"Get away from her you bitch"

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2017)

There are very few sequels out there that have managed to surpass the originals and overcome the expectations of the first chapter's loyal & faithful fans. And James Cameron's Aliens is one film that accomplishes exactly that by taking the universe of Ridley Scott's Alien and expanding upon it in ways most sequels are afraid to, for this second chapter is much bigger & more action-packed than its predecessor, and succeeds not only as a great sci-fi horror but as a redefinition of action filmmaking as well.
The story of Aliens takes place 57 years after the events of the first film & concerns the solo survivor Ripley, whose account of what happened on the planet is dismissed by her executives as the very desolate planet is now inhabited by humans. Things are set in motion when the contact with the planet is lost & Ripley is requested to join a group of space marines to investigate, which she refuses at first but joins in eventually in order to face & overcome her fears once n for all.
Written & directed by James Cameron, it's so heartwarming to see him expanding the universe of the previous film instead of crafting a loose sequel of Alien by repeating the same concept of the first film. Cameron in my opinion is an extremely talented filmmaker not because he knows what great action is all about but because he's always able to back it up with a highly compelling story which is further elevated by jaw-dropping visuals. And this film is a perfect testament to that.
While Alien was a slow building masterpiece of atmospheric tension, Aliens replaces the survival horror of its predecessor with a highly intense, bombastic & violent war between two species. And even though there is less suspense in this film than the last chapter, Cameron makes up for it by turning his feature into an action- thriller filled with intense moments of relentless terror & highly potent combat sequences which ultimately culminates with a bone- chilling climax, that is executed to perfection.
Coming to the performances, while Alien gave equal importance to each of its characters, Aliens places more emphasis on Ripley and is basically her journey from undergoing severe traumatic nightmares caused due to the events of the first film to facing her fears head on in this sequel. And Cameron has penned down her character with extreme care by providing Ripley more depth & emotional dimensions to explore, which Weaver makes full use of to deliver a career-best performance while also becoming the first real female action figure in cinema.
The supporting cast is no slouch either as just like the previous film, there are almost no death fodders in this and the space marines are one bunch of badass characters, each nicely written & given a distinct personality. As for its technical achievements, the art direction & set designs may not have surpassed the artistic levels set in the previous film but it certainly comes close. Visual Effects however is groundbreaking, sound is expertly carried out and James Horner's score perfectly balances the tone of the film throughout the runtime.
On an overall scale, James Cameron's Aliens is a wildly entertaining, immensely satisfying & one spectacular roller-coaster ride of non- stop action that refuses to age even after three decades and continues to rank amongst the most intense & fulfilling pieces of action extravaganzas ever made. Arguably the best film of the franchise, certainly one of the greatest sequels of all time, and undoubtedly one of the finest & most influential examples of its genre(s), Aliens is a perfect follow-up to Alien and, just like its predecessor, is immortal for its contribution to cinema.