Aliens: Special Edition
4/4
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Paul Reiser, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henrickson, Bill Paxton, William Hope
Rated R for Monster Violence, and for Language
Typically, when you make a sequel, it's a just a continuation of the story. Meaning, it's the same thing with some new tweaks. "Scream" and its sequels, or more recently, "300" and its sequel. "Aliens" is different. The 1979 horror film was a haunted house movie in space, more akin to a superior slasher film than a space opera. "Aliens," on the other hand, is intense, all-out action. It's just as scary, but instead of being stalked in dark corridors, we have a bunch of marines pinned down by xenomorphs.
Ellen Ripley (Weaver) has been adrift for 57 years. She was picked up by a salvage crew after the terrifying events on the Nostromo that left her entire crew dead. Because the company didn't believe her story, her license was revoked. But a company man by the name of Carter Burke (Reiser) gives her an opportunity to get her life back. LV-426, as anyone who watched "Alien" knows, is the planet where they found the xenomorph. It is now a planet being terraformed, only the company has lost contact with the colonists. If she tags along with a group of marines to check it out and lend her expertise, she'll get her license back. These marines are a tough bunch, and they're packing significant firepower. Unfortunately, when it comes to battling with an army the deadliest creatures in film history, that doesn't mean squat.
If there's anyone who knows how to craft a superior action flick, it's James Cameron. Few filmmakers have such a mastery of this genre, which is littered with disappointments ("Man of Steel") and bombs (Len Wiseman's bastard child of a "Total Recall" remake). Cameron has always been a perfectionist, but his films excel not only because they are brilliant on a technical level, but because he is a superior screenwriter. 20th Century Fox loved the first 90 pages of his script so much that they allowed him to go and make "The Terminator" before completing the script. For those of you that don't know, that kind of thing is unheard of in Hollywood.
Back again playing her most famous role is Sigourney Weaver. In "Alien," she was just a normal grunt. Here, she's tougher and more focused. She goes along because she needs to put the demons to rest ("Just tell me one thing, Burke. You're going out there to destroy them, right? Not to study. Not to bring back. But to wipe them out."). But a mother daughter bond between her and the lone survivor, a little girl named Newt (Henn) adds another dimension to her character and the story, especially the climax. While this is the most celebrated aspect of the film, it's also the least successful. I felt the bond mentally, but not emotionally.
She is surrounded by a solid supporting cast. Paul Reiser is alternately sympathetic and sleazy as Burke. He pays lip service to caring about Ripley, but his only real care is himself. Carrie Henn, in her only film role, borders on being too cute at times, but that's a minor quibble. Lance Henrickson is perfectly lovable as Bishop, the "artificial person" who, after the events in the first film, Ripley is extremely suspicious of and hostile towards. Michael Biehn is suitably studly as Hicks, although the real heroics are performed by Ripley. In addition to Biehn, two other Cameron regulars, Jenette Goldstein and Bill Paxton, play marines as well.
There's really not much more than I can say about this movie. It's a thoroughly exhausting roller coaster ride that contains some excellent action and scares. Now that you've finished reading the review, it's time to put the movie in the Blu Ray player and experience it for yourself (by the way, the Special Extended Edition is Cameron's preferred version).
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Paul Reiser, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henrickson, Bill Paxton, William Hope
Rated R for Monster Violence, and for Language
Typically, when you make a sequel, it's a just a continuation of the story. Meaning, it's the same thing with some new tweaks. "Scream" and its sequels, or more recently, "300" and its sequel. "Aliens" is different. The 1979 horror film was a haunted house movie in space, more akin to a superior slasher film than a space opera. "Aliens," on the other hand, is intense, all-out action. It's just as scary, but instead of being stalked in dark corridors, we have a bunch of marines pinned down by xenomorphs.
Ellen Ripley (Weaver) has been adrift for 57 years. She was picked up by a salvage crew after the terrifying events on the Nostromo that left her entire crew dead. Because the company didn't believe her story, her license was revoked. But a company man by the name of Carter Burke (Reiser) gives her an opportunity to get her life back. LV-426, as anyone who watched "Alien" knows, is the planet where they found the xenomorph. It is now a planet being terraformed, only the company has lost contact with the colonists. If she tags along with a group of marines to check it out and lend her expertise, she'll get her license back. These marines are a tough bunch, and they're packing significant firepower. Unfortunately, when it comes to battling with an army the deadliest creatures in film history, that doesn't mean squat.
If there's anyone who knows how to craft a superior action flick, it's James Cameron. Few filmmakers have such a mastery of this genre, which is littered with disappointments ("Man of Steel") and bombs (Len Wiseman's bastard child of a "Total Recall" remake). Cameron has always been a perfectionist, but his films excel not only because they are brilliant on a technical level, but because he is a superior screenwriter. 20th Century Fox loved the first 90 pages of his script so much that they allowed him to go and make "The Terminator" before completing the script. For those of you that don't know, that kind of thing is unheard of in Hollywood.
Back again playing her most famous role is Sigourney Weaver. In "Alien," she was just a normal grunt. Here, she's tougher and more focused. She goes along because she needs to put the demons to rest ("Just tell me one thing, Burke. You're going out there to destroy them, right? Not to study. Not to bring back. But to wipe them out."). But a mother daughter bond between her and the lone survivor, a little girl named Newt (Henn) adds another dimension to her character and the story, especially the climax. While this is the most celebrated aspect of the film, it's also the least successful. I felt the bond mentally, but not emotionally.
She is surrounded by a solid supporting cast. Paul Reiser is alternately sympathetic and sleazy as Burke. He pays lip service to caring about Ripley, but his only real care is himself. Carrie Henn, in her only film role, borders on being too cute at times, but that's a minor quibble. Lance Henrickson is perfectly lovable as Bishop, the "artificial person" who, after the events in the first film, Ripley is extremely suspicious of and hostile towards. Michael Biehn is suitably studly as Hicks, although the real heroics are performed by Ripley. In addition to Biehn, two other Cameron regulars, Jenette Goldstein and Bill Paxton, play marines as well.
There's really not much more than I can say about this movie. It's a thoroughly exhausting roller coaster ride that contains some excellent action and scares. Now that you've finished reading the review, it's time to put the movie in the Blu Ray player and experience it for yourself (by the way, the Special Extended Edition is Cameron's preferred version).
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