Kick A$$@!

Rating: 10/10 (14 February 2003)

Alien was / is one of my all time favourite films. The totally shocking and scary alien  a stealthy stalking killing machine  disposing the crew of Nostromo  it scared the bejesus out of me (it still does!).
Aliens picks up 57 years (or so) after the first film. Ripley can't get over her experience with the alien  she decides to join a team of marines, sent over to investigate the disappearance of colonists on LV-426. Everyone is sceptical of Ripley and her story of the alien.
Surprise surprise  the aliens have taken over the colonists and its up to Ripley and the surviving marines to escape from LV-426 and get rid of the aliens once and for all! Hoorah!
This film works on so many levels. It is highly original  tweaking this film into a `Vietnam-style' war film is a brilliant masterstroke by James Cameron  but retaining the sense of dread and menace from the original film
The characterisation is terrific  Ripley shows her softer, motherly side (not shown in the first)  but remains strong and determined  a great feminist character. It shows her rising to the occasion once again  to face her demons one more time (alas the sequels!)
The marines are excellent  with their tough / cool in battle attitude  from the dyke-ish Vasquesez (she is so cool) to the `fragile' Hudson (I love it how he is so distraught through the movie until he finally gets over it  and you know what happens to him) ;-).
Even Bourke is great (in a way)  he develops the issues raised in the first movie about who is worse (aliens or humans?).
The special effects are awesome and it was great how the aliens have changed from the original film into more of a fighting machine than being a sleek, silent killer.
Even though this film is `gold'  I still think the original beats it (only just) with its spooky atmosphere  I know heaps of people would argue with this!
My score 10 out of 10 baby! A word of advice  watch the original cut rather than the special editioneven though some of the extra scenes are kind of cool (the shooting gallery gun thingos)  I find that the film was better without you knowing what happened on LV-426.