Review of Aliens (1986) by Fabrizio P — 28 Dec 2017

Which one is better? Alien or Aliens? Who cares? Both are awesome movies. Aliens is a movie that shows that tonal shifts aren't always bad. While the first film was a horror-thriller about people having to ensure they make it through the end of the movie before the uninvited passenger murders their asses, this movie is more of an action movie which is all about Ripley becoming a badass with Sigourney Weaver inhabiting the role and no longer being the character who was the last person people expected to survive the first film.

The special effects have aged remarkably well much like the first movie. No CGI. Everything was really there and I agree that the Alien Queen is hands-down the BEST animatronic in a movie. Personally, I believe that the movie is a build-up to that awesome pre-ass kicking one-liner.

The action sequences are amazing. Rather than blowing something up every ten minutes, we instead have to patiently wait for the chaos to come, ESPECIALLY if you're watching the director's cut.

And when it appears, it's amazing. Maybe I misjudged you, James Cameron since I thought Terminator was good yet overrated and I hated Avatar the first time I saw it. I might give the latter a second chance one day.

I haven't watched it in years. Deep down, Aliens is also a story about motherly instinct. The Alien Queen is essentially just pissed that humans are murdering her babies and Ripley is essentially being a surrogate mother to the accent-challenged Newt so that she could be the mother she failed to be for her own daughter.

An original draft of the script is really harsh with it by going to the Interstellar Academy of Outliving Your Kids. Watch the disc with the special features on it. You'll see what I mean. If you enjoyed Alien, you'll be blown away by Aliens with its action sequences, memorable characters and remarkable non-CG special effects that stand the test of time.