Rating: 
Summary: The absolute best Sci Fi Action Movie Ever
Review: Sigourney Weaver solidified her status as the only woman in Hollywood who can successfully open an action movie. She plays Ripley, the grim psychologically scarred survivor of the Nostromo. She accompanies an elite Marine unit to an alien infested planet. The same planet from the 1st movie. The aliens have overtaken a colony. When the marines arrive, all hell breaks loose and the surviving marines are trapped on the planet and on the run. Alien was an character driven atmospheric horror movie. Aliens is a high tech, intense, loud, awesome and nerve jangling action movie. The aliens, especially the queen, are presented as real characters with intelligence, cunning, planning, and a fierce maternal instinct. They have no dialogue, of course, but nearly steal the show from the human actors. The makers of Aliens took the claustrophia, terror, atmospheric futuristic sets and added action, humor and personal confrontation between Ripley and the Queen over a little girl. With Alien and Aliens, everything useful and novel was gleaned from the concept of a futuristic Jaws movie. The idea of an unstoppable and perfect killing machine (shark or alien) vs. ordinary humans. The next two installments in the series are barely worth the time it takes to watch them though the most recent, Alien Resurrection, has some great visuals. Aliens is one of the landmarks of modern cinema and, along with its predecessor, have influenced action and sci fi movies since they appeared.
Rating:
Summary: Is this gonna be a stand-up fight or just another bug hunt?
Review: It's really too bad James Cameron didn't just stick to making movies like this because this is definitely one of the greatest military/sci-fi movies out there. It's got pace, action, intelligence and character, and then of course there're all those damn bugs. I dunno about anyone else but I had serious nightmares after I first saw it and I was 27 at the time!!Like its wonderful first cousin the James Wong TV series "Space: Above and Beyond", this movie is first and foremost about people and warfare. The creepy atmosphere, the cool technology and the faceless alien enemies just help to focus things a little more intensely. You get to feel the confidence of the Marines as they begin their assault and then watch with terror as stupidity coupled with surprise and the true lethalness of the enemy cut most of your fancy technology away and you are left with your wits, your courage and whatever gear made it out of the APC in one peice. For my money, the supporting actors in this movie deserve as much praise as Sigourney Weaver (here in the best scripted of Ripley's appearances in the Aliens franchise). In particular, I must admit to a huge soft spot for the cigar-chomping Sgt. Apone (Al Matthews) and of course the hard-boiled smart-gunner Pvt. Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein who won a Saturn award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance here). Paul Reiser (surprise!) also does oily corporate guy Carter Burke really well. The sequence when the marines go into the complex conjures up the grittiness, adrenaline and fear of urban warfare with nothing more than darkness and the sound of water dropping. Sheer genius. I think what I like most about this movie is the way in which the heroism of the humans is really downplayed (with the exception of the stupid "get away from her, ... " line near the end of the film) in favor of professionalism, fear and just wanting to keep you and your mates alive. Although I have not faced any of these situations as a member of a military unit, this movie gave me a little bit of an inkling as to what it must be like (with the unrealistic bonus of course that the enemy are not people but aliens so you don't have to worry about identifying too closely with them). What "Aliens" also shares with SAAB is a very healthy dose of skepticism about the brass and the suits who seem to be in the driver's seat. I particularly like way the unholy alliance between the military authorities and Weyland-Yutani was handled. You can pretty much taste Ripley's anger and sheer terror when she realizes that they have sandbagged her into going back to face "it" again, and the feeling returns in spades when the full extent of the company's treachery is revealed. Finally, the other stars of the show are the aliens themselves. They are a fascinating combination of insect, bondage outfit and carnivorous beast. They are at once hugely scary and also visually compelling. One of my fellow Aliens addicts pointed out that they are, in fact (at least in this film) sexy in the way that extreme danger is also sexy. That combined with the horror of the way they reproduce and the ferocity with which they attack, and you have the perfect late 20th century non-human villain. They are, in a wierd way, the Hannibal Lecters (the Tony Hopkins "Silence of the Lambs" Hannibal, not the other one) of the alien menagerie. Nothing else I've seen seems nearly in their league. So in conclusion, this is a keeper: Get the DVD or rent it. Better still, get your local movie art house to show it on the big screen. But remember to wear your combat boots because you'll be yanking your feet up to avoid the acid burns.
Rating: 
Summary: ONE ALIEN IS A MENACE...HUNDREDS OF THEM ARE A NIGHTMARE.
Review: Few are the sequels that are worth of a simple mention, "Aliens" is one of those few second parts. This film packs more action than 5 standard action movies together, and this time there is a whole community of monsters waiting for our favorite movie heroine Ripley. Once again she has to battle against the space creatures and an ambitious Company, which is ready to sacrifice human lives in order to get a powerful weapon (the monsters). But this time, Ripley must save her own skin, and she also has to play the role of a mother for the little Newt, a charming little girl that Ripley found on a devastated colony. "Aliens" is the kind of film that you can watch over and over again and you will always discover something new. If you liked the first "Alien" movie, then the sequel "Aliens" is a must-see thriller.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best sci-fi films ever
Review: To this day I can't remember a movie that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I can still recall the first time I saw this film in the theater and I think I left fingernail impressions in the armrest. The special edition DVD does not disappoint. I enjoyed the extra footage and other extras. This is a movie that can be enjoyed over and over again. I put this movie behind the first two Star Wars movies as the best sci-fi films ever.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Sequel - Very Rare
Review: This was a fantastic film. Lt. Ripley is the only survivor of the spaceship Nostromo after it's fatal incounter with Aliens. She has been adrift in space for 57 years. Not a soul believes her far fetched story of the Aliens and her flight status is revolked, that is until the alien planet that has since been colonized, can no longer be reached. A very reluctant Ripley is sent with a band of gung-ho space marines to investigate. This film is fast paced and action packed, but doesn't leave much for the veiwer to guess at. Instead of one Alien the writers have opted for many aliens, probably in hopes of making up for what the film now lacks in suspense. As with the first film, the special effects are excellent. As is the acting of the lead character Ripley (Weaver). Overall this was a spectacullar film, and one of the best sequals I have ever seen. The characters stayed true to the form laid out in the first film and the writers changed just enough to make this a different flick altogether. Not a dissapointment in the least.
Rating: 
Summary: Cameron Inexplicably Ruins His Masterpiece
Review: Aliens was a terrific, terrifying, and somewhat relentless action thriller. But the "extra footage" tinkers with the movie's fundamental workings, damaging it severely in the process. For example, why show what happened to the original colonists? Doing so drains all of the mystery and suspense out of the film. It's like someone giving you a map before you enter a spookhouse. Thus, the extra footage goes beyond being simply "unnecessary" to actually damaging the telling of the story. What a poor choice by Cameron to include these scenes! Also, the added footage of Ripley and Newt changes the fundamental bond that existed between them in the original movie. They go from being strong, capable,resourceful survivors to a more contrived "mommy/daughter" relationship that is supposed to work better in the movie's big finale. The result is more Hollywood, less convincing. Again, Cameron takes a sledge hammer to fix something that was not broken. Hollywood needs to take a step back, stow the computer graphics for five minutes, and stop mucking up good movies. Invariably, they select the best movies for this kind of vandalism, because they they can milk them for a quick buck. Create something good in Hollywood and everyone and his brother will fight to stick a finger in it. So what's next, putting computer-generated teeth on the on the Mona Lisa? Enough already. The bottom line: "Aliens" is a gripping, terrifying, classic action thriller. The "New and Improved, Super-Duper Aliens Director's Cut with Added Footage and Hand-Painted Periwinkles" is also a pretty good movie. It's just not as good as the original. What a crying shame.
Rating:
Summary: Frightening Movie!
Review: This is the movie that made Sigourney Weaver a noted actress.
A space expedition is in space on a mission. Unknown to the crew there is a space monster involved that the company they work for wants captured. The spacecraft crew start getting killed off one
by one. There are some very graphic scenes of the alien's craft.
The special effects are also very good.Weaver winds up being the only member of the crew who is alive. She has a classical showdown with the alien. This is a very good movie that you will enjoy watching.The action is nonstop and the movie is very
exciting. This will be one that you will always remember.
Rating:
Summary: A Completely Plausible Fashion Statement
Review: If you were tempted to laugh out loud when you saw in the first portion of this film how males purportedly wear their dress coats in the future -- lapels flat, but collars stiffly upturned -- then think again. As contrived as it may seem, that is exactly how Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) was attired, when he first met Maria (Julie Andrews) in 1965's "The Sound of Music." It looked stupid then too, but not as noticeably so as in "Aliens."
Rating:
Summary: Great sequel but a bit annoying.
Review: There is a particular word that can be used to describe many movies. If I hear this word I am usually right in assuming that I will not enjoy the film. That word is "Gung-Ho". A very apt word to describe ALIENS. Those jerk Marines really annoy. Especially Bill Paxton and he is one of my fave actors too. ALIEN may seem very tame to you once you see this as you begin to wonder what the big deal is with one measly alien when Ripley has to deal with zillions and zillions and one mean alien Queen. There is truckloads of excitement and even more action. Too bad Cameron made it in 1.85:1. What was the point in that? This is the only one that weren't made in widescreen and it really bugs me. The director's cut of the film is the official cut of the film to me. I don't like it when films are cut down because of overlength. James Horner's musical score is amazing and really gets the blood going. But I find it weird that none of the films had an "Alien Theme" of some kind. All scores are totally different and done by 4 separate composers. I like the character of Newt and Bishop is way cool. But that whole deal with Ripley becoming a mother and all of the other self-important subtext junk annoys me, tho I guess this is another part of the movie that brings it critical acclaim. But what I want is mighty kicking of alien [butt]. And that we do get a lot of. The foreshadowing with the powerloader is rather unsubtle tho. This film is way better than Alien and Alien 3. I reckon you should get the DVD as it is the directors cut, is anamorphic and is in Dolby 5.1. It is the best version of this film that is out there.
Rating:
Summary: One of THE BEST horror films ever made
Review: The movie Aliens is one of those rare instances where the sequel not only expands on a good film, but is superior to the original. I truly loved watching this movie, and have fond memories of this film when I first saw it in the theater. I jumped out of my seat several times, and was pleasantly surprised by this film in a good way. James Cameron loved the original Alien movie, and you can tell that he loved this movie from the opening moments of this sequel that he wrote and directed. The emergency shuttle that Ripley escaped from the Nostromo in the previous film looks exactly like the same ship in every way. The attention to continuity is shown not only in the sets, but also in the story, as Ripley looks at photos of people from the previous crew as she testifies to the infamous corporate leaders about her first encounter with the alien. I won't go into detail what happens next in the film, only that just when things look bad, they get even worse. The additional 17 minutes added to the film on DVD are good, but aren't essential because the story is just as good either way. The supporting cast that make up the Colonial Marines are a well balanced, well thought out cast. They all really do stand out as individuals in this movie. When Gene Roddenberry had started work on the new Star Trek series, he screened this movie to help him and his team to come up with ideas for characters for what would become Star Trek: The Next Generation. The themes in this movie are the same as the original, only better -- the distrust the common people have for the corporate world -- Ripley standing up to the injustices done to those who are victimized. Sigourney Weaver is a wonderful heroine. When I saw this movie in the theater, I remember the audience cheering loudly for her. This was a great movie.
| 
