Easily the greatest Sci Fi/Action flick in history.

Rating: Null/10 (17 November 2001)

Is this better than the original?? A moot point! The real answer is, its DIFFERENT! and a bone-crunching ride it most certainly is. I recall clearly opening night, the entire theater rose as one at the conclusion to the pic and clapped, stamped and whistled. Warren Beatty can only dream of such a reaction!
Part of its success I feel, comes from the inspired multi-floor postering at the time (at least in Australia), showing Ripley armed to the teeth, looking skywards with the catch line "There are some places in the Universe you don't go!" "Exciting" doesn't adequately describe this unremittingly supercharged sequel. It delivered!
A key common to most engrossing films are interesting characterizations and this flick has them in abundunce. Ripley - at the top of her tree, Corporal Hicks, Vasquez, Hudson and even Newt, a winner all the way. The aliens themselves were realistic to the point of disbelief, both in appearance and movement. Even in ALIEN the concluding shot of the beast being blown out of the airlock looked suspiciously like a man in a suit which the remainder of the film had avoided. In ALIENS there is no trace of human involvement.

Packed with smart-ass repartee and memorable one-liners, "Well why don't you put HER in charge?" asks Hudson (Paxton) referring to young Newt the only survivor of the colony, after Ripley praises her survival techniques. Predictably, the most famous line of all is left to Ripley, "Get away from her..you BITCH!" as she prepares to do battle with the Queen alien at the climax of the movie.
Adrenalin charged action from the opening scene, it'll be a while until anyone sees this again!
The special effects were in a class of their own - one has only to watch ALIEN RESURRECTION to realise how true this is. Cameron hit is zenith with this, whether TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY is better, I wouldn't like to argue, personally, I think its pretty much line ball.