A sci-fi action masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (1 August 2012)

I can honestly say that 'Aliens' could be the most exciting and thrilling film ever made! That may sound a bit rash, I know. But I genuinely believe it is true. Cameron plunges you into a white-knuckle thrill ride like no other. But they key thing is, this is done with intelligence.
Lots of action films have a tendency to screw up pacing; often they favor more action scenes. Aliens however excels in pacing. It's a good hour and a bit before we first lay eyes on our foes. The time before is however, very critical. Mr.Cameron made sure to maintain suspense and fear of the unknown. These aspects were critical as it was these features that made the original 'Alien' so effective and successful. Ridley Scott established in the first film, that the most frightening fear is that of the unknown. Not knowing which corner the alien could be hiding behind and only seeing short glimpses of the alien greatly increases the fear factor.
James Cameron retains this key rule, but makes 'Aliens' a unique film.
The characters are simply fantastic, with not a single cast member giving a bad performance. Sigourney Weaver reprises Ripley to great effect helping to get across her new depth. Paul Reiser plays Carter Burke to great effect. You can't help but have a certain hatred towards his character. Carrie Henn is also amazing as 'Newt' despite being such a young age. The characters that make this film however, are the Marines. The scripting is sharp, witty and hilarious and the marines lines do not fail to disappoint. Michael Biehn is fabulous as the heroic Hicks, but for me, the real star of the show is Bill Paxton as Hudson. A combination of phenomenal acting and top notch writing. In fact I dare say that Hudson could be my all-time favorite film character.
Overall, Aliens is an absolute masterpiece. A perfect combination of Sci-fi, horror and action. I have seen this film in excess of 20/25 times and each time it is equally thrilling. I can promise you that once viewed, you'll want a good sit down and a rest.