Review; Alien: The Official Movie Novelizations |
Publisher: Audible Studios
|
by Paul Fiander
Alien: The Official Movie Novelization
Written by: Alan Dean Foster Narrated by: Peter Guinness Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins |
Aliens: The Official Movie Novelization
Written by: Alan Dean Foster Narrated by: William Hope Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins |
Alien 3: The Official Movie Novelization
Written by: Alan Dean Foster Narrated by: Peter Guinness Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins |
Alien: Resurrection: The Official Movie Novelization
Written by: A. C. Crispin Narrated by: William Hope Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins |
I will be reviewing each book in turn in the future but for Aliens day I thought I would look at the series instead of each book in an individual manner.
The series has two writers first and foremost with Alan Dean Foster taking the reigns on Alien, Aliens and Alien 3, when it comes to Alien Resurrection A.C.Crispin takes the helm. Even though we have one writer doing the majority of the lifting these are novelisations based on screenplays so the nature of the characters and stories do change throughout. If you are a newcomer to the series then the change in narrative style could be jarring but the beauty of the Alien franchise is the way it embraces its creators and allows them to put their stamp on the movies/books.
The best example of this has to Alien vs Alien, the brainchildren of Ridley Scott and James Cameron respectively you could be forgiven for thinking they are from separate franchises. Scott’s low key horror esque tale is in stark contrast to Cameron’s balls and all action orientated tale. This difference in styles makes for a difficult decision as to deciding which is better, at least for me. In audiobook format though I have to go with Alien for a few reasons firstly the narrator.
Peter Guinness is the voice that takes you through the tale in both Alien and Alien . The actor actually played Gregor in Alien 3 so I do have a slight bit of admitted bias. He however gets to narrate the more English stories. These are the low key affairs where his deep voice feels not only commanding but also feels you with a sense of unease. In other words perfect for the stories.
Aliens and Alien Resurrection are narrated by William Hope and he does a fine job. He is not over dramatic despite the almost apocalyptic events he has to deal with throughout his turns. I do have a soft spot for his Newt depiction as he plays it well without becoming whiney which is true to the character. Unfortunately though he is hamstrung by Aliens as for some unknown reason all the swearing has been removed. This is a story filled with Marines and the lack of swearing especially when it occurs in other books just feels off. This though is one complaint amongst a very enjoyable experience throughout the four Narrations.
My biggest surprise was Alien Resurrection the Joss Whedon penned film is generally seen as the worst of all the films and while it can not reach the first 2 I have always had a soft spot for it. The narration though is filled with the thoughts of not only Ripley but also the Aliens from the Warriors to the Queen. This would not work as well on screen but in this format it add an extra layer of depth to an often overlooked story.
This of course leaves us with Alien 3, I will openly and wholeheartedly stand up for this film. It has its issues but for the most part it’s an intriguing look into redemption. The characters are menacing and Ripley is in constant turmoil throughout. The return to the Alien threat is a welcome change and I think it is a great pairing with Alien and when looked at that way it should be more appealing.
All in all this is a great series and well worth the time and money investment it takes to get through the entire collection. Now to look forward to Out of The Shadows.
The series has two writers first and foremost with Alan Dean Foster taking the reigns on Alien, Aliens and Alien 3, when it comes to Alien Resurrection A.C.Crispin takes the helm. Even though we have one writer doing the majority of the lifting these are novelisations based on screenplays so the nature of the characters and stories do change throughout. If you are a newcomer to the series then the change in narrative style could be jarring but the beauty of the Alien franchise is the way it embraces its creators and allows them to put their stamp on the movies/books.
The best example of this has to Alien vs Alien, the brainchildren of Ridley Scott and James Cameron respectively you could be forgiven for thinking they are from separate franchises. Scott’s low key horror esque tale is in stark contrast to Cameron’s balls and all action orientated tale. This difference in styles makes for a difficult decision as to deciding which is better, at least for me. In audiobook format though I have to go with Alien for a few reasons firstly the narrator.
Peter Guinness is the voice that takes you through the tale in both Alien and Alien . The actor actually played Gregor in Alien 3 so I do have a slight bit of admitted bias. He however gets to narrate the more English stories. These are the low key affairs where his deep voice feels not only commanding but also feels you with a sense of unease. In other words perfect for the stories.
Aliens and Alien Resurrection are narrated by William Hope and he does a fine job. He is not over dramatic despite the almost apocalyptic events he has to deal with throughout his turns. I do have a soft spot for his Newt depiction as he plays it well without becoming whiney which is true to the character. Unfortunately though he is hamstrung by Aliens as for some unknown reason all the swearing has been removed. This is a story filled with Marines and the lack of swearing especially when it occurs in other books just feels off. This though is one complaint amongst a very enjoyable experience throughout the four Narrations.
My biggest surprise was Alien Resurrection the Joss Whedon penned film is generally seen as the worst of all the films and while it can not reach the first 2 I have always had a soft spot for it. The narration though is filled with the thoughts of not only Ripley but also the Aliens from the Warriors to the Queen. This would not work as well on screen but in this format it add an extra layer of depth to an often overlooked story.
This of course leaves us with Alien 3, I will openly and wholeheartedly stand up for this film. It has its issues but for the most part it’s an intriguing look into redemption. The characters are menacing and Ripley is in constant turmoil throughout. The return to the Alien threat is a welcome change and I think it is a great pairing with Alien and when looked at that way it should be more appealing.
All in all this is a great series and well worth the time and money investment it takes to get through the entire collection. Now to look forward to Out of The Shadows.
