Clearly the best of the series

Rating: 9/10 (22 November 2000)

What could one expect after Ridley Scott's wonderful original film? Well, at least I got exactly what I wished for in the sequel by James Cameron. Aliens is a different film than its predecessor : the original was a stylish, groundbreaking horror film, and Aliens is more of a slam-bang spectacle - delivering thrills, chills and more.
Cameron builds the tension excellently, using all the necessary elements from the prequel. He gives Ripley's character more depth, particularly in the special edition of this film. Cameron introduces us to the marines who are sent to a colonized planet - the same one from which the alien in the original film came. These badass soldiers seem to think of themselves as an invincible force... but they're up against something they could never prepare for.
All the actors' performances are fine. Sigorney Weaver is exceptionally believable as Lt.Ellen Ripley. Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, Michael Biehn and especially Bill Paxton do an excellent job in the supporting cast. Cameron's visual style and sense of pace fit perfectly in this world, and the story (written by Cameron) is exciting and surprising.
A definite improvement from the first film, and still the best sequel in this genre. Without this film the Alien-series could have gone in a totally wrong direction from the first sequel. We're lucky it was James Cameron who realised it.
My rating : 9 out of 10