Better than the Original; A Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (30 September 2015)

Before I go into the review, let me talk about the series as a whole. Every entry of this series was made by a different director. This is also true of the Mission: Impossible series, as you may remember if you're a film buff or if you read my very first official film review. But as much as I love the Mission: Impossible directors and although the movies as a whole are superior to the Alien movies, the directing talent of the latter series is ridiculous. In order, you have Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, all of whom have at least one movie on this list. How Alien: Resurrection turned out to be such a mess is still a mystery to me; yes, a lot can happen and people can be put on and kicked off and productions can be basically a toxic waste zone. But you still have not only the director of Amelie but bloody Joss Whedon on your movie. How do you screw that up? Okay: enough ranting. Time to get onto the review of one of the finest action movies ever made. The core of the film, of course, is Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, still the finest female character as far as action is concerned. In the first film, she is not the focal character, as the audience was meant to be surprised when she was the only one that survived. It is a good narrative trick that worked perfectly, but I much prefer to see her front and center.
This movie knows how to walk the balance between pure action and emotional scenes. This lends the movie weight and combined with a sensible plot that is natural sequel escalation at its best as well as some of the finest writing I've seen in the action-sci-fi genre...makes the movie not just a boorish actionfest but a highly calculated yet unrestrained cold-blooded action monster. Your blood pumps and so does your mind; you feel a chill down your spine. The gravitas this movie has makes the action better and more piercing... not less. Take notes, Michael Bay.
There are no badly-written or badly-acted characters in this movie. That is a key version why people love this film so much and why people hate Alien 3, which killed off all the supporting cast. My personal favorite is Newt, a prime example of how to do a kid character right. She has the real kind of childish energy. It's not shallow and all 'gee, golly, mister.' It's raw and deep; optimistic but not euphoric. Say what you want about Cameron's writing ability (though I don't think anyone argues that this script is snappy and spectacular), but he has a talent of getting into the minds of character, particularly emotional. Everything they should be feeling at any given moment, they are feeling.
I love Newt because you feel the vulnerability and despair she's going through, but it does not turn her into a straight 'rescue' character. She does need to be rescued, but you don't mind because by that time, she and Ripley have formed such a bond that you feel like it is justified. You are with Ripley the whole time instead of seeing it as a film going through points, which I appreciate. The two do share a lot of nice little scenes that make the movie more than it would have been otherwise. It is kinda a shame that the child who played Newt decided not to become an actress. It's her choice, yes, but she did a mighty good job here. She expresses a whole range of emotions and comes out being as great of a kid character as Ripley is an adult character.
The themes expressed in this movie are interesting. Critics often accuse Cameron of not having nuance. I personally would argue that, for the most part, it is the critics who don't have the nuance. Even blatant environmental films like Avatar are deeper than they would appear to be, if only slightly.
Films like this are brimming with thoughtful thematic substance. (As a side note, I can't be the only one who laughs when I see 'some thematic elements' as an MPAA rating. I'm like, 'Yes, I would hope a movie I or my (nonexistent) kid watches would have theme. I would like very much if it were not an endless stream of nonsense.') Anyways, think about what happens in the film. An advanced military force is brought into to an unknown planet and is wiped out (except for Ripley, of course). No spoilers there. Why are they wiped out? They have advanced tech? Because they don't know the terrain. they don't know what they're up against. They lack wisdom. Now... if that doesn't sound like a lot of wars, particularly those fought by my country, then you need to get your hearing checked. Cameron himself has explicitly said that he based this film on Vietnam.
If you want to delve into that, go right ahead. If you want to just sit back and breathe in one of the most viscerally-stimulating movies of the decade, go right ahead. You have a choice. As all good action movies give you. And this is more than a good action movie. This is one of the greatest films of the decade. It even got Weaver an acting nom at the Oscars. In action movies, that. Doesn't. Happen. Yes, it was the eighties, but still. From beginning to end, this is a resonant and thrilling film. You will feel different after watching it. You should feel different after watching it. It is an emerald in a sea of rocks. If it were up to me, this would perhaps be THE definitive movie of the decade.