- Starring
- Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton
- Director
- James Cameron
- Rating
- R
- Genre
- Action, Horror, Thriller, Sci-Fi
- Release date
- July 14, 1986
- Where to watch
- Starz
Overall Score
Rating Overview
Rating Summary
Aliens is a science fiction horror film that is the sequel to the 1979 film Alien. Directed by James Cameron, the film follows the character of Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, as she returns to the planet where the alien was encountered, this time as part of a military operation to eliminate the alien threat.
Aliens
The film is a masterful blend of action, suspense, and horror. The pacing is relentless, and the tension is almost unbearable at times. The special effects are top-notch, and the alien itself is even more terrifying than in the first film. Weaver gives a powerful performance as Ripley, and the supporting cast, including Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton, are also strong.
One of the things that makes Aliens so effective is the way it builds on the mythology of the first film. The alien is no longer just a monster in a haunted house but a force of nature that must be reckoned with. Cameron also adds a new layer to the story by introducing the idea of a colony on the planet, which adds another dimension to the terror. The film is not only about the fight for survival but also about its psychological impact on the characters, especially on Ripley.
The tension and suspense throughout the film are expertly crafted; each scene is designed to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and make them wonder what will happen next. The film also does an excellent job of building the world and the background of the story. The colony on the planet is well-realized, and the characters are well-defined and relatable.
This sequel is an excellent film that surpasses the original in many ways. It is a thrilling and terrifying film that is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The film’s ability to build on the mythology of the first film, blending action, suspense, and horror in such a masterful way, and the strong performances make it a must-watch for fans of the genre. Highly recommended.
WOKE ELEMENTS
They Mostly Woke Out At Night. Mostly
- The good old pre-woke days.
James Carrick
James Carrick is a passionate film enthusiast with a degree in theater and philosophy. James approaches dramatic criticism from a philosophic foundation grounded in aesthetics and ethics, offering insight and analysis that reveals layers of cinematic narrative with a touch of irreverence and a dash of snark.
2 comments
Dredd Martyr
May 23, 2023 at 9:03 pm
This was one of my favourite movies to watch when I was a kid. My mother had to take away the VHS tape because since I watched it almost daily, she was concerned it was making 10 year old me morbid. lol. Sigourney Weaver played Ripley perfectly and portrayed a woman suffering from PTSD as a result of her initial encounter in the previous film. 29 years later, I still adore Ripley’s character as a woman with real emotions and conflicted with fear and determination to survive. Her badass ability stems from her digging deep to find that strength within herself to endure the horrors. It’s so well shown even when she (almost) gave up until Newt was calling out for her and it refueled Ripley’s resolve. Just brilliant direction and acting together to make a character that will be immortalised as an icon that today’s female characters just don’t even come close.
S
March 23, 2024 at 4:07 pm
Not as terrifying as the original but a surprisingly excellent sequel to the first.
One of the examples of having a female character that can get shit done without being preaching modern insanity or having to be at the expense of others.
The men in the film that fail, do so by being ambushed or overconfident against an unknown force while the heroine is able to scrape by more gracefully(compared to the first film) with her direct experience with the nightmare creatures that are the xenomorphs.
The only bittersweet element for diehard fans is not getting to see a continuation of how the lore of the original Alien movie would play out without the change of direction this sequel provided. For those not in the know the original Alien is nigh indestructible & forms eggs with the bodies of the crew(deleted scene) before capturing a live human for facehugging rather than the Queen of the sequel. The cost to making one Xenomorph is great but the Return On Investment provides a creature that could barely be thwarted with an airlock, yes the Alien in the original movie didn’t even die! It’s just floating around endlessly.