outdoes the original!

Rating: Null/10 (6 January 1999)

You would think that outdoing Alien is an almost impossible task. James Cameron did it with Aliens. Instead of copying the first one note for note, like many sequels do, Cameron upped the ante. There are more characters, more aliens and more heart stopping thrills than you can shake a stick at. Where the film allows you to breathe, it continues to ratchet up the tension. When the film explodes into action, it is orgasmic. The release of the tension propels the action forward and we want Ripley, Hicks, Hudson, Vasquez, et al to escape from these hideous beasts that seem to come out of every nook and cranny in this hellacious planet. Cameron outdoes the climax of Alien by first giving us a glimpse at the queen, and then giving us one hell of a battle between Ripley and the creature that has haunted her for 56 years. All in all, Aliens is a film that provides action, terror and humor into one package that you cannot tear your eyes from.