James Cameron at his best

Rating: 10/10 (28 September 2003)

My Rating: **** out of ****.
If I was asked to say which is the better director: James Cameron or Ridley Scott, I would have to think about that. If I had to say which was the better movies: Scott's Alien or Cameron's Aliens, the answer would be Aliens. This film represents the ultimate high point in Cameron's career. It ranks as one of the best, if not the best sci/fi-action film. As good as Camerons other films are: Terminator, Terminator 2, and True Lies, Aliens is better.
Alien was mainly a horror film set in space, a very good and effetive one at that. Aliens has some scenes that are horror-like but it mostly uses suspenseful action in its place. There are so many suspenseful action sequences that its almost impossible to name them all. The film is set at a very effective pace so the viewer may never become bored.

The cast is very well chosen. Sigourney Weaver is back as Ripley and I believe she is better here than in Alien. Shes much more tougher and is one of the best action heroes in a film. The supporting cast gives solid support. Bill Paxton is excellent as Hudson, he has some excellent one-liners. Michael Biehn (who was in The Terminator) gives a solid performance as Hicks. Jeanette Goldstein is also solid as Vasquez. Paul Reiser is very detestable as Burke. The rest of the cast is also noteworthy too.
One of Alien's weakness's was our ability, or atleast mine, to care for some of the characters. This weakness is not present in Aliens. The characters are not complex but they are very likable here (except for one). The dialogue is very well written and the story is well constructed.

Aliens mostly still looks great in the technical categories. The visual effects hold up well. The sets are excellent. The creatures are absolutely terrifying, especially the Queen Alien. Like Alien, Aliens also has atmosphere throughout.
Cameron has created a sequel that is better than the original but this is not the first time he has done this. Terminator 2 was significantly better than the first. As memorable as Alien was, Aliens is better and ranks higher on my personal favorites list. Cameron may still have other good films in him, but I dont think he will beat this.