Following her latest appearance in Ridley Scott sci-fi horror Alien turned her into one of the genre’s most famous faces, and her career has only gone on from there.
Not only has Weaver appeared in a trio of Alien sequels, but the actor has also lent her talents to a range of iconic sci-fi movies. All told, Weaver has appeared in a whopping twelve sci-fi movies, more than many veterans of the genre manage in their entire careers. However, not all sci-fi movies are made equal, as proven by the critical reception of Weaver’s work in the genre.
While Weaver’s ing role in the horror-comedy Avatar. Here's how Sigourney Weaver’s sci-fi movies rank in comparison with each other.
Ghostbusters (2016)
The worst of Weaver’s sci-fi outings, 2016’s Ghostbusters was a reboot that made the fatal error of focusing on comedy over horror. Despite boasting a stellar cast including Melissa McCarthy and Leslie Jones, the third Ghostbusters movie prioritized jokes over scares and as such failed to recapture the deadpan, offbeat humor of the original movie. A major failure for the franchise, 2016’s Ghostbusters reboot was comparatively kind to Weaver who only had a minor role in the misjudged movie.
Alien: Resurrection
A disastrous addition to the fan-hated sequel Alien: Resurrection needed was the laughable Newborn and it comfortably became the franchise’s weakest outing and one of Weaver’s worst sci-fi movies.
Chappie
2015’s Chappie was not the disaster that many critics claimed, but it is a confused and confusing movie from director Neill Blomkamp. Too sweet to work as a barbed satire but too bloody to be a conventional comedy, Chappie’s inconsistent tone doomed the potentially promising project. Still, Hugh Jackman has a ball in his campy role and there are moments of fun in the flawed but watchable sci-fi/action/comedy/thriller/satire.
Alien 3
Director David Fincher effectively disowned Aliens survivor other than Ripley, and soon cut to the autopsy of a small child as if to underline its utterly hopeless tone. This relentlessly grim story made the sequel one of the Alien franchise’s least-liked outings.
Ghostbusters II
While far from a disaster, Ghostbusters II was the definition of an unnecessary sequel. Reuniting the heroes of the original movie, bringing back Weaver and Rick Moranis in their ing roles, and eventually even effectively recreating the ending of Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II felt too superfluous to be a memorable standalone horror-comedy. That said, it is a perfectly able sequel, and one that didn’t set the bar too high for the Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Wall-E
2008’s Wall-E was adored by critics upon release and remains a perfectly solid Pixar outing. That said, the simple story of a rubbish collecting robot who falls in love with his upgraded replacement is arguably a bit too simple given the length of its runtime. Wall-E’s environmental message is well-intentioned but, outside of some extended homages to Charlie Chaplin and silent cinema, there’s not a lot that makes this Pixar outing stand out.
Paul
Released in 2009, Arrested Development veteran Greg Mottola, Paul feels as quintessentially late ‘00s as the above plot summary implies. It’s a goofy, lightweight comedy that features a superb ing cast including Weaver, Jason Bateman, and Bill Hader, and while Paul’s brand of comedy may be a little dated, it’s an effective cinematic time capsule to 2009.
Avatar
Avatar was unfairly dismissed upon release as “Terminator 2: Judgment Day’s killer cop), but Avatar remains an engaging and visually immersive action epic with a worthwhile point under all its visual splendor.
Galaxy Quest
1999’s Galaxy Quest is easily Weaver’s most underrated sci-fi movie. The story of a group of washed-up actors from an old sci-fi series who are forced to help real aliens fight a real intergalactic war, the sci-fi comedy is both an affectionate satire of nerd culture and a solid sci-fi story of its own at the same time. A funny, charming exercise in meta-humor, Galaxy Quest also boasts an incredible cast including Sam Rockwell, Alan Rickman, and a game-as-always Weaver.
Ghostbusters
1984’s original Ghostbusters remains a sci-fi comedy classic, and Weaver’s pivotal role as Venkman’s sardonic love interest encapsulates the movie’s appeal in one character. By turns funny, flirtatious, and (when possessed) genuinely threatening, Weaver’s Dana embodies what makes the Ghostbusters franchise work. Combining humor and scares without sidelining either, Weaver’s role and Ghostbusters at large prove that horror-comedy can succeed with the right tonal balance.
Aliens
Director James Cameron’s Aliens is a rare case of a sequel that almost outdoes its original. Ripley is tougher, the story is bigger, the monsters are more numerous, and the tone is far more fun. With an irable streak of anti-corporate satire and a lot of heavy artillery, Aliens is the most shamelessly entertaining outing of the franchise and only loses out to Scott’s original movie as Aliens can’t quite recapture the terrifying intensity of the original. Still, while only her second-best sci-fi (and Cameron’s second-best horror movie), Aliens does win out as Weaver’s coolest performance.
Alien
1979’s Alien is one of the sci-fi horror sub-genre’s crowning artistic achievements. From the ambitious production design to the unforgettable monster, to the relentless pacing, to the charming cast, there’s not a weak link in Alien, and at the center of proceedings is Weaver’s extraordinary turn as Ellen Ripley. Vulnerable, resilient, believably scared but charismatic and funny nonetheless, Alien’s heroine is the beating heart of the movie and the secret to its success. It remains one of her best performances and makes Alien comfortably the best Sigourney Weaver sci-fi movie.
