THE Definitive Action Movie

Rating: 10/10 (14 April 2006)

1986. The world had just gotten off the heals of The Terminator, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and The Temple of Doom. Audiences thought they had seen it all. That was until the summer rolled around. The world of the action movie hasn't been the same since. Aliens, James Cameron second sci-fi epic masterpiece, arrived and smashed the limits of what a movie could do and raised the bar for all future action movies to come.
Taking the premise of Ridley Scott's horror masterpiece, James Cameron, in a self-penned screenplay, turned it into one of the most exciting visual experiences I have ever taken part of. The screenplay, coming in at around 2 hours and 20 minutes, takes its time and sets up the characters so that we feel more for them. We don't even see an alien on the screen until almost an hour into the movie. Each character is fully developed and we cringe when we see them die. The horror that the aliens bring is all the more magnified because of our deeper understanding of the characters emotions and their connections to each other. Notice Vasquez's and Lt. Gorman's death together. Since early on the in the movie, Cameron developed their dislike for each other. Building up the tension between these two characters, we feel the pay off when we see them except death together. Anyone who says action movies must be devoid of emotion and sit on some nihilistic plane, has obviously never seen this movie.
Using his groundbreaking screenplay, Cameron then weaves a tale so rich in visuals and sounds that we become fully immersed in the story. Winning the 1987 Academy Awards for Best Sound Effect and Best Visual Effects, also being nominated for best film editing, original score, best art direction and best sound, Cameron innovated the way the technology of the time was used to make movies. Notice his stunning use of cinematography and editing to create this future, alien planet. Scenes are drab and dark up until the action starts, when Cameron paints the screen with bright colors to create a sense of urgency. Take the scene towards the end of the film, when the aliens first break into the compound. He saturates the screen with red for about 5 minutes. Then switches it back when the action is done. This technique has been copied many times since this film (re: Hunt For the Red October).
And, last but most certainly not least, we can forget to mention Cameron's casting choices. Weaver, looking as sexy as she did the rest of the 80's, plays the role of a lifetime. It's too bad Hollywood doesn't produce roles like this anymore. Cameron created such mutli-dimensional characters that the actors were able to really sink their teeth into them. Bill Paxton plays Hudson to perfection, delivering hilarious, 80's style lines, right when needed. Other notable performances include Jenette Goldstein's Vasquez and Carrie Henn's Newt.
All in all, this by far Cameron's most accomplished work. His work on the first Terminator got everyone's attention but it was this film that proved his genius. If it wasn't for Aliens, Cameron's subsequent, big-budget "The Abyss" and "Terminator 2" would not have been made. All in all, this film ranks as one of the most revolutionary visions of the past 25 years and among one of the best films ever produced. A must for all movie fans. 10/10