Aliens Movie Review

One of those rare sequels that equals, or arguably, surpasses the original. James Cameron fulfilled the promise of The Terminator with this state-of-the-art thriller that particularly revitalized the action film. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley, who reluctantly agrees to lead an expedition back to Acheron, home of the acid-dripping beast that made mincemeat out of her colleagues way back when (she has been in hyper-sleep for 50 years!). Harry, Yaphet, John, Tom, and Veronica are sorely missed, as her new crew is mostly an indistinguishable, foul-mouthed group, the exceptions being Terminator’s Michael Biehn, Mad About You’s Paul Reiser as a bureaucratic slimeball, and Lance Henrikson as a sympathetic android. But all that is forgotten and forgiven once the mother of all monster battles begins. Young Carrie Henn co-stars as Newt, the lone survivor of the alien-infested colony, who reawakens Ripley's maternal instincts (a hint of the subplot about Ripley's own daughter that was left on the cutting room floor). The special effects won an Academy Award. The Alien trilogy is also available as a box set.

1986 (R) 138m/C Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser, Carrie Henn, Jenette Goldstein; D: James Cameron; W: James Cameron, Walter Hill; M: James Horner. Hugos ‘87: Dramatic Presentation; Academy Awards ‘86: Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects; Nominations: Academy Awards ‘86: Best Actress (Weaver), Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Original Score. VHS, Beta, LV FOX