A Gasoline-Drenched, Chain-Smoking Semi-Spiritual Successor

Rating: 7/10 (7 June 2012)

Suspenseful and terrifying like the original, but in completely different ways. Where Ridley Scott's first film was loaded up with atmosphere, exploration and an overwhelming sense of terrified wonder at the habits of an unfamiliar life form, James Cameron's sequel is faced with the task of expanding upon a theme that's already been fairly thoroughly prodded. Dropping the intellectual angles and dramatic pauses in favor of unbridled, run-and-gun chaos, it still manages to feel akin to its predecessor via more than a monster suit and lead actress. While Aliens doesn't take as much time to appreciate the sights, they're still around, and they remain excellent examples of on-screen world building. The power of the aliens themselves seems very diminished - they're little more than waves of cannon fodder by the second act - but Cameron compensates with a bold determination to examine them as a versatile breed of fauna. Although its dalliances into action tripes can be distracting, and a few lines of dialog are eyeball-spinningly cheeseball, the film is still a success. How much of that is due to its young director's touch, rather than the power of the galaxy that had been established in the original, is open for debate.