As Close To Perfection As It Gets

Rating: 9/10 (2 June 2002)

ALIENS, that rare bird of a sequel that's better than the original, still stands 12 years later as one of the finest S/F films ever made. Some call this movie cliched, but fail to realize that this is the movie upon which many of the overused action/adventure cliches are based.
The cast is outstanding, led by Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, only survivor of the first encounter with the acid-blood human-devouring alien race in the first film. Matching her with equal gusto is Michael Biehn as Marine Corporal Hicks, and the relationship that develops between the two of them is as natural and unforced as any film romance ever conceived. Paul Reiser as company slimeball Carter Burke will make your skin crawl. Lance Heinriksen's smoothly cool turn as the android Bishop shows why he is the most criminally underused actor in the business. An early Bill Paxton role as gung-ho-but-terrified Private Hudson shows why he would go on to much greater roles in the future. There's not a false note in the large and varied cast; even the smaller roles are beautifully played and leave you wanting more.
And THIS is a James Cameron film? Cameron at once takes this film to a completely different level and shows magnificent restraint when he has to. The scripting is tight, the camera angles are stupendous, the action sequences first rate. The movie is a fantastic thrill ride, and just when you think you've seen everything, something new grabs you and yanks you along for another set of wild hairpin turns.
If you've never seen this movie, rent it immediately. Better yet, buy it, because if you like action/adventure or S/F, this film is a required element in your personal film library. It's as close to perfect as a S/F film gets.