Excellent Film! Unmissable!

Rating: 10/10 (24 September 2005)

I have seen this film countless times and can't get enough of it! I saw this one before the first because I was a fan of James Cameron and Michael Biehn. You don't really need to see the first film but some things may make more sense if you do! Alien was very much a suspenseful horror film whereas Aliens is going more for the action. If you've seen other James Cameron films then you should know what to expect. It isn't very gory and does have a few scares in it. The script is good with some cracking lines like 'Get away from her you bitch!' and the acting is the best from all of the films. Unlike the other 3 Alien films I feel that you care more about the characters in this one because the performances are much more three-dimensional. Sigourney Weaver gives her best performance as the maternal Ripley as she battles the aliens to protect her surrogate child, Newt. Her Oscar nomination was well deserved. Michael Biehn makes a great hero that you really cheer on and Lance Henriksen appears shifty but is very innocent as the android Bishop. However, my favourite character is the cocky marine Hudson played by Bill Paxton. I know that he isn't a popular character and I even wanted him to die the first time I saw it but he really grows on you. He's the most realistic of the characters.
The director is perfect as usual from a master of the action genre. It is darkly lit so a lot of it is left to your imagination and the trackers really build up the tension. Some of the shots are brilliant like when the aliens are moving through the ceiling.
I highly recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of the sci-fi/action genre and of James Cameron. However, if you do enjoy it and decide to watch Alien 3 I will warn you that you may feel that it's a slap in the face. That's how I felt anyway.
Enjoy!!