"Game over man! Game over!"

Rating: 9/10 (8 August 2014)

Aliens was in many ways a significant change in tone of the franchise. Whilst there was still an element of fear to the aliens the focus went from a horror to a full on action. It was a risky move and could have felt like they were ruining the franchise. Luckily it never felt like that. Instead it feels like a natural progression. It brings back what we loved about Alien without rehashing ideas, whilst significantly expanding on the universe and making it an even more lovable franchise than it previously was.
After struggling to get over the fear of the Xenomorph attack in the last film, Ridley joins a crew of space marines who are going to the planet the Xenomorphs were found to investigate the lack of communication with the colony who have been placed there. Of course the Xenomorphs have attacked and it turns to a fight for survival as Ridley and the Marines begin a desperate fight to escape the planet.
What makes this film extremely powerful is that it doesn't go straight to the action. A great deal of the films first half is devoted to the marines. It lets us know them. More than that it shows them as real bad-asses, like super soldiers. They have these massive plasma weapons and flamethrowers. Some have cocky attitudes treating the threat of the Xenomorph like it was nothing.
But then the Xenomorphs strike. The moment when they strike the numbers quickly begin to dwindle and it happens so quickly there's even difficulty in tracking just how many have died. The super tough soldiers have been cut down into these victims, beginning to break down and panic that they're going to die. Through this Cameron maintains the legacy of Scott's Alien. He ensures that the Xenomorphs appear just as powerful and imposing as they've ever been. It gives us the immediate assurance that this is still a survival film. The Xenomorphs are still the hunters. And we are still the hunted.
Surprisingly Sigourey Weavers portrayal of Ripley actually improves in this film from the already incredible character she played in the first. She goes from a hardened survivor to a fully fledged hero. The change isn't sudden, but as she begins to undertake the responsibility as the film goes on. On top of this side stories such as caring for a child named Newt (the last surviving colonist) keep the character extremely grounded and human. To this day she remains one of the most powerful female figures in film because of how kick ass she can be.
Then there's James Cameron, who seems to truly be in his element with sci-fi. The studio even waited a while for him to finish his work on Terminator just so he could do the film, which was without a doubt a great choice. Watching films like Terminator and Aliens is like watching a piece of dynamite with a lit fuse. He makes us enjoy the tension of waiting for the action to happen. Then when it blows it's fast and keeps us gripped to the screen. He makes seeing a Xenomorph explode just about as exciting as you can and yet still maintains their presence as threatening figures.
Aliens completely changes the original story of the previous film. In the first then it was based around a threat that was unknown. But now the threat is known and it's time to fight back. But at the same time it never loses sight on the fact that the marines are still the hunted here. It's a fight for survival and one that we want to keep watching.