It is a rare thing indeed to find a movie sequel that outstrips the original. Terminator 2, perhaps. The Godfather Part II, probably. The Dark Knight, definitely. But greater sequels are hard to find.

With Alien: Earth here, a lot of fans are rewatching the Alien films and reacquainting themselves with Ellen Ripley, xenomorphs, and the corporations who run things. And as someone who grew up with ...