Review of Aliens (1986) by Anders P — 08 Jul 2013

For every dozen sequels that aren't as good as their originals, there comes a badass flick like Aliens that not only is as good as alien, but better in every category.

The Story of Aliens is that Ripley, still haunted and traumatized after the events of the first film, is asked by her employers: The Weyland-Yutani Corporation to take a squad of colonial marines to destroy a possible Xenomorph infestation there.

The performances by everyone in the cast are compelling and memorable, especially from Sigourney Weaver as Ripley who puts on one of, if not the, best performances I have ever seen on film. The sound design is also equally commendable; nothing is quite as memorable to me as the sound of a marine's pulse rifle firing, or the screeching of Xenomorphs. Speaking of Xenomorphs, I love the angle that director James Cameron took with them. We get to see more of the inner workings of their hive, how they think how they fight together, their thought process, how intelligent they can be, and just how dangerous they truly are.

The story is kind of familiar (Believe me, the idea of being trapped behind enemy lines isn't exactly new here) but I think that it works to the films advantage. It takes some of those familiar themes and adds a whole new layer to them and makes them fit into the alien universe. Like the previous film it takes the familiar Good vs Evil and adds a whole new dimension to it. A connection of Vietnam can also be made to this film (If you are reading this, please don't start a flame war) I mean think about it: We have over cocky, over confident, marines going into unknown territory to fight an enemy they don't quite understand, and are defeated by the enemy that uses unconventional tactics in battle. James Cameron even said that some of the designs (Weapons, ships, etc.) Were taken from the Vietnam War.

The films also takes the uncanny high levels of tension from Alien and cranks it up to a thousand. The dialogue is some of the best in cinematic history, and the characters are great as well. Another thing that must be mentioned, I also really liked the relationship between Newt and Ripley. It is portrayed realistically and adds a whole new dimension to the character of Ellen Ripley. Don't worry, Newt isn't annoying or stupid for a kid. In fact, she is actually really smart and reacts with brains instead of brawn. Hell, she even helps save Ripley at some points.

Aliens is a masterpiece. Great writing, special effects, amazing gripping story, good set design, great mood and tone, action, and horror all contribute to this being one of the best film of all time. F**k those that don't like this movie, whether or not Aliens is better than Alien can actually be debated till you're black and blue in the face. But what can't be debated is that Aliens is a not only a masterpiece of science-fiction, but also a masterpiece of cinema.