Review of Aliens (1986) by Renzo V — 03 May 2014

"THE RETURN TO LV-426: THIS TIME, IT'S WAR!".

- One of my favorite films (if not, the most favorite) is the 1986 sci-fi action film 'Aliens' by genius director James Cameron (Titanic, Terminator 2). It's the second installment of the very popular 'Alien'-film franchise and in my honest opinion even better than its predecessor 'Alien' by Ridley Scot (The Gladiator, Prometheus). Where the first movie was brilliant due to the claustrophobic setting that caused a very scary atmosphere, this sequel takes it one step further as the story takes place on a colonial setting on the planet LV-426, where action, suspense and dazzling special effects will make you sit on the edge of your seat. I just love that we get to see what happens to Ellen Ripley, the only survivor of the first film and cinema's strongest female character ever. "Get away from her, you bitch" will forever be engraved inside my mind. Ripley is played by returning cast member Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters, Avatar) and gets the support of Michael Biehn (The Abyss, The Terminator), Lance Hendriksen (Near Dark, Man's Best Friend), Paul Reiser (Beverly Hills Cop, Diner), Bill Paxton (Twister, Titanic), Janette Goldstein (Near Dark, Terminator 2), William Hope (Legacy: Black Ops, Captain America: the First Avenger) and introducing Carrie Henn as Newt. Make sure to see the Special Edition; that really adds to the original storyline. Aliens, this time it's war!

After drifting 57 years in space, the escape shuttle from the Nostromo is found and last surviving member of the vessel, Lieutenant Ellen Ripley (Weaver) and her cat Jones awaken from their cryogenic sleep. At the Gateway Station in front of the Earth, Ripley learns that her daughter has passed away and that she needs to answer to a group of executives of her former employer, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, to what happened with the Nostromo. She is advised by the Company's representative Carter Burke (Reiser). During the interview, nobody believes her story about the alien life form and Ripley is shocked to hear that the planet, LV-426, is being terraformed by colonist families.

When all communication with LV-426 is lost, the Company wants to dispatch a group of Colonial Marines to investigate. Burke comes knocking on Ripley's door and brings Lieutenant Gorman (Hope) to convince the woman to join them on their mission as an advisor and doing so restoring her status. At first she refuses, but after having a tormented dream she calls Burke and agrees.

Aboard the warship Sulaco, Ripley meets a dozen of Colonial Marines, including Sergeant Apone, Corporal Hicks (Biehn), privates Vasquez (Goldstein), Drake, Dietrich, Crowe, Frost, Hudson (Paxton), Wierzbowski, pilot Ferro and co-pilot Spunkmeyer, and the android Bishop (Hendriksen), to who Ripley is hostile because of what happened with Ash in the first movie. Arriving at LV-426, the team finds the base of Bradley's Hope intact, but barricaded. There is no sign of any civilian life. It doesn't take long before all hell breaks loose and Ripley is once again faced with the demons from her past...