One of my favorite movies of all time, and the greatest film of the past 20 years.

Rating: 10/10 (3 November 2006)

"Aliens" is one of the greatest movies that has ever been made. Whereas "Alien" was a foray into the decay of sanity and the crushing sense of doom and the oppression of fear; "Aliens" is one of the most obvious statements made on what is the difference between man and monster? The Marines in the film are not there to dawdle and wait in fear. They are there to do what Marines, or any elite fighting force is intended to do; kill. Ripley returns from the original and her actions and decisions ask the question, "Which is it you want: Redemption for yourself or revenge for those the creatures have killed?" The businessman from "The Company" is only there to care about two things; himself and The Bottom Line.
The story is phenomenal, almost a Sergio Leone's revenge yarn crossed with the sense of claustrophobia and dread of an H.P. Lovecraft or Robert Bloch story, finally given a healthy dose of the eye-candy and action filmography and dialog that made James Cameron a legend. But the greatest aspect of this film is what makes it come alive and makes it unlike any other science fiction movie you will ever see; the details look real. The scuffs on the floor. The marred and used look of all the machinery, the fact that life on other planets is not glass domes and synthetic lawns, but a hard-pressed lifestyle. But above all else, the fact that everything looks pretty much the same. The uniforms on the Marines look like equipment that is in use today, no "uber-soldat" mechanized war suits or Anime-esquire giant robots with massive arsenals - just people with armor and weaponry sent less as Marines and more as an insect extermination force.
All through it, the viewer will have shock and horror and, especially in the hallway scene, (and that's all I'll say about it) a sense of pure and undeniable hatred and revenge and then you question: "Which is worse? Us or them?" "Aliens" belongs on the shelf of anyone who loves movies, primarily due to it's accomplishment that no other action movie can state; the story is better than the stunts and battles. In this movie, that is a legendary achievement.