock-video version, in which substance and storytelling are sacrificed to editing and imagery, as the aliens attempt to take over a space penal colony. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The promise of DVD realized: a must-own., January 13, 2000

By	Matthew Dunphy (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

You're not reading this for a critical review of the movies; if you haven't seen the movies, you've been living under a rock for the last 20 years (in which case you should rent them, then buy this set). You're reading this because you want to know if this set is worth owning.

Yes, yes, and yes. Simply put, this is the best usage of DVD to date. Picture quality and sound are outstanding, and that's just the beginning. What makes these discs shine is all the attention that was put into the extra goodies on the discs themselves. Pop in the Aliens disc, and the menu is as if you're watching one of the Marines' helmet cameras, investigating the lost colony. Put in Alien and you'll be traveling down the famous claustrophobia corridors of the Nostromo choosing your options. After seeing these you'll take a different point of view on a lot of your other DVD's, once you witness how good they could have been but aren't.

On these discs there's deleted footage, commentaries, theatrical trailers, making-of documentaries, and too much more to name here (although, if you once owned the Aliens laserdisc, there isn't quite all the stuff there was on that version, like Cameron's script drafts and other written material).

A feast for fans. The best DVD purchase I've ever made, and a rediscovery of the old Alien magic. Highly recommended.

91 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars If you already own this...., January 28, 2003

By	Christopher Cox (Just over there...) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

...then you have my sympathies.

I own this set, but found out today that Fox are going to be re-releasing another Alien box set with each film getting the 2-disc super duper ultimate edition treatment.

If you haven't got this set then wait until the middle of the year for the new 9 disc boxed set.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great series, but wait for re-release, June 20, 2002

By	J. F. Cramer "wazuppie765" (VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's great that this set was finally released, even though it lacks special features on the last two in the series. Here's a quick synopsis of the movies:

ALIEN: Scary, exciting, and suspensful sci-fi/horror film which makes a great start to the series. After recieving a signal from a remote planet, Captain Dallas (TOM SKERITT) and his crew (which includes SIGOURNEY WEAVER, IAN HOLM, YAPHET KOTTO, and HARRY DEAN STANTON) land on the planet only to find a derelict spacecraft filled with hundreds of mysterious eggs which have aliens insdie them... soon enough one of the aliens gets inside the ship and all hell brakes loose. Some shots of the alien look very obvious. Comes with many speical features on the DVD. Directed by Ridley Scott. 1979; filmed in 2:35:1 widescreen. RUN TIME: 116 minutes. GRADE: A-.

ALIENS: A visceral, more action oriented/shoot-em-up approach to alien series. 57 years after "Alien", Ripley (SIGOURNEY WEAVER) goes back to the planet from the original movie with a squad of marines (which includes MICHAEL BEIHN, BILL PAXTON, and LANCE HENRIKSEN) to wipe out the alien infestation. Soon enough, the marines and Ripley become trapped in the compound and they must find a way out without being killed by the aliens. There are many magnificent action scenes in this movie, but you'd expect that from director James Cameron. Some people may not like that all of the suspense and horror was taken out to make room for shooting. The DVD includes a photo gallery, an interview with the director, and a longer version of the film. 1986; filmed in 1:85:1 widescreen. RUN TIME: 154 minutes. GRADE: B+.

ALIEN 3: Underrated sequel in which Ripley crashes on a planet where there is a huge prison inhabited by ex-cons. Soon enough, Ripley realizes that an alien has somehow gotten in to the prison. Now, Ripley must lead the ex-cons (which includes CHARLES DANCE and CHARLES S. DUTTON) to destroy the beast, but it's more complicated because in the prison there are no weapons of any kind. Director David Fincer (Fight club, Se7en) utilizes the same concepts as director Ridley Scott did in the original movie. There is much bloodshed/gore in this movie and the alien sometimes looks fake, but Alien 3 has by far the best finale of the entire series. 1992; filmed in 2:35:1 widescreen. RUN TIME: 115 minutes. GRADE: B-.

ALIEN RESURRECTION: Interesting but unbelievable sequel has Ripley being cloned with alien DNA on a medical research ship 200 years in the future where experiments on aliens are being performed. Soon enough, the aliens escape and all hell brakes loose (again) on the ship. Ripley, along with a band of smugglers (which includes MICHAEL WINCOTT and RON PERLMAN), a scientist, and a security guard (RAYMOND CRUZ) must make it to an escape ship before they are killed and the ship blows up. Director Jean-Pierre Jeaunet fills the movie with absurd close-ups and gore aplenty, (more than Alien 3) but still manages to create a humorous, action packed movie with some good special effects and chilling music. Some people may not like the ending. 1997; filmed in 2:35:1 widescreen. RUN TIME: 108 minutes. GRADE: C+.

Good series, but I advise you not to buy this set because it lacks special features. There will most likely be a re-release loaded with commentaries, documentaires, etc so just wait for that.

493 minutes; all films are Rated R for scenes of strong violence/gore, frequent strong language, disturbing images, and some sensuality.