"Get away from her ..

Rating: Null/10 (27 October 2004)

.. you B*TCH!" And this will forever be the catch phrase of the movie. I don't fault it for that either, as it is truly memorable, and spoken with true passion by our hero.
The movie is a gem, through and through. From the beginning when its successor touched on a place for horror films never looked at before (space), to the true depth of realism created through out the sequels. One thing of note in this sequel is that unlike the first one, where Weaver played a decidedly female role, running and screaming when people got killed, is that in this one she has a much more developed and butch character. You truly get the sense that the prior engagement with the xenomorph has changed her psychologically forever. With the introduction of her nightmares, to simply knowing that an entire elite Marine force is no match for the creature, you become adhered to Ripley. You WANT her to win.
I guess the one problem I have with the movie is that the Marines are nearly all wiped out in the span of their first engagement with the alien, but with the use of brilliant directing and cinemotagraphy, it is totally believable, while hitting you with the feeling that the situation is truly hopeless. Face it. You've just seen nearly an entire squad of war hardened Marines wiped out by beings that don't even know how to use a gun. It is truly awe inspiring to see the aliens melting out of what you once thought was a wall.
As always the sets and aliens themselves are modeled with the help of HR Geiger, and probably will make the man a millionaire for the rest of his life.
A beautifully bleak, eerie and suspenseful film. Loved it.