Aliens (Flashback Review)

ALIENS
WINNER! 2 of 7 Academy Awards = Best Actress (Sigourney Weaver), Film Editing, Original Score (James Horner), Art Direction, Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects

Nominated for Golden Globe = Best Actress (Sigourney Weaver)

“Aliens” is a prime example of a movie whose sequel surpasses the original beyond expectations. I saw it years later when I was older, but when it was released back in 1986, there were only three sequels that stood this honor: this being one of them, the other two being “The Godfather, Part II” and “The Empire Strikes Back” (one can also put up an argument for the best Bond sequels up to 1986, but that’s another best of list) The list still grows this day, but one of the reasons why “Aliens” is a sequel rarity is that it is one of the most definitive of sequels, improving upon the storyline of the first. Director James Cameron, who previously helmed “The Terminator” before tackling this one, seems the perfect choice for blending a mixture of sci-fi action and human drama. Compared to Weaver’s Ripley, this makes Sarah Connor look like a trifflin’ ho.

“Aliens” picks up right where the original left off, with Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) still sleeping in a pod. A salvage crew finds her, and take her back to Earth where she gets rest and recuperation. She meets up with Burke (Paul Raiser), who gives Ripley the ultimatum --- she has been away from Earth orbit for 57 years, but Burke adds that “she doesn’t look a day over 25” and marries her on the spot (Just kidding, but she HAS been away for 57 years!!!) The corporation that Ripley originally worked with hold an inquest, and think Ripley has made the whole story up and declares her insane. And the bottom line to all this, she has nightmares about her previous encounter with the creature. During the inquest, it’s revealed that there has been a colony living on LV-426 and has suddenly ceased contact with Earth. A colony team is dispatched to handle the problem and want Ripley to lead. Ripley declines at first, but finally accepts just because of the fact that she wants to put an end to her nightmares.

Led by Lt. Gorman (William Hope), the Colonial Marines consist of Cpl. Dwayne Hicks (Michael Biehn), comic relief Pvt. Hudson (Bill Paxton, who provides some great memorable lines from this one), the tough, butt-kicking chick Lt. Vasquez (Janette Goldman) who sports a big-ass gun, and the synthetic droid Bishop (Lance Henriksen). Burke also tags along. Without revealing too much about him: he goes up there with a mission of his own. Once they arrive, they find the pace desolate and it becomes a desperate rescue mission to find the people and re-establish a contact link. When they do find the colonists, however, it leads them to a shocking and gruesome discovery that gets progressively worse. Now, it’s up to Ripley to save the day.

The film has a great supporting cast, but the person I forgot to mention is Carrie Henn, in which this was her first and only movie, as Newt: an eight-year old girl who turns out to be the sole survivor of the colony. It is Ripley and Newt who form a very special bond with each other --- mother/daughter. The musical score by James Horner is, what I consider, one of the all time great movie scores (and yes, it’s right up there with “Titanic”,  another Horner great, so don’t give me any slack!) and Cameron also writes a terrific screenplay that mixes a blend of human drama and mind-blowing action sequences.

The director’s cut is magnificent, and providing some extra helpful information into the storyline, for instance, the realization that Ripley’s earthly daughter dies of old age. The only problem is, where the original cut takes about an hour before the aliens emerge, you have to wait another fifteen to twenty minutes (75 minutes in total) before the first battle begins, and even longer for the final confrontation. Aside from this fact, the new edition provides much more clues and insight into the Alien’s life cycle and function. The cinematography and art directions has a postmodern feel to it: the presentation of the alien hive seems exquisite and believable in its depiction.

This is all the more reason why I feel “Aliens” is the definite movie sequel to a horror classic. Until the next real deal would come along with future “Terminator” installments, this makes you feel grateful that there is a sequel that finally gets it right. That is, until the next installment comes along, but that’s another review.

Released by: 20th Century Fox ©1986

Rated: R

Running Time: 154 minutes (1986 version = 137 minutes)