A Great Sequel!

Rating: 9/10 (14 January 2006)

57 years have passed since the attack on the Nostromo by a single Alien warrior, an attack which left only crew member Ellen Ripley alive. Suspended in cryogenic hypersleep, Ripley has been drifting in space all this time and is revived, only to learn that everything she knew is gone. Also during that time, the alien planet on which the deadly eggs were first discovered has been colonized. Now called LV426, the planet has been made habitable by atmosphere processors, but contact with the colony has been lost. A rescue mission of intergalactic Marines is sent in, and Ripley is brought along as a reluctant adviser. Ripley's fears are soon confirmed: the colony has been obliterated by the aliens and the survivors used as incubators for their embryos. Only one little girl has survived the destruction, a shell shocked second grader called Newt whom Ripley takes under her wing. As the Marines too fall prey to the aliens, Ripley and a small band of survivors find themselves stranded on LV426 with little hope of escape. With their equipment damaged and the planet's damaged reactors threatening to blow the entire world into a nuclear ruin within hours, the small group plans a dangerous escape mission. It becomes a race against time as the aliens close in, and when Newt is kidnapped by an alien warrior, Ripley comes face to face with the source of the alien colony - a huge and fiercely protective Queen Alien who is determined to take personal revenge on Ripley.
Where the first Alien film was a Gothic horror tale, Aliens is an action movie through and through, but still a damn good movie. The aliens are everywhere in this tense and exhausting sequel. There are gory chest bursters, sprays of acidic blood and, most impressive of all, the Alien Queen Herself, a gigantic and deadly mother with absolute authority. I love the standoff scene between her and Ripley, in which the Queen dismisses her bodyguards and the two mothers face off, each determined to protect her young.
The cast is top notch as well. Weaver makes a triumphant return as the battle scarred Ripley, who is NOT a fearless, ass kicking warrior woman, but a deeply frightened yet determined person with a truly heroic streak. Carrie Henn (who amazingly never made another film, either before or after Aliens) is perfect as Newt, the bright and solemn little girl with a pair of lungs like a car alarm. One of my favorite underrated actors Michael Biehn is here as well, playing Marine Corporal Hicks, a possible love interest for Ripley and father figure for Newt. Bill Paxton has entered into film icon territory with his portrayal of the cocky, but ultimately blubbering Pvt. Hudson, whose wails of "It's a bug hunt, man! a bug hunt!" have become a part of cinematic history. Cult film favorite Lance Henrickson is here too, playing the slightly suspicious but ultimately likable Bishop, an android who could have made Nexus proud with his More Human Than Human personality.
This is a really great sequel to the original masterpiece film Alien. It doesn't try to mimic or reproduce but instead veers off into a whole new direction, filled with fast paced action and a good, strong, intelligent storyline. It's fun, it's tense and it's scary, but it's also smart. The swarms of aliens in this one are really freaky, and no more so than when they find a way into the locked down base through a ceiling panel. This film never lets up for one minute and includes a great "just when you thought it was over" ending that will have you on the edge of your seat.
An awesome film!