The film that forever ruined human-alien relations

Rating: 8/10 (20 September 2008)

What to make of a film whose only memorable contribution to cinema was the line "Get away from her, you bitch!" Spoken at a particularly joyous and tense climax by Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), it was just the line needed to turn a cheesy alien encounter into a cult classic.
Let's make one thing clear up front: Aliens is not better than Alien. James Cameron, fresh off the surprise success of The Terminator, is too euphoric in his direction to match the dark moods and creepy cinematography of Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece. But his ecstasy is both good and bad: good in that it saves this formulaic picture from mediocrity; and bad in that it robs it of the clarity of horror that possessed the first film. It's to Cameron's credit that he did not attempt to hide this shift in tone: the tagline was "This time it's war," which seems a boast compared to the stark "In space no one can hear you scream" tag of Alien.
Aliens begins essentially where its predecessor left off: Ripley floating in space, sealed in a hypersleep chamber where she has been for the last 57 years. Upon waking, she tells her story and is later told that LV-426 -- the planet where her crew found the titular alien -- cannot be reached. Along with a group of Marines, Ripley goes to the planet to see what remains and to kill the aliens once and for all.
There are plenty of flaws to be found in this film. For one, the acting is less than stellar (except from Weaver and Michael Biehn); also the dialogue is horrible; and finally the supporting cast couldn't have been more one-dimensional. But the strengths outweigh these: the special effects are terrific; the action sequences are thrilling; and the film's emotional center -- the relationship between Ripley and Newt (Carrie Henn) -- is superbly handled.
Add to all this that there are plenty of willing viewers who liked the original movie and will sit through this one, and you have a strong sequel.