10 Director's Cuts That Seriously Improve Movies

10. Aliens Special Edition (1991)

James Cameron's endeavour to progress the Alien franchise was a triumphant success. He paid homage to the tension-building sense of claustrophobia established in the first movie, without it being the crutch of his own story. You had horror elements and plenty of jump scares, but the central theme revolved around action.

No one would argue that the theatrical cut is anything but a masterpiece. It took the Alien franchise in a new direction, while paying the utmost respect to the first movie. Filled with bug-stomping Marines, numerous quotable lines, and a hell of a lot of action, it not only did the first movie proud, it surpassed it.

The 1991 extended version only added to its legacy. There's an extended sequences which sees the Marines deploy a number of automated gun turrets to fight off the Xenomorphs, which amounts to a few more thrills. But other scenes help flesh out several plot points and character arcs.

Ripely for example is shown discovering her daughter died during her absence - an omission from the original cut that Sigourney Weaver was furious about. We're also shown a sequence on LV 426, shedding light on how Newt (Rebecca Jorden) lost her own family. Taken together, the scenes add depth to the Ripley/Newt relationship.