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Summary: In Your Living Room, Your Entire Family Can Hear You Scream
Review: "Aliens" is that rarest of movies: - A sequel which surpasses a popular original; - A movie with an unknown cast, many of whom (Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, et al)went on to become major players in Hollywood); - A pro-military Hollywood flick; - A well-stirred mixture of scifi, horror, comedy, war movie, and political satire which somehow comes off as realistic nonethelessNow add a "Special Edition" which is truly significant to the mix. "Aliens-The Special Edition" includes about 20 minutes of additional footage to this classic popcorn flick. Believe it or not, the additional footage actually improves the movie, providing more background to the alien infestation of the terraforming colony and adding to the dramatic tension as the aliens attack the colonial marines and prove they are smarter than previously thought. For those few who have never seen this movie, it concerns the return of flight lieutenant Ripley to the system where her original crew had encountered a vicious alien species, an encounter which only Ripley survived. After drifting through space in suspended animation for two generations, Ripley finds that the planet where the aliens were discovered has been settled by terraformers hoping to turn it into a colony. The settlers soon find a an alien shipwreck and a cargo of alien eggs, after which all contact is lost. Ripley then accompanies a squadron of gung-ho colonial marines to the planet to investigate. Needless to say, this is anything but a routine mission. Director James Cameron had the onerous task of trying to outdo Ridley Scott (director of "Alien") at his own game. Powered by a superb cast including Biehn, Paxton, Lars Henrikson, Paul Reiser, and Sigourney Weaver, Cameron accomplishes his mission---his sequel is even scarier and more tightly-plotted than its predecessor. Grab a copy of this incredible movie by any means necessary, but when you watch it, do yourself a favor--leave the lights on.
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Summary: They mostly come at night...mostly
Review: "Aliens" is the near perfect sequel to the original "Alien" movie. Much of the credit for its excellence must go to James Cameron, who both wrote the screenplay, and also directed, what is generally acknowledged as a classic in the genre... Full of twists and turns, Aliens holds your attention to the very end. This film firmly established the character Ripley as a science fiction icon, and helped define the female action hero. Like the original, Aliens has a good supporting cast, though perhaps not as distinguished. Paul Reiser, has probably never done a better job of acting, than he does here in the role of Burke, a pure weasel who ... Bill Paxson is the soldier Hudson,... Young actress Carrie Henn is wonderful as Newt. Michael Biehn, is Hicks, a levelheaded corporal ... Jenette Goldstein makes her film debut as the soldier Vasquez. And Lance Hendrickson is Bishop, a "synthetic" you can trust.
The special effects hold up rather well, though most of exterior scenes of the planet, buildings, vehicles and ships look a bit dated. It's interesting to note that radio and video communication, so far in the future, is so poor. And they still haven't improved those silly proximity meters, the ones that don't tell you where the enemy is until they are on top of you. The special edition DVD contains 17 minutes of additional scenes that flesh out and complete the story. We learn more about Ripley's daughter, and what happened to the colonists on LV-426. The background provides insight into Ripley's relationship with Newt. Also included is an interview with James Cameron, which provides information about the film and also the man. Aliens SE, while not replete with extras, does provide a completed version of this terrific film. Your SF collection, would not be complete without this thriller.
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Summary: THIS TIME IT'S WAR!
Review: "I got readings! I got readings front and behind!" There is little doubt what my personal favorite movie of 1986 is, and if you're reading this it should be pretty obvious. James Cameron's Aliens was such a departure from Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien in that it was a wholly different film. In its essence Alien was a haunted house in space, whereas Aliens was an action thriller, with both thriving on the one thing that scares us most - fear of the unknown. Scott did this by providing us with the house, in the case, the USCSS Nostromo, and the haunt- the Alien, the preceded to scare the hell out of us with it. In Aliens Cameron ups the ante- this time there are several aliens and the humans have guns. As the trailer said- "This time it's war!" "We're on an express elevator to hell: Goin' down!" Aliens takes up where Alien left off with Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in hypersleep aboard the escape shuttle, Narcisis, who has been adrift for fifty-seven years. Rescued by a deep-space salvage team she is returned to Earth where she meets Carter Burke (Paul Reiser), an executive with Wayland-Yutani, the company that sent the Nostromo to investigate the derelict alien craft in the first all those years ago. It's Burke's job to see that Ripley adjusts well to her new environment before throwing her at the mercy of the board of executives for her to explain why she blew up their expensive ship. Demanding an explanation, Ripley learns that the planet the crew of the Nostromo found the ship has been colonized and that the colonists found nothing. "We've lost contact with the colonists on LV-426." Dispatched with the US Colonial Marine Corps aboard the space battleship Sulaco, Ripley finds herself thrust back into her original nightmare against the creatures that slaughtered her crew. The colony has been wiped out and the colonists missing, all the while the marines are finding more and more evidence that backs up Ripley's original claim. And when the marines locate the colonists, all of whom are dead having served as hosts for new aliens, Ripley gains their respect when she singlehandedly rescues them. Weaver received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Ripley, but as we all know, science fiction movies never win non-technical awards. She gains the attention of Corporal Dwayne Hicks (Michael Biehn), but being competent, and the later the respect of the surviving marines. "Newt, wake up, we're in trouble!" Cameron expertly builds tension through out the film as the humans realize they are fighting a losing battle against their alien antagonizers. It becomes much more than a monster movie where the creatures pick off members of the cast one at a time until there are only a few left since most of the marines are killed in the debacle in the atmosphere processor. Instead, Cameron relies on things that go bump in the night, such as the sequence where Ripley wakes up after some much needed sleep only to discover that the traitoress Burke has placed two face hugger parasites in the room. As they scuttle about unseen, Ripley and Newt (Carrie Heine) must find away to escape. Cameron also makes good use of lighting in the film wherein he changes the look of his sets simply by changing his light sources. "Let's rock!" Most importantly the pace of the film is unrelenting, and I personally feel this is his best work.(Yeah, yeah, 'Titanic'? Who cares.) I remember how I felt after I saw the film on opening night during a warm June evening in 1986, I was so pumped with adrenaline that I could hardly keep still. I welcomed the nightmares, because I knew James Cameron was directing them. What is striking about this film is its technical brilliance which lends itself to every aspect of the movie- sets, special effects, characters, and atmosphere. Made at a time when films were beginning to creep into the stratospheric budget range, Cameron pulled Aliens together for $18 million, but considering how good the film looks, it comes across as being much more expensive than it really was. I also wish he would return to this style of film making, because the Aliens/Terminator stuff is what he's best at. "I say we dust off and nuke the site from orbit- it's the only way to be sure."
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Summary: GAME OVER MAN!!
Review: "In Space Nobody Can Hear You Scream" was the slogan for the terrifying space-horror film "Alien". The sequel, "Aliens" is nothing short of terrific. This film is nowhere near as horrifying as the original, instead, it is action-packed to the hilt. Director James Cameron, of Terminator fame, does an incredible job with special effects, story telling, and character development. The story basically picks up exactly where we last saw Ripley, floating through space on the escape ship where she battled the Alien from the first film. Ripley is found by a deep salvage team, and returned back to a space station orbiting Earth. As it turns out, Ripley has been drifting in outer space for 58 years. When Ripley destroyed the Nostromo in an effort to kill the Alien that slaughtered her entire crew, she cost the "company" millions of dollars, and upon her return, was stripped of her flight status. Burke, played by Paul Reiser, talks Ripley into joining a team of grunts in a military exercise to find a colony of people that were stationed on the Alien planet, and are now missing. The action ensues from there, as the grunts set up post in the colony stronghold, only to encounter Alien attacks. After many losses, and the finding of Newt, the only apparent survivor of the colony, Ripley fights the Queen of the aliens in a battle sequence for the ages. There are too many great things to say about this film. If you have never seen it, you have missed out on probably one of the best action films of all time. For a film made in 1986, it is definitely up to par with todays action films.
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Summary: Marines, We are Leaving!
Review: "Marines, we are leaving!" One of the most memorable lines from this modern day classic. Upon it's release on DVD - Director Cameron added an extra 17, or so, minutes of additional footage - which helps explains certain storylines within the movie. The video is crisp and the full vision of the Aliens' environment can be viewed. The sound in the movie theatres made this movie one of the scariest action films of all time - now we can enjoy the sound of the Aliens in our own home. (Just be careful if you have a good surround sound system - you may catch yourself look behind you to see if you can spot that Alien you just heard!) Also of note, is the "Behind the Scenes" portion of the DVD. It is always interesting to hear and see the movie being created.
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Summary: The best of the series!
Review: "Alien" was a great movie, but when I saw "Aliens", the first film paled in comparison. Definitely one of the best movies I have ever seen. It's packed with non-stop action, plenty of aliens, and a lot of violence. The Special Edition is even better, especially the scenes with the remote sentry units and when Newt's parents discover the alien ship that was in the first one. Anyone who hates this movie needs to get their head examined. This is my favorite of all the "Alien" movies. Unfortunately, the next two sequels ruined the series. Stick with the first two, instead.
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Summary: An Amazing Movie, Unberably Intense
Review: "Aliens" along with "Terminator 2" is a sequel that far surpasses the original. Everything about this movie is amazing, once the suspense starts the movie becomes almost unbearable, it is so intense that you almost can't stand it. It's ironic that both "Aliens" and "Terminator 2" are both directed by the great director James Cameron. After the movie is over you feel tired from watching this movie it wipes you out, but that's not a bad thing.
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Summary: "Alien" goes action
Review: "Aliens" is a fantastic action movie. Cameron knows how to do action movies and this one only worked to build up his now well known reputation. The extra scene add so much to this movie. The DVD has let me enjoy "Aliens" again. A must have for any Sci-Fi/Action fans.
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Summary: I always knew Paul Reiser was evil!!!
Review: "Aliens" is considered to be far better than the original "Alien", but I've always thought both were excellent! Where this series goes downhill is with the next two episodes --- both of which are awful! Still this second film in the series, is one heck of a scary adventure, and very well produced! For sci-fi terror, it just doesn't get any better!
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Summary: An emotional and physical roller-coaster ride of a movie!
Review: "Aliens" is indeed one of those rare sequals that surpasses the original. The same goes for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day". This movie is so intense, exciting, unsettling, and exhausting. The last half of the movie pumps up your heart and leaves your stomach in knots. Yet this is an action-thriller with a lot of depth and heart to it. What really grabed me most in this film was the relationship between Ripley [Sigourney Weaver] and the little girl Newt [Carrie Henn, who gives an excellent performance for a young kid]. These are characters we come to know and care about, something that is rare in action or sci-fi flicks. Supporting characters are also fantasic, my favorite being Hudson, played by Bill Paxton with sarcasm, guts, and energy. The extra 17 minutes of footage in this "Special Edition" help develop the plot and characters more. We see Newt's parents who search for the aliens in the colony, and we see her brother. We also learn that Ripley had a daughter once, who died a long time ago. These added scenes help the movie rather than hurt it. I recommend you get this "Special Edition" of this great action/sci-fi film while you can.
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