Aliens is that rarity in Hollywood, the successful sequel.
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"Aliens" is that rarity in Hollywood, the successful sequel. Its success is due in part because it retains the dark, brooding quality brought to it by its predecessor's director, Ridley Scott, and in part because its new director, James Cameron, completely changes its temper. Where "Alien" was largely a gothic horror flick, packed with suspense, "Aliens" is an action adventure, loaded with thrills. The notion that either of them is a science fiction film is entirely coincidental.
As you know, at the end of the first film, "Alien," Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) was the sole survivor of an attack upon her interstellar cargo ship by an alien creature. She ended up getting into an escape module, scuttling the main spacecraft, placing herself into hibernation, and more or less hoping for the best. Fifty-seven years later she's finally picked up. Naturally, the company she works for is peeved that she blew up an expensive space freighter and is none too willing to believe her story about monsters. She gets stripped of her command, demoted, and humiliated. Things are tough all over. Then a snake shows up, in the person of Carter Burke (Paul Reiser), who represents the corporation. He wants Ripley to return to the alien planet. Seems they have lost contact with the colony of settlers they sent up there some years before. Colonists? On the alien planet? Are they mad? With no little persuasion the company gets Ripley to go back, and the adventure starts all over again. Only this time, it's with a vengeance. There is no longer just one creature to deal with, but dozens, maybe hundreds of them. More is not necessarily better, but in this case it's just as good.
The movie starts with a thrill a minute and works its way up. There's never a dull moment. The only blemish on the film is the crew of Colonial Marines Ripley has to put up with. They are an embarrassment to an otherwise intelligent script, a group of gung-ho hotshots who are arrogant, immature, wisecracking showoffs with attitude. Their presence is meant to add color and excitement to the story, but, in fact, they are just plain silly. No serious military unit would put up with their antics for a minute. Among them is Hudson, a perpetual whiner, played by perpetual whiner Bill Paxton; Hicks, a reluctant hero, played by Michael Biehn; Gorman, a useless young lieutenant with almost no combat experience, played by William Hope; and yet another robot, Bishop, played by Lance Henriksen ("I prefer the term 'artificial person' myself.") Finally, there is Newt, an adorable little girl they find on the planet, the only one to escape the alien creatures alive, or without being cocooned, who gives Ripley someone to mother. Ripley is clearly the only capable character in the bunch, and before long she takes over like Rambo. Maybe it's no coincidence that director Cameron was the screenwriter for "Rambo II" a year earlier. Ripley gets ample occasion to act heroically and, as usual, to run around in her underwear.
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[release]2049[/release]