Ridley Scott’s 1986 sci-fi classic Aliens is one of the most suspenseful and action-packed films of all time. The story follows Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) as she returns to the planet where she first encountered the deadly aliens, only to find that they have now overrun the facility. With a group of marines, she sets out to destroy the aliens before they can escape and wreak havoc on the human race.
As far as sequels go this is one of the best I’ve yet seen, it doesn’t try to better or replace the original it kind of complements it. With Aliens the focus is less on sheer horror, it’s geared more in an action thriller way, delivering thrills by the bucket load. The storyline is excellently paced and the dramatic build up’s are superbly executed by Director James Cameron and Editor Ray Lovejoy.
Acting wise this movie’s strong, with Sigourney Weaver reprising her role as Ripley, except this time she’s more ‘battle hardened’ and weary. It’s worth noting that Sigourney Weaver was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Ripley in this movie. Bill Paxton does a brilliant job as Hudson, the over reactionary marine who’s got some amazing one-liners. Jenette Goldstein, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, etc, all these actors bring their individual characters to life in a brilliant way which elevates this movie a lot, with any lesser a calibre of actors, Aliens could have fallen flat on it’s face.
The movie is creepy as hell and it’s aged tremendously, the suspense build up when the aliens assault the marine barricade is almost palpable. That tracker gizmo helps the suspense build up immensely. There’s a few scenes with gore but by modern day standards it’s nothing heavy. Most of the horror/terror is built using psychological principles and clever lighting.
This is one of my favourite movies period, maybe not as original as it’s predecessor, but it’s as well executed in my opinion. Fantastic acting, script, directing, special effects (Oscar winning special effects in fact), a definite must see for all movie fans.
Aliens is a masterfully crafted film that is full of thrills and scares. The acting is top-notch, the special effects are groundbreaking, and the direction is flawless. This is a film that is sure to entertain and send chills down your spine.
Synopsis
The movie opens with a shot of a planet’s surface. A spaceship is seen landing on the planet. The ship’s crew, consisting of six soldiers, exits the ship and begins to explore the planet. They soon find a crashed ship and a dead body. The soldiers are then attacked by a group of aliens. The soldiers manage to kill some of the aliens, but they are soon outnumbered and forced to retreat back to their ship.
The soldiers return to their ship and take off. They then receive a distress call from a nearby planet. The soldiers investigate the planet and find a colony of humans that are under attack by the aliens. The soldiers help the humans fight off the aliens and eventually kill the alien queen. With the aliens defeated, the humans are safe and the soldiers return to their own planet.
Movie Details
Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn
Release Year: 1986