Let's be honest, this is a better movie than Alien as it takes the aspect of making everything bigger and does it perfectly as it blends both horror and action more perfectly than the original. Sigourney Weaver (Ripley) is still perfect in this role and she honestly will go down as one of the most badass females in cinema history, but I loved the addition of Michael Biehn (Cpl. Dwayne Hicks) and Carrie Henn (Newt) who give this movie a lot more charm than the first one in my opinion as you care a lot for both these characters.
I gotta admit the practical effects in this film are so perfect as every environment looks just amazing and the Aliens look superb as well with the Queen Alien being something to truly behold. I'll admit the CGI is actually better in the first film as it was a better blend of CGI and Practical as different to this film being full CGI in those moments.
Its the last great Alien film in the franchise and if you are an Alien fan you will love it, yeah it's not as scary as the first one but James Cameron takes the premise of the original and cranks it up to 11 with more Aliens and bucket loads of action.
Three major observations from someone who has re-watched both Alien and Aliens quite a few times (and has seen the sequels once each... let's not talk about those haha).
First: given these movies are 30-40 years old, it is insane how well they have held up, effects included. The practical effects work on both these movies is stunning.
Second: these two movies work so well together in tandem, and make perfect sense from a plot perspective with the 50 year gap since the Alien ship was first discovered in between. With Alien, Ridley Scott gave us a really tight, terrifying, what the fuck is going style sci-fi horror movie that still works a treat to this day. With Aliens, James Cameron expanded the narrative scope of the universe in a really interesting way, and made an action thriller that in many ways is just as tense and terrifying as the first movie - turns out that whether you're an unarmed crew or a squad of marines, the aliens are going to go through you like butter regardless.
Third: even when judged just by on its own, individual merits, Aliens is excellent. 30 years later, and it remains one of the most spectacular action movies ever made. I've re-watched it very recently, and still had an absolute blast with it. The characters are fun as well, watching Ripley's character growth vs the first movie feels really genuine, and the pacing of the movie overall is flawless.
There's a reason it's so highly regard by so many - it's as close as we've ever gotten to a perfect sci-fi action thriller.
Good movie.:blush:
I don´t really understand this comparison with Alien (1976) that i see in the comments. Maybe is trying to pull off something?
The films are completely different, made at different times with different directors. For better or for worse, the 1976 film Alien has become a symbol and icon of cinema and horror films and without it it would not exist. After all, it is a sequel.
That said, the film is very well made. The film's standard of excellence is visible and even controversial. Since, there are making offs reporting the director's perfectionism that saw fights during the studio. The decision to make the alien movie an action movie was very smart - I'm not questioning taste or opinion. My interest is in the director's perception of changing the film's script into something more. I believe this creative decision was very good as it does not compete with another film and moves to a safer space for the director (see for example Terminator).
In this sense, all the aesthetic decisions come to create a different type of tension, it's not the same suspense as the previous one, but it works. And the film has several examples, whether it's the supporting characters dying all the time or even the sound that contributes to everything.
Anyway, the film is an action lesson. Although it will never be the same as the first film, it is worth seeing and respecting.
I recommend everyone watch it.
I appreciate that James Cameron went for "Aliens" instead of "Alien 2" with the title, as aesthetically we are talking about a completely different kind of movie. The eerie darkness and subtle Lovecraftian horror of "Alien" get replaced by a way more bombastic and adrenaline-filled approach. The raw and gritty art direction is gone for pure sci-fi sleekness, with sparkling lights, bright blueish photography.
Ripley is back on LV-426 with a full team of space marines to shoot the shit out of an entire alien colony. Dozens of monsters, massive shootouts, explosions, comic relief, mandatory child mascot. We even have a badass "Mecha" Ripley fight a pissed off Queen Xenomorph and yell the infamous: "Get Away From Her, You Bitch!". The original "Alien" team would have never shot anything like this.
Still, it is pretty solid as a brainless action blockbuster, maybe a bit too long. James Cameron is known for investing zillions of dollars in new techniques and technologies for his films and definitely managed to make something that could impress his contemporaries. The digital effects didn't age well, but the Xenomorphs' looks and movement fluidity have been significantly improved. I am not a big fan of the Queen, though: the concept itself is great, but it just looked like a wooden puppet (by the way, the scene it uses the elevator to chase Ripley was hilarious).
Suspenseful and terrifying like the original, but in completely different ways. Where Ridley Scott's first film was loaded up with atmosphere, exploration and an overwhelming sense of terrified wonder at the habits of an unfamiliar life form, James Cameron's sequel is faced with the task of expanding upon a theme that's already been fairly thoroughly prodded. Dropping the intellectual angles and dramatic pauses in favor of unbridled, run-and-gun chaos, it still manages to feel akin to its predecessor via more than a monster suit and lead actress.
While Aliens doesn't take as much time to appreciate the sights, they're still around, and they remain excellent examples of on-screen world building. The power of the aliens themselves seems very diminished - they're little more than waves of cannon fodder by the second act - but Cameron compensates with a bold determination to examine them as a versatile breed of fauna.
Although its dalliances into action tripes can be distracting, and a few lines of dialog are eyeball-spinningly cheeseball, the film is still a success. How much of that is due to its young director's touch, rather than the power of the galaxy that had been established in the original, is open for debate.
The rare movie that can get away with taking a moody, atmospheric horror genre piece and graft it onto the action conventions of the time, because it does it so well. I will take Alien any day, without apology or hesitation, but so many sequels today chase this achievement of ‘take this cult/niche hit and make it into a crowd pleaser action film’ and fail that you have to give this props. Believe me I’ve seen enough Predator movies try and fail that I have to. And it’s influence and staying power is undeniable. Hudson’s lines referenced for eternity. Apone being cloned for Halo. The Alien Queen’s design. Weaver as the centerpiece of it all… It just works! And Vazquez… my love…
It’s not that something was lost from the original so much that it was just changed, and which one you prefer will depend on your taste. Even the shift aside, however, I gotta say- Newt is not that strong. Flat acting, changing accents… she’s a plot device and a tool to show off Ripley’s character more than a character in of herself. While that’s serviceable for an action movie, it won’t elevate it. I find myself more attached to Ripley and Hicks. All in all a good time, this is the reason why generic ‘crowdpleasing’ action films in franchises receive so much criticism these days, cause this shows how it’s done.
The Five Faces of Aliens
:heart_eyes:
James Cameron once again proves he is a master of visual storytelling - everything from the cinematography to the production design and the visual effects still look so good, they could have appeared in a film made 15 years ago. The only thing giving away the fact Aliens is made in the 80s are the computer screens and the fashion sense.
The story fluently picks up from where the first movie left off and effectively pulls the viewer straight into a new adventure.
James Horner's music is used sparingly, in majestic spurs of tension, much like how the music was used in Alien.
It's once again Sigourney Weaver's show to steal and she still proves to be one to the greatest movie heroines ever created. She stands out as a character even better in this film, where she is surrounded by a bunch of less palpable characters.
Bishop is another memorable android in a string of great and creepy characters, and while he is perfectly realized by Lance Henriksen, he never reaches the same levels of intensity as Ian Holm in Alien before him and Michael Fassbender in the prequels after him.
Once the aliens finally appear, our long wait is awarded. Cameron grants us action scenes high on jump scares, chaos and adrenaline.
The script is simple and pulls in the viewer effectively, just like the first film. Cameron reuses most of the template molded by Ridley Scott for Alien, but makes it bigger and bolder. He doesn't try to develop or remodel established facts from Scott's film.
Cameron crafts some of the most impressive and intense action scenes in the franchise.
The acting is all around good, with Carrie Henn being surprisingly natural.
The final act is superbly crafted, with Cameron blending together every element he has used throughout the movie to present an intense and satisfying finale (think of it like the climax of Alien on steroids). It's not only the best finale of the franchise, it's also one of the best in any action film ever.
Aliens is a cleverly crafted, highly entertaining and impressively realized film expertly carried forward by Weaver in one of her best roles. It's one of the best sequels and action films ever created. It has withstood the test of time admirably.
:smiley:
The introduction expertly mimcs the atmosphere of the original movie.
This film takes a different approach, being a action-packed science fiction adventure, rather than an eerie space horror. Still, Cameron pays homage to Scott's original with lengthy sequences that slowly build up to explosive moments. This method has been commonly used in subsequent films in the franchise.
The supporting cast is greatly expanded and the script tries hard to let everyone stand out. Still, the only real standouts are Michael Biehn as Hicks, Bill Paxton as Hudson and William Hope as Gorman.
There isn't much of a story here, but at least Cameron leaves loads of room for dramatic tension rather than filling his two hours with mindless action.
:neutral_face:
Some of the editing in the action scenes is clumsy, which at times ruins the flow somewhat.
The subplot involving Newt doesn't really go anywhere and just adds one unnecessary layer to the story.
:frowning2:
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:face_vomiting:
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The Final Emoji: :heart_eyes:
Review by DeletedBlockedParentSpoilers2014-09-29T23:48:07Z
When it comes to the Alien franchise you need to do 2 things.
Remember that Alien is a straightforward horror movie and that Aliens is a straight up action movie with horror elements. The two exist in the same franchise universe but as movies are basically separate entities.
There are plenty of stories out there about how Ridley Scott (who created the franchise and original film) disliked the way James Cameron took the whole Alien entity in a different direction. His original vision had nothing to do with a hive like mentality, with a queen alien and so forth. So to enjoy both movies you have to look at them separately within the same universe... Confusing I know, but essential to get the most enjoyment out of both films.
It starts of very nicely, aping the opening feel of the original movie, and the pacing of the first act is slow and methodical. It shows that the 'company' is more concerned about it's profits than it's employees (sound familiar) and is more than willing to scapegoat the only survivor (we find out why shortly after).
Please note that I own and will only watch the directors cut of this movie. I think the extended scenes, added exterior shots and information about how the company sent out some of the settlers to see if Ripley's story was true... Adds a great deal to the viewing enjoyment and I highly recommend that everyone watches it.
By the end of the first act, we have found out that a family was sent out to the crash site from the original movie, and that one of them was attacked by a facehugger... and that contact with the colony on that planet was lost... So a rescue team is on it's way to investigate and they want Ripley along as an advisor/consultant.
The special effects for this movie are pretty damn good considering it's from 1986, James Cameron makes a lot of use of miniature sets with lots of attention paid to details. So the viewer finds it difficult to tell where the miniature set ends and full size begins.
The action and tension begins to get ramped up, there's some great dialogue and friction between members of the Marines and once again female characters are not only present, but there as fully fledged characters, not just some pathetic love interest to fulfill a plot requirement... and of course Sigourney Weaver in the lead role. It's one of the reasons that the Alien franchise has survived 4 films and it's entirely down to her character. The performances of the cast is excellent, the FX are great for the period and the buildup to the final conclusion works really well... and of course has led to the often used quote 'Get away from her you bitch" in many other movies... parody or not. It's become part of pop culture in the same way as Vader telling Luke that he's his father has (albeit to a lesser degree). You mention that line, and people know what/who you are quoting.
I've lost count of the number of times I have watched and purchased these movies over the decades... I owned them on VHS in widescreen directors cuts, then the 20th anniversary 5 disc DVD boxset... then the 25th 9 disc DVD boxset and now I have them on bluray.
I will not however be buying them again in 4K when they inevitably get released again... These movies, the original Star Wars trilogy, Terminator & T2 and The Crow are movies I have spent far too much money on buying again and gain over the years.