Alien (1979) was so perfect it didn't need fixing, and Ridley Scott's 2003 Director's Cut is fiddling for the sake of it. Watch once then return to the majestic, perfectly paced original. Conversely the Special Edition of James Cameron's Aliens (1986) is the definitive version, though it's nice finally to have the theatrical cut on DVD for comparison. Most interesting is the alternative Alien3 (1992). This isn't a "director's cut"--David Fincher refused to have any involvement with this release--but a 1991 work-print that runs 29 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and has now been restored, remastered and finished-off with (unfortunately) cheap new CGI. Still, it's truly fascinating, offering a different insight into a flawed masterpiece. The expanded opening is visually breathtaking, the central firestorm is much longer, and a subplot involving Paul McGann's character adds considerable depth to the story. The ending is also subtly but significantly different. Alien Resurrection (1997) was always a mess with a handful of brilliant scenes, and the Special Edition just makes it eight minutes longer.

On the DVD: Alien Quadrilogy offers all films except Alien3 with DTS soundtracks, the latter having still fine Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. All four films sound fantastic, with much low-level detail revealed for the first time. Each is anamorphically enhanced at the correct original aspect ratio, and the prints and transfers are superlative. Every film offers a commentary that lends insight into the creative process--though the Scott-only commentary and isolated music score from the first Alien DVD release are missing here--and there are subtitles for hard of hearing both for the films and the commentaries.

Each movie is complemented by a separate disc packed with hours of seriously detailed documentaries (all presented at 4:3 with clips letterboxed), thousands of photos, production stills and storyboards, giving a level of inside information for the dedicated buff only surpassed by the Lord of the Rings extended DVD sets. A ninth DVD compiles miscellaneous material, including a Channel 4 hour-long documentary and even all the extras from the old Alien laserdisc. Exhaustive hardly begins to describe the Alien Quadrilogy, a set which establishes the new DVD benchmark for retrospective releases and which looks unlikely to be surpassed for some time. --Gary S Dalkin


Customer Reviews (Average 4.5 from 86) :
Alien feeding frenzy
Rating:5
Alien really speaks for itself, now more a classic in Si-Fi horror and the original and best, takes you to other worlds out of our safe environment. This box set is loaded with extras and has the uncut extended and original versions of all four Alien films, if you are thinking of buying Aliens, this is the ultimate one to get and well worth it for all the extras as well as all four movies in one set.

Great!
Rating:4
It's a great movie! Very nice history, but the subtitles... The movies only have English subtitles...

Wait for the BluRay
Rating:3
If you're considering playing this DVD boxset on an upscaling BluRay player I would strongly suggest waiting for the actual BluRay release itself.

There are 2 feature length films of each version squeezed onto a single DVD and the compression used really does show when you watch them through an upscaling BluRay player. Other DVDs in my collection look stunning when upscaled, almost as good as Bluray in some cases, but the films in this box set look like they've been transferred with not much care at all.

The extended version of Aliens looks just plain awful.

The extra bonus features that are included make this box set worth owning I guess But the definitive version of these movies?

Most definitely NOT.

Enough said!
Rating:5
It is a briliant film which easily survived the time lapse. I don't really know what to say other than that, except that it is a classic. It may not be 'epic' but for these films, they do not have to be. Well done Ridley Scott and James Cameron especially.

Alien Quadrilogy Review
Rating:4
This is a good box set, with many bonus features for each film, and both the director's cut and the originally shown version of all four Alien films.
Alien and Aliens have to be the best films, with the plot of Alien3 being weaker with much swearing and Alien Resurrection seeming to be becoming siller as the story progresses.

A good buy if a die hard Alien fan, otherwise I would recommend the Alien/Predator Total Destruction Collection, available for a similar price, but without all the bonus features and with the two Predator and the two Alien vs. Predator films as well.