Aliens - In my opinion, THE sci-fi movie. Brought to us by the brilliant James Cameron - the guy responsible for many of my favorite movies of all time. (A douchey-douche if there ever was one, but man, that guy can direct the hell out of movie) After Ridley Scott's spectacularly terrifying Alien, it would be quite the challenge for anyone to take on a sequel. I mean, how many sequels can you name that are better or even live up to the original? Seven years later, 20th Century Fox handed the reins to Cameron and what he gave us didn't disappoint - an unadulterated, adrenaline-fueled thrill ride that made Alien look a little sleepy if I'm being honest. I shouldn't compare. They are two VERY different movies and each easily holds its own. Nonetheless, it's 30 years later and when I need a xenomorph fix, it's part 2 that always finds its way into my BluRay player.
Here are 5 reasons why:
1. Sigourney Weaver as our heroine, Ellen Ripley. In the original script for Alien, Ripley was a man, (Of course he was. Sigh.) but when Weaver auditioned they decided to go another route. (Wikipedia) Thank God! The gamble payed off. Not only would this set this movie apart from previous ones but casting a woman added a depth to the role that would've been lacking otherwise.
2. Michael Biehn. Michael Biehn. Michael Biehn. One of my big-time 80's crushes. As Corporal Hicks (recently promoted when Apone ate it) he doesn't disappoint as the good-guy grunt who's on Ripley's side. True, this role isn't exactly Oscar material but he brings his special Biehn-ness to any role. I mean...look at him...
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| Swoon. |
3. The rest of the amazing supporting cast. There's Bill Paxton as Pvt. Hudson ("GAME OVER, MAN!") to give us a little comic relief during some very intense scenes. When we need just a little bit more testosterone, we have Pvt. Vasquez, amazingly played by Jenette Goldstein. (She's never been mistook for a man, by the way.) The second most memorable line of the movie is delivered by a child survivor of the alien rampage, Carrie Henn's "Newt." ("They mostly come at night. Mostly.") Paul Riser is slimier than the Aliens as Carter Burke, a corporate weasel determined to make a profit. And then there's Lance Henricksen's Bishop, an artificial person that Ripley is more than a little dubious of thanks to her experience on the Nostromo 57 years prior. Spoiler alert: He wins her over...and us.
4. The special effects. Go watch this right now and sit in awe as you marvel at how amazingly well the effects hold up. This movie is almost 30 years-old after all. Thankfully, this picture was made before a time when CGI became the way. Using a combination of miniatures, master puppeteers and computers, Cameron ingeniously brought the Alien and its world to life. It's seamless. It's beautiful and it works. No wonder it went on to win the 1987 Oscars for both Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects.
5. The Climax. "GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BITCH!" Do I really need to say more? The end is a fight to the death on a maternal level. After escaping LV-426 (barely) the sneaky and impressively large Queen Xenomorph has hitched a ride on their escape vessel...and she is p-i-s-s-e-d. I mean, Ripley has just destroyed her entire species. What follows is nothing less than epic. Giant Queen vs. Ripley in a powerloader. Newt better be worth it because someone is heading out the airlock.
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| Mama Bear ain't happy. |
Bottom line? It's still so awesome. I've seen it dozens of times and look forward to many more viewings. If you haven't, I insist you go now. You can thank me later. This movie snob gives it 9/10.
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