Released: 1986
Directed by: James Cameron
Cast:
Sigourney Weaver: Ripley
Michael Beihn: Hicks
Bill Paxton: Hudson
William Hope: Lt. Gorman
Paul Reiser: Burke
In 1979, movie audiences were shown a science fiction film like no other. Instead of the uplifting “what happens when we meet aliens” theme of Close Encounters of The Third Kind and the fantasy world of Star Wars, the world got a terrifying look at the unknown. Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, introduced the world to a new kind of monster: The xenomorph. Taking place on the claustrophobic ship, The Nostromo, the crew battled for survival against an unseen creature that picked them off one by one until only one remained. Alien was a major box office hit. It was enough of a hit that 20th Century Fox commissioned a sequel. Not wanting to tread down the same path that Alien did, they decided to take the franchise into a different direction.
As the film opens, we see a lone ship floating through space when it is picked up by a salvaging vessel. The salvage people discover a lone survivor: Ripley(Sigourney Weaver). Waking up on a strange space station, Ripley is greeted by Weyland-Yutani exec, Carter Burke(Paul Reiser), who informs Ripley that she’s been in hypersleep for 57 years. Later, at a hearing, Ripley’s report of what happened on the Nostromo are met with criticism. She also finds out that there is a colony on the planet LV-426, the same planet on which the Nostromo encountered the vicious creature. When they lose contact with the colony, Burke and Lt. Gorman(William Hope)of the Colonial Marine Corps convince Ripley to join to find out what happened. Accompanied by marines such as Corporal Hicks(Michael Beihn), Private Hudson(Bill Paxton), Private Vasquez(Jenette Goldstein), and an android: Bishop(Lance Henriksen), they arrive at the colony to find it deserted, save one little girl, Newt(Carrie Henn).
As far as movie sequels go, it’s rare to find one that almost outdoes the original film. James Cameron’s Aliens does almost exactly that. Fox Studios wanted a sequel, but they didn’t want a rehash of the original film, so James Cameron was brought to direct a more action-oriented picture. Hot off the success of the original Terminator, Cameron was given the opportunity to create a worthy follow-up to one of the most iconic movies ever made. He was also given license to redesign the creature as long as it remained true to the essence of the original monster. Adding different life-cycles to the xenomorph, made the species more of a threat, especially when the Queen Alien is introduced. Having the film take place 57 years after the original film, also helped reduce the temptation to do another “haunted house in space” kind of movie. Where Alien was a psychological thriller/monster movie, Aliens is more of an action movie. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its fair share of surprises, however. The performances in the film are outstanding. Everyone brings their A-game. Carrie Henn, who plays Newt, had no prior acting experience or training, does remarkably well among her more seasoned co-workers. Bill Paxton plays the smart-ass Hudson, while seemingly a coward at times, steps up to the plate when the going gets rough. Jenette Goldstein plays the tough chick marine, Vasquez. She’s as bad-ass as they come, armed with a powerful smart-gun, which is the future-equivalent of a mini-gun. Paul Reiser is fantastic as the corporate weasel, Burke. The two real standouts in the supporting cast are Michael Beihn and Lance Henriksen, both of whom appeared in The Terminator. Beihn plays the loyal and confident Hicks who packs a shotgun, “for close encounters.” Henriksen brings a surprisingly human quality to his role of the android, Bishop. We learn right from the get-go that he’s an android, so that sets up some tension between him and Ripley. The REAL star of this film franchise is Sigourney Weaver.
While Alien put Weaver on the map, it was Aliens that really cemented her as the action heroine of the decade. The first movie had Ripley trying to survive, Aliens has her going on the war-path and it works very well. The character’s relationship with Newt is initially one of kinship, as both are orphans and survivors in a way. But their relationship gets stronger as events continue to spiral out of control. Mrs. Weaver was nominated for an Academy Award for best actress for her portrayal of Ripley in Aliens. Getting nominated for a science fiction movie is extraordinarily rare when it comes to the Academy. But it’s easy to see why Sigourney was nominated. Her performance anchors the whole film, and while her character is beaten down by tragedy, her relationship with Newt gives her new reason to keep going.
The differences between this movie and its predecessor are night and day. As I said before, this is an action movie and the action is absolutely intense. From the marines first encounter with the xenomorphs in the atmosphere processor to the final battle on the Sulaco, the tension and the excitement ramp up with each encounter. The movie gives us some very iconic sci-fi weaponry: The M41A pulse rifle with a pump-action grenade launcher(I SOOOOOO want one.), the smartgun, which automatically goes after moving targets, and the flamethrower.
Like the previous film, Aliens has many iconic elements. One of which is important in a movie like this: The music. Composed by James Horner, the music of Aliens goes from the quiet emotional moments to the highly action-packed militaristic pieces that really amp up the film. The sequence in which Ripley rescues the marines has you on the edge of your seat. The music during that sequence really pulls you in. During production, James Horner’s relationship with James Cameron became pretty rough, because Cameron was demanding Horner do some things in a specific time frame which Horner wasn’t particularly keen on. I have the soundtrack to the film, and a lot of what you hear on the soundtrack isn’t in the movie itself. What is in the movie is incredible. In fact, one of the pieces became so iconic that it was used in action movie trailers after Aliens was released.
Like the original, there really isn’t a whole lot wrong with Aliens. In fact, this possibly one the best examples of how to make a good sequel: Acknowledge what came before, while giving the audience something new. There is a reason why James Cameron is a damn good filmmaker, and Aliens is one of the prime examples why. He gets compelling performances out of his lead actors and gives the audience one hell of an action movie. Aliens was released to really great reviews back in 1986. 4 years later, James Cameron reintroduced 15 minutes of new footage into the film and re-released the film on home video as a Special Edition. A lot of that new footage actually fleshes out characters a bit more, especially Ripley. We find out in the extended version that Ripley was a mother, and that her daughter died while Ripley was still floating around out there somewhere. That actually gives Ripley’s relationship to Newt more emotional depth and cements the bond between the two. We also get more of Hudson’s goofiness during the drop. While there are extended cuts, there are several that truly stand out. After Ripley’s hearing, the film actually cuts to the colony on LV-426 before it was overrun. We also get to see the ship from the first movie. But this also shows where everything starts going to hell in a hand-basket. The other memorable sequence involves robot sentries, which are automated machine guns. Which version is better? I prefer the extended version as it feels like a more complete experience. Overall, I consider Aliens to be one of the best science fiction movies out there. As a sequel, it is definitely a cut above the rest. It’s just as compelling as the original film, but it has more action. Whether you choose the theatrical version or the Special Edition, Aliens gets a 10/10.