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Summary: Did you hear something.....?
Review: Okay, so we hate sequels, right? Uh uh....Director James Cameron's best idea was not to even make a true seuqel of 1979's "Alien" - though repairing Sigourney Weaver with the acid spewing, chestbursting, drool-challenged reptilian-insectoid and vaguely canine alien of the first film, and using the first story as a base, Cameron has created a sequel more original than films that don't purport to be sequels. In the original film, Ellen Ripley is one of seven crewmembers of a spacegoing freighter owned by the mysterious (though apparently all-powerful "company"). When the crew lands on a remote planet in response to what may be a distress call, they unknowingly pick up a bug that systematically picks off the crew before being dispatched by Ripley. In the opening minutes of the sequel, we find that Ripley's narrow survival has a bitter edge - escaping her freighter, she's found drifting in space for nearly 60 years. Thawed out of "coldsleep", her memories of the alien terror are fresh while she lacks any friends or family with which to lean against. Though eager to tell her story, nobody believes a word about acid-spewing, chestbursting aliens, and Ripley is written off as a nutcase. Bolstering the case for insanity is the fact that the mysterious planet from whence the alien came has long been settled without so much as a complaint. Certainly, if Ripley's tale of woe and acid had had the slightest amount of truth, somebody would have heard something. And then nobody hears anything from the colony. Far from convinced, the compamny nevertheless sends out a survey team of US Marines at the disposal of the company's amoral corporate rep (Paul Reiser). Gung-Ho at first, the Marines land on the dark and remote planet to find it overrun almsot entirely with aliens. Firefights ensue, arrogance is destroyed and the marines find themselves cut-off and alone. Ripley, once thought a nut, is now the only hope the surviving marines have of getting off the planet. Aliens excels because it doesn't really try to be a sequel to the first one - mostly because Cameron uses a completely different style. Where the first film was slow and brooding, the first one takes the speed-is-life approach. Cameron's aliens fly off the ceilings, jump from floors, almost ooze out of every crack and crevice. These guys don't hide - they jump on cars, run into flame-throwers, beg for grenades. Cameron goes for the adrenaline route, but there's a method to his madness - the camera stays smooth, and the action is choreographed so that we always know what's going on (assuming we can bear to look at the screen). The aliens get a lot more screen-time, but Cameron skillfully sets the scene that reveals the aliens and keeps them shrouded at the same time, so we never think we're looking at guys in rubber suits (at least not guys we want to ever meet in a dark alley). Though the pace takes a big dip midway through the film (that happens in every Cameron movie) it picks up again in time to head for a major climax (followed by another major climax) at the film's end, in which we get a final claimx, just so we can finish the film feeling jolted and bolted. Aliens is also a human story - the marines come off as amoral lifers, but they go down as heroes, even Bill Paxton as the ceaselessly pessimistic Hudson and Jeannette Goldstein as the fearsome Vazquez. Between the awesome visual effects and the speed of the action, you'll need to see this widescreen - don't settle for the cropped and edited version they air on FX.
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Summary: No one knows the words "Special Edition" like Cameron
Review: I'm a big fan of Special Editions. I love the new features and all the bells and whistles that come on the DVDs and VHS tapes. Being able to learn more about my favorite movies makes the purchase of the film for a second time (in the case of "Army of Darkness," a third as well) well worth it. The Special Edition for James Cameron's masterpiece of outer space terror, "Aliens," is definitely worth the money. It has the definitive Special Edition touch: Scenes that were once deleted that have been seamlessly re-entered into the film's running time. All of the scenes restored here by Cameron actually prove to be vital in understanding the characters more, as well as getting a glimpse of the true relentless savagry of the xenomorphs. After the disaster aboard the Nostromo in "Alien," Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) was the only survivor... along with her tiger-stripe cat, Jones. Now, after 57 years in cryosleep, Ripley wakes up to nightmares, court martial, and the possibility of the resurgence of the alien intelligence she single-handedly fought and won against 57 year prior. She won't go back to that planet, she tells the slippery Carter Burke (Paul Reiser). "I said no, and I mean it. Now please leave. I am not going back and I would not be any good to you if I did." But a nightmare in the middle of a sound sleep jogs her decision and she is off with the Marines on the spaceship Sulaco to planet LV-426. The colonists on the planet have totally vanished, the complex is empty with the exception of one little girl (Carrie Henn), and the aliens are lurking about in the dark. You guess what happens next, and this, as the tagline to "Evil Dead 2" says, is where you can "kiss your nerves goodbye." After we've gotten to know the characters, who are all likable in their own way, except Burke, of course, that slimy criminal..., Cameron launches us into an all-out battle of human versus alien. They come out of the walls, they bust up through floor panels, they drop from the ceiling, they take bullet after bullet, and until their heads explode from too much, they keep coming until you are either cocooned for the Hive Queen, or you are dead. Those two options don't leave much in the way of pleading for mercy. And "Aliens" is merciless: It's like riding on the fastest roller coaster you can find with the world's biggest drops, longest tunnels, steepest hills, sharpest turns, and it doesn't stop for two hours. James Cameron was a relatively inexperienced director when he made "Aliens," but he has delivered. "Aliens" is fantastic entertainment.
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Summary: Aliens-the best action movie ever made
Review: I first saw Aliens a couple of years ago, and I fell in love with it. It had everything an action movie needs: violence, language, a couple of jokes(Hudson), and best of all, guns, lots of guns. The special effects are wonderful in this movie. They surpass most of the special effects in movies today, and this movie was made almost 15 years ago. Ripley is rescued from her first encounter with the aliens, and she later decides to go with the marines to LB-421. The marines arrive there and there is no sign of civilian life. They discover a colony of aliens, but they are too late, they're already under attack. And then comes the violence. They have to fight to get out of there and they're low on ammo. What could be better? The answer: nothing. This movie is far superior to the other movies in the series. This is a must see for all action fans.
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Summary: Sets the Standard for Sci-Fi , Horror, and Action Movies
Review: When ALIENS was released in 1986 the studio made James Cameron cut over 17 minutes of film because they felt it was too long. Still the released film was over two hours, but audiences didn't seem to mind. The film was branded an instant classic, setting a new standard for sci-fi, horror and action movies... all at the same time. It even earned Sigourney Weaver (returning to her role as Lt. Ellen Ripley) a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar nomination. ALIENS proved that a sequel can live up to, if not surpass the vision of the original. It has been imitated dozens of times, but is has never been topped. Ripley awakens 57 years after A L I EN, only to find out that no one believes her story about a monster that gestates inside of humans, killing it's host (rather violently) at it's birth, grows very fast, has acid for blood and is pretty much an "unkillable" killing machine. So they fire her and threaten to sue her for destroying the Nostromo (the company's ship in part 1). She's forced to live in a run down apartment building and gets a job working on the cargo docks because no one else will hire her...However, the company did send out some colonists to check out her story. The colonists are unaware that for the past 20 years they've been sharing the same planet with Ripley's monsters. That's the setup before all hell literally breaks loose. James Cameron masterfully choreographs a decent into the bowels of a planet taken over by a demon monster and her brood (and there are many of them in this one). This DVD edition includes the 17 minutes of cut footage, which adds tremendously to the narrative, filling in some rather irritating gaps that were left in the theatrical version. Ripley is given a past, making her relationship with the little girl Newt more understandable. You actually see how the aliens took over the colony on LV-426. So when the marines arrive at the colony, you FEEL the loss. The movie is an emotional roller coaster ride and at the same time, a well-crafted nightmare. The final 45 minutes alone will have anyone literally sitting on the edge of their seats. Followed in 1992 by a somewhat mellower sequel, ALIEN 3.
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Summary: ALIENS a classic in history
Review: Ripley returns as the only survivor of the cargo freightor Nostromo. She finds shes been drifting in black space for 57 years and that the planet LB-426 has a colony on it in which her former employers, a greedy corporation has just lost contact with. When they ask for Ripley's assistance and expertise she is skeptical but agrees. The marines corp moves in and finds the colony abandoned, but by the condition the place is in they can tell something went wrong.The only survivor, a little girl named Newt. As fear builds and Ripley and the crew are led once again into a trap by the corporation they realize they must kill the aliens and their queen and nuke the place morbid to put an end to their torrential reign upon LB-426. My idea of a good late night edge of your seat classic thriller a plus of this movie from the others is the fact that now there is more than just one type of alien and there all nasty but the queen is the best of them all. This movie is a must have to any alien fan and my personal favorite of all the ALIENS films. "GET AWAY FROM HER YOU B****" Lt. Ripley-ALIENS
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Summary: WHAT ALIEN SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
Review: This movie is by far better than alien, the original first film. The first film is good, but cannot match the tension that permeates the sequel. Aliens just plain rocks!!!! By the way steer clear of Alien3.
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Summary: One of the better "sequels"of recent years.
Review: Does not hold the level of tension that the first film created,but still,a very good sequel. Gone for this sequel is the Panavision 2.35:1 ratio;the matted 1.85:1 ratio does create the intended "chlostrophobic" effect to good use. A good transfer from Fox,but not excellent,i did notice some scenes where grain was evident.
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Summary: The Extra Footage Makes The Difference
Review: The extra footage RESTORED to the movie (and not just a special secion on the DVD) make getting the Alien's DVD worth it. FOr years, Fox refused to include this footage which had been seen on American network TV and on English PAL formated VCR tapes. This has everything from the awesome Sentry Bots to Newt's family before they found the alien ship. This makes a great movie even better (IMO)!
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Summary: Best Sequel Ever Made!
Review: Sigourney Weaver deserved an Oscar for this role, she played the gamut of emotions and proved she is an actress for the 21st Century. But it is enough to see her as Ripley, who is at first bewildered waking up 57 years in the future. Still it doesn't take her long to take charge. The pace, pitch and power of this film is faster and gritter than the original, but it would have to be when the Space Marines take center stage! James Cameron added a number of pluses to this film which give all the leads depth...even Lance Hendriksen's performance as a synthetic human is both warm, yet chilling. Newt is a treasure, in funny, innocent ways she provides a counterbalance to the tough adults surrounding her. Enough from me. Catch this film on DVD and decide for yourself.
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Summary: Best one of the bunch; scary; fast paced; blood and guts!
Review: ALIENS: a mix of horror, sci fi and action; an updated haunted house; great monsters; their blood is acid which burns through metal; like Grendel in BEOWULF; great overall story; fast paced; scary and a blood rushing roller coaster ride. Remember..."Game over, man, Game over" From Lance Henrickson, I believe, who went on to star in TWISTER with Helen Hunt; a not so great movie.
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