Stunning

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2004)

It's always harder for me to comment on the movies i really love, than the movies i didn't even like. Which makes this VERY hard. Aliens is along with Terminator 2 probably the two action films that for me define the genre. And these two also collaborate in making James Cameron, in my eyes, the still undisputed king of action blockbusters. The one man who can have a huge budget and make an action film where every dollar still feels well spent.
The story here is more or less an excuse to reunite the two factors we want to see reunited after the first Alien-movie made in 1979: Ripley and the Alien. Ripley wakes up in the beginning of "Aliens", having drifted through space for nearly 60 years after the first movie. Her reports of the alien creature is met with skepticism from "The Company", that she used to work for. But something must have stirred, they sent someone out to check on her story. And things begin to happen, they lose contact with a colony and are forced to take the matter seriously. Soon Ripley and some of earths finest marines are heading out to take control of the situation. And this time it's war.
How do you make the perfect action movie? Well, don't ask me. Ask James Cameron! Because this is a close to perfect as we are ever likely to come. The music, the weapons, the vehicles, the characters, the pulse-raising pace, the aliens and last but not least (the ultimate queen of action) Ripley! Everything work together to make this a crushing experience. It's sadly not often you see something like this, something so exhausting you break sweat just by watching it.
Admittedly some of the effects look rather dated today. Especially the scenes of the landing shuttle and the spaceship. But in all honesty it doesn't bother me at all. For what this movie lacks in modern-day CGI it more than makes up for in pure action. It doesn't matter how many well-made CGI-creatures more recent films throw at you, none of them are as menacing or as frightening as H.R. Gigers Alien-monster. And while there was just one creature in the first movie, there are swarms of them here. All closing in on the small group of humans...
So, watch this and prepare for the ride of a lifetime. In the director's cut (which is the version you want to see if possible) it's 154 minutes of pure adrenalin rush. This is probably the only time i will ever do this, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do: i rate this 10/10.