8 Movie Franchises That Should Have Quit While They Were Ahead

When It Should Have Quit: Aliens (with a caveat)

There's been two Alien-related products since Aliens in 1986 that I would say are worthy of the protracted series extension: the first is Prometheus, which isn't terrible as itself, even if it is rather lacklustre as an expansion of the mythology; the second is Alien: Isolation, a video game built around replicating the visual style, atmosphere and fear of the original. So, one thing that's hard to not describe as a disappointment and another that's riffing on the first movie. Does that make suffering through Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection, Alien Vs Predator, AVP: Requiem and a slew of usually iffy games? I mean, Isolation was good, but that's a lot of sh*t to sift through.

Like Terminator, there appears to be a major struggle to figure out how to make an Alien movie, with most expansions far too desperate to expand the mythology while placing the action into more generic sci-fi horror scenarios, exemplified by a decade-long obsession on Fox's part with pitting the xenomorph against the Yautja. Why not, again like with Terminator, leave it with Cameron's superb sequel?

With all that being said, I will cite Alien here with a bit of a disclaimer, however; Alien: Covenant hits next August and looks to be the film Prometheus promised to be with the stylistic approach of Isolation. Now that could be a redeemer.