|
Rating:  -
Most people personally choose this as their favorite in the "Alien" series. It does a great job of expanding on the Ridley Scott original, but I think the movie is extremely slow and boring at times.
However, you can't deny how this movie does have the most props. The APC, guns everywhere, flame throwers, movement sensor guns, and of course lots of focus on the movement detectors. These really help build the movie and add a lot to the setting.
But seriously. What is with Bill Paxton whining like a baby. I can't stop thinking of him when he played "Chet" in the movie "Weird Science". Especially during the part where he is crying "GAMEOVER MAN". He's a SPACE MARINE. Sigourney Weaver is more of a man than Bill Paxton in this movie.
Paul Riser is especially hard to watch, probably because when I see him I think about his later performance on the sitcom "Mad About You". I think a better actor could have easily been picked for his part. He almost has a lovable look instead of someone I want to hate.
Much of the dialogue is pretty bad in my opinion. The way the movie is shot makes small scenes explode on the screen, which is awesome. But the smaller scenes tend to drag on.
Overall, this movie is a must see. Do yourself a favor and see the original "Alien" movie before seeing this. If you enjoy both, try "Alien 3" and "Resurrection". I personally prefer those to this movie by far (visually and in terms of dialogue / characters).
Rating:  -
Cameron's excellent film is now made even better by adding fundamental elements that make more of an emotional connection to Ripley. With the added material we get essential information on just WHY she connected to Newt so strongly. Seeing Newt with her parents and brother on the planet adds a wonderful new dimension to an already outstanding film. As Cameron says in the introduction (at least there's one on my quadrilogy set) "this is the ride we intended you to take" and what a far more richer ride it is.
Rating: -
James Cameron's big-budget, special-effects-driven sequel to Ridley Scott's "Alien" might lack the carefully orchestrated tension of its predecessor, but its unrelenting pace and Weaver's smart, tough performance carry the film into its own nightmare orbit. Essentially an action film pitting a squad of scared, trigger-happy grunts against a teeming nest of truly frightening monsters, "Aliens" benefits from its superb small cast--including Lance Henriksen and comic Paul Reiser playing against type as a devious corporate slime-ball--as well as director Cameron's breathless pacing and air-tight direction. Just wait til Mother arrives!
Rating: -
If you're not the type to run out and replace your VCR collection as soon as the new format arrives, you probably appreciate a slightly clever ploy to spring for a new version of a classic. An additional 17 minutes of film may seem little justification for this expensive proposition. But seeing the slimey xenomorphs on DVD is reward enough for a fan. The discs include the theatrical release and the director's cut along with other extras, which include an interview with director James Cameron. Cameron dwells excessively on his strained patience dealing with a British film crew. His comments may reveal insight into Cameron's choice to forgo taking the director's seat for the third film (which received some critical acclaim but disappointed fans).
I originally screened Aliens in the theater in July 1986. I remember watching the credits roll with the powerful soundtrack that kept the heart pounding as the last of the text disappeared. Even with the lights coming up, the sound of a slithering alien sent chills down my spine. Sadly, this part of the track is missing from this set.
Successive viewings have not spoiled enjoyment of this finely crafted script and its special effects. Rubber suits, scale models and puppetry have never been used to such great effect. The scenes involving the "drop ship" are stunning. The breathless sequence that takes the drop ship from the mother ship to the planet's surface is but one of many that make this nightmare so real.
Few pauses and a lot of action pace this relentless story. Cameron's decision to write Marines into the confrontation was nothing shy of genius. The Marines think they're heading to a "bug hunt." Bill Paxton's Hudson, who provides comedic relief, describes the array of weaponry they bring. But for all the techno gadetry and fire power, the Marines find themselves stranded amid an army of aliens intent on making them hosts for more bugs. Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, whom we didn't know was a parent from the original release, provides a first-rate performance in the escape ahead of the massing aliens.
Cameron's tip of the hat to Hitchcock is one the best moments in cinematic history. The confrontation in the bowels of the disintegrating atmosphere generating plant is as disturbing as anything science fiction has to offer. Not since Hitchcock's "The Birds" has there been anything like it. And, there's more. The final battle with the queen alien is a masterpiece of action filming. Not until the survivors are snuggly tucked into their cryotubes, do we finally get to gasp a sigh of relief.
Rating: -
After achieving huge critical and box office success with 1979's "Alien", it is surprising that 20th Century Fox didn't rush a sequel into production, although at the time sequels were not so quick to arrive after their predecessors, but still the property was hot and the decision would have made them a lot of money. On the flip side, if a sequel had been rushed, the story may have suffered which would have lent to reduced box office and possibly the death of the franchise, so it's probably a good thing that Fox exercised patience with this franchise and waited 7 years before releasing the James Cameron directed sequel, "Aliens" to excited audiences worldwide.
"Aliens" begins with Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the only surviving member of the Nostromo crew, being discovered by a salvage ship a half century after the events in "Alien". Upon arriving on Earth, she discovers that a human colony has been set up on the very planet her former crew had found the creatures on. Not surprisingly, contact with that colony has been lost, and a squad of Marines are being prepared to be sent to the planet to determine what happened, if there are any survivors, and exterminate whatever creatures are left. However, the best bet the Marines have for success is if Ripley returns with them to the planet, so after just recovering from her fight with the first alien, and her excessively long sleep, Ripley finds herself face-to-face once more with the creatures of her nightmares.
James Cameron (director of "The Terminator") was given no small task when he wrote and directed this sequel to the incredible 1979 film "Alien". A major decison that Cameron made in creating this movie was changing the tone and type of movie this is from that of its predecessor. Instead of being a methodical game of cat-and-mouse, relying heavily on atmosphere and the audience's imagination to craft the horror like the first movie, "Aliens" was a much more action-packed thrill ride with a little bit of horror thrown into the mix. The decision could have been costly by isolating fans of the work Ridley Scott had done on the first film; however, the decision worked out for the best, delivering audiences what is quite possibly a superior movie to "Alien". The story was much faster paced, yet still not skimpy on the details or the fear factor, with more action involving the aliens. Though shadows were not used as heavily in this film as they were in the original, the suspense surrounding when and where the aliens would strike next was equally thrilling to that of Ridley Scott's creation. The special effects work in this one was better than the original (as it should be considering advancements made during the 7 year gap between films), but the best part about the effects for this movie was the practical effects work that was done to create the massive alien creature known as the Queen. The effects for that alien is some of the best practical effects seen in almost any movie, and the final fight between the Queen and Ripley is incredibly fun to watch.
The cast, led by Sigourney Weaver (the only returning cast member from the original), was full of talented actors such as Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, and Lance Henriksen who each brought a depth and reality to each of their characters that is often lacking in action/horror films. The success of "Aliens", coupled with that of the first film brought even more acclaim for actress Sigourney Weaver, who solidified her place in the pantheon of great action heroes (or heroines), and even garnered her an Oscar nomination for her work in this film.
"Aliens" is rated R for violence and language.
Television Show
Collectibles
Movie Searches
|
|
|
Search for posters,
art prints, photos, collectables, merchandise, toys, t-shirts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join the Nielsen//NetRatings Research Panel and you could win a new car, a dream vacation, a dream home makeover or $50,000 Cash!
TV Guide
Program listings, celebrity profiles, industry
gossip, movie reviews, puzzle.
More
Entertainment
& TV Magazines
This site is
Hosted
by Bluehost
Read
my Bluehost Review
Original Superhero & other designs for t-shirts, bumper
stickers, prints, mugs, and other cool merchandise. |
|
