James Cameron's Aliens is a superb science-fiction experience that improves upon its predecessor

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2017)

Ridley Scott left a major landmark on the science-fiction genre when he brought birth to 1979's 'Alien'. Treating audiences with engrossing visual imagery and hair-raising thrills, there is almost no wonder the film journeyed to success. This follow-up to the science-fiction thriller arrives with more of the same pulse- pounding human vs. alien onslaught, only with more and bigger surprises. Replacing Ridley Scott in the director's chair is visionary James Cameron following his success with science-fiction hit 'Terminator'. Cameron comes to the picture with a slightly more thoughtful direction and a bigger package of spine-chilling thrills and sharp visual effects that amount to a masterful sci-fi experience. Reducing on the suspenseful atmosphere in favor of more even balance of action and white-knuckle thrills, the film never fails to show Cameron knows how to keep things working. Set almost six decades after the first entry, this film sees the return of Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, who wakes up from a cryogenic sleep and is facing charges from the catastrophe that lead to the death of her crew. With everyone back on Earth failing to buy into her story, Ripley goes on an investigation to another planet with a crew of space marines which include Corporal Hicks (played by Michael Biehn), Burke (played by Paul Reiser), Bishop (played by Lance Henrickson), Private Hudson (played by Bill Paxton), Lieutenant Gorman (played by William Hope), and Private Vazquez (played by Jenette Goldstein) along with a few others. Stumbling upon a colony of alien eggs that soon hatch and launch a violent onslaught against the crew, Ripley and the crew must fight to survive against the vicious horde while protecting a little girl named Newt (played by Carrie Henn) who's family has been killed.
Whereas the previous film relied heavily on suspense and Ridley Scott's Gothic imagery to unleash the thrills, James Cameron goes a significantly different route in portraying the humans' heart-racing battle against the grotesque-looking extraterrestrial creatures. This amounts to splicing some action sequences in the mix of the eerie atmosphere, which pits the characters in a scarier and more heart-pumping fight for survival against an overwhelming colony of flesh-eaters. By all means, Cameron's method works like a charm. He successfully showcases an even balance that of pulse-pounding action and rollicking thrills in a mix that effectively places viewers in a boiling good time, but not that isn't prone to inducing nightmares. The first half focuses on the buildup of the characters along with exposition before transpiring to the second half which eventually places its foot on the gas for some white-knuckle, if occasionally gory alien onslaught. To add spice to the tension, the film powerfully showcases the vulnerability of Carrie Henn's Newt, a small defenseless little youngster who Ellen Ripley must protect in the midst of the chaos. Although there are maybe a few dull moments sprinkled throughout the picture, Cameron never seems to struggle to keep things moving. The space marine characters are slightly more developed and the chemistry between each of them which includes a few brief dosages of humor and wit. Alongside, Cameron also manages to feast the eyes with striking visual imagery painting the inside of the spaceship, capturing the sheer claustrophobia of the settings while paying reminiscence to the original film.
With Ellen Ripley being the sole survivor of the aftermath of the first film, Sigourney Weaver returns to the lead role and is good as ever, if not slightly more. Weaver executes the role with same versatility and emotional grit of a strong female protagonist similar to the predecessor, particularly with her tough-as-nails line "Get away from her, you bitch!". The rest of cast consists of newcomers to the franchise including Paul Reiser as Corporal Hicks who shows off with a fairly decent performance. Michael Biehn plays Burke, a slightly more sinister and antagonistic member of the crew who shows little care of placing the crew in mortal danger. Biehn's performance stands strong, but certainly not in a fashion that stands out among anyone. Lance Henrickson does a fairly job at Bishop, the valiant one in the group. Jenette Goldstein, who would later go on to collaborate with James Cameron again for a minor role in 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day', boasts an incredible amount of charisma in her role with a small slice of witty humor added to the mix. Then, there is young Carrie Henn who plays Newt, a small girl who becomes a daughterly-like figure to Sigourney Weaver during the terrifying chaos. The film does a magnificent job on not only showcasing the vulnerability of the small-aged character, but beautifully establishing the emotional bond between her and Weaver. The rest of the large cast also succeeds in getting the job. Nothing however, that comes close to blowing Sigourney Weaver out of the water.
Aliens is a superb science-fiction experience that boasts a thoughtful direction by visionary film mogul James Cameron, and an astounding blend of terrifying visual imagery and heart-stopping thrills. The film makes the rare achievement of improving upon the original, and that further demonstrates Cameron's immense talent.