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It took seven years for a reluctant Twentieth Century Fox to produce a sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien, despite the groundbreaking science fiction horror picture establishing a universe and lore ripe for further exploration. Sequels rarely match the quality of the original movie, especially in the horror genre (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Jaws), but writer-director James Cameron pulled off the seemingly impossible with 1986's Aliens, a masterful follow-up that confidently surpasses its acclaimed predecessor. Instead of a mere retread, Cameron switches genres from deliberately paced horror/thriller to edge-of-your-seat blockbuster, and the change feels surprisingly natural. In Cameron's skilful hands, Aliens is not an ordinary blockbuster or a cheap action flick, as the movie features likeable characters, sharp dialogue, outstanding special effects, nail-biting set pieces, fast-paced storytelling, and dramatic gravitas. Plus, with Cameron devising an engaging story that logically follows Alien, it does not feel like a lazy money grab.
Lieutenant Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole surviving crew member of the Nostromo, placed herself in a cryogenic sleep aboard a shuttlecraft after defeating the Xenomorph and destroying her ship. Fifty-seven years later, a salvage vessel finds and rescues Ripley, bringing her to a Weyland-Yutani space station to debrief with her employers about the Nostromo's destruction and the death of the crew. A Weyland-Yutani Board of Inquiry does not believe Ripley's story about an alien, especially since the planet of LV-426 is now the site of a terraforming colony. But when the corporation loses contact with the colony, Weyland-Yutani representative Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) asks Ripley to accompany a unit of Colonial Marines to investigate LV-426, and she only agrees if the mission's objective is extermination. On board the spaceship Sulaco, Ripley joins the crew - including Corporal Hicks (Michael Biehn), Private Hudson (Bill Paxton), Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope), and an android named Bishop (Lance Henriksen) - as they begin their investigation. Searching for survivors on LV-426, they only find a traumatised young girl who calls herself Newt (Carrie Henn). After the Xenomorphs attack the soldiers and significantly reduce their numbers, the survivors begin planning a way to escape the planet while trying to fend off the seemingly unlimited hordes of creatures.
Whereas most sequels simply rehash the first movie, Aliens feels fresh, combining the horror of Alien with the action of Cameron's The Terminator, specifically the future war scenes. Though pieces of Aliens are familiar, including some corporate espionage and a ticking clock during the climax, the narrative works splendidly, with nothing feeling inessential, trite or forced. Like the previous film, Cameron spends the first half of the movie on development and build-up, chronicling the trip to LV-426 and the Marines investigating the derelict colony while an ominous feeling permeates every scene. Cameron's screenplay introduces a new ensemble of characters that do not feel like mere Xenomorph bait, and the scenes of bonding and interaction develop a palpable sense of camaraderie before the action commences. Instead of a crew of working-class miners, Aliens features the gung-ho Colonial Marines. The razor-sharp dialogue begins almost immediately, with the soldiers bantering and insulting one another. Cameron endows the Marines with distinctive, colourful personalities, ensuring they do not feel interchangeable or expendable.
Aliens benefits from a strong sense of character and humanity, with the central relationship between Ripley and Newt giving the picture its heart. The two develop a heartfelt bond through the turmoil, with Newt representing a second chance for Ripley after her daughter passed away during her time in stasis. This additional dimension is exclusive to the extended director's cut, which adds a scene of Ripley learning about the fate of her daughter that should never have been excised from the theatrical version. The scene contributes to Ripley's character and facilitates a deeper connection to Newt, who represents a surrogate daughter, further justifying Ripley's intense protectiveness of the young girl. Cameron believes the 154-minute director's cut is the definitive version of the film, as the theatrical version was a compromise for a shorter runtime. Fox wanted to remove even more from the 137-minute theatrical cut, but Cameron refused to give in, believing any further trims for more showtimes would damage the story too much. Many of the additions in the extended edition feel essential to the picture, but scenes detailing the colonists' lives on LV-426 and the discovery of a facehugger admittedly ruin the mystery.
With a more pronounced narrative destination and viewers now aware of the Xenomorphs (the novelty and surprise of Alien's chest-burster scene is now impossible to replicate), Aliens has more momentum and a stronger sense of pace than its predecessor. Nevertheless, Cameron skilfully builds an intense, moody atmosphere, and the picture is not merely a brainless action fiesta. Almost unbearable tension pervades several scenes, including the Marines first exploring the grotesque alien hive, Ripley and Newt trapped in a locked room with two facehuggers, and the Marines using scanners to monitor the Xenomorphs as they close in. The shadowy cinematography amplifies the atmosphere, with Aliens resembling a thriller instead of a bog-standard action film. Cameron fought for the hive's dim lighting, even replacing the original cinematographer with Adrian Biddle (his first time working as a director of photography), and the resultant set pieces are intense and unnerving. Chaos unfolds once the Xenomorphs attack the Marines, and the darkness makes it difficult to predict what will happen next, amplifying the white-knuckle tension.
Working with an $18.5 million budget, which is more than double the budget of The Terminator, Cameron brought Aliens to life through old-school filmmaking methods, relying on models, intricate sets, puppetry, animatronics, matte paintings and optical compositing. After accomplishing such impressive set pieces in The Terminator despite meagre funds, Cameron achieves more polished visuals here, and the resulting illusion still stands up to contemporary scrutiny. With the iconic Stan Winston Studio masterminding the design and execution of the aliens (taking over from H.R. Giger), the Xenomorphs and facehuggers seem truly alive and pose a viable threat, with the shrewd framing, editing and sound design ensuring that the creatures never merely look like people in rubber suits. Aliens also contributes to the franchise's lore by introducing the monstrous alien queen, an outstanding design that looks stunningly lifelike and memorable. Likewise, the sets and visual effects allow LV-426 to feel like a genuine planet, and the various vehicle designs - such as the exosuit cargo loaders, the dropship, and the armoured personnel carrier - further contribute to the film's terrific visuals. Admittedly, a few shots of the dropship look rickety, particularly while evacuating from LV-426, but these are the only phoney moments in the whole picture. Understandably, the breathtaking visual effects earned an Oscar.
Another significant asset is the soundtrack, which received a well-deserved Oscar nomination. Instead of Alien composer Jerry Goldsmith, Cameron recruited James Horner to orchestrate the music, which led to the pair collaborating on Titanic and Avatar in later years. Horner retains some of Alien's recognisable motifs, but the score here reflects the picture's rollicking pace and white-knuckle action set pieces, and the composer managed to achieve the top-notch score despite an impossibly tight deadline, with the movie consistently changing in the editing room. Aliens is another instance of art emerging from adversity, as the production process was challenging for the demanding, hands-on Cameron, who found himself at odds with the crew, studio, and several key creatives. Miraculously, no evidence of behind-the-scenes troubles mires the entertaining and astonishingly competent finished film.
Sigourney Weaver was understandably reluctant to reprise her role of Ellen Ripley, with the actress needing convincing that the sequel was being made for artistic instead of purely financial reasons. She is an indispensable part of the ensemble, and her performance is impeccable, convincingly conveying a range of emotions and always remaining likeable. Aliens expands on the character of Ripley, making her feel like a fully rounded human being, and she battles intense post-traumatic stress disorder after the events of Alien. The quintessential female protagonist, Weaver is credible as a compassionate mother figure and a badass action heroine. For all of her reluctance to return, Weaver earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance. Meanwhile, James Remar was initially cast as Corporal Hicks but was fired after an arrest for drug possession shortly into filming, necessitating a prompt replacement in the form of Michael Biehn, who played Kyle Reese in The Terminator. Biehn is more relatable and down-to-earth than the other Marines, and he shares excellent chemistry with Weaver. Little moments like Hicks training Ripley to use a pulse rifle provide a terrific reprieve from the alien encounters, enhancing the film's humanity without affecting the pace. Another standout is newcomer Carrie Henn as Newt. A gifted actress despite her young age, she is perfect in the pivotal role, playing well alongside Weaver and never coming across as unnecessarily grating.
Additionally, in one of his early roles (after briefly appearing in The Terminator), the inimitable Bill Paxton is terrific as the film's comic relief, providing welcome levity during tense scenes to prevent the tone from becoming too morose. Luckily, Cameron does not overuse Paxton, nor does his comedic dialogue feel cheap. Lance Henriksen is also superb as Bishop, creating a distinct new synthetic character that is unlike Ian Holm's Ash. Another cast member who previously worked with Cameron on The Terminator, Henriksen plays Bishop as childlike and unassertive, and the character always remains likeable. Meanwhile, Paul Reiser (a relative newcomer at the time) believably plays a snivelling, conniving corporate representative, bringing credible intensity to several vital scenes. The rest of the ensemble is equally superlative, from a memorable Jenette Goldstein as the badass Private Vasquez to Al Matthews as a confident, cool-headed, cigar-chomping Sergeant Apone.
A flawless sequel and an exceptional science fiction blockbuster in its own right, Aliens is full of quotable, uproarious dialogue, thrilling set pieces, and outstanding special effects, making it difficult to imagine a better sequel to Alien. Additionally, since Cameron takes the time to develop the characters as they learn and change throughout the proceedings, Aliens resonates more profoundly than most action epics. Alien and Aliens are a terrific double bill, with this sequel marvellously building upon Ridley Scott's groundbreaking film without merely remaking it. Opinions are divided on which of the two films is better, but there is little arguing that both pictures are exemplary works of science fiction cinema. Since subsequent sequels ruin the optimistic ending of Aliens without contributing anything worthwhile to the franchise (Biehn even famously exclaimed, "Fuck Alien 3!"), most fans are happy to ignore the nonsense that followed while continuing to rewatch Alien and Aliens endlessly.
10/10
