Rating: 
Summary: The Best Of The "Alien" Series
Review: This rip-roaring sequal to the original "Alien" somehow manages to top that austere sci-fi classic.Directed by James Cameron,the hot-shot rookie who blasted out of the gate swinging with the original "Terminator" in 1984,this film more than expands on the original,it completely reinvents it,taking the scientific cues from the concept of the hostile,unstoppable,slime-oozing monster and giving it many,many brothers and sisters.This time out,it's not a small crew of oil workers in space that gets attaked,it's a colonized planet,complete with families.Howerever,going up against them is a crew of well-armed "colonial marines"(played by Bill Paxton and fellow Cameron stand-by Micheal Biehn,among others),along with Ripley,who agrees to join the marines and smarmy company man Burke,played by Paul Riser,on a mission back to the planet when they lose contact with the colony(it's a long story,buy the DVD and try to keep up).Suffice it to say that when they get there,they find more than they bargained for.Also suffice it to say,that this is probably the most riveting,stomach-churning,thrilling action film ever made,and Sigourney Weaver deserved the Acadamy Award nomination she recieved for the film;her performance is astonishing-rich,complex,brimming over with humanity and ferocious tenacity.On all fronts,an excellent film.
Rating:
Summary: One of the rare sequels that surpasses the original
Review: I loved the film Alien, but I thought that it's sequel, Aliens,was a more fun film. While Ridley Scott gave a us a gritty film in theoriginal, filled with terror from beginning to end. But I always feltthe sequel was more fun, with tons of action and characterdepth. Ripley, after waking up 57 years after her freighter wasdestroyed, finds herself back on the planet where she firstencountered the alien. this time, accompanied by a group of gung-homarines, she is out to determine why a colony was wipedout. Obviously, the reason is clear. The aliens are back, and to quotethe trailer, "this time it's war".This DVD is LOADED withextras, my favorite is the featurette on Stan Winston's creation ofthe alien models. My only complaint is that the picture/sound is notas good as it could be. The picture is more grainy than it should be,with a lot of artifacts. And the sound seems faded. You have to turnthe sound up a little higher than usual for this one. But other thanthat, this a great buy. Especially with over 17 minutes of extras,this a terrific DVD.
Rating:
Summary: All time best movie ever
Review: Scary. Thrilling. Original. Exciting. Intelligent. FUN. Not for weak stomachs or weak hearts. Very, very entertaining. The effects are still first-rate now, 15 years later. And the DVD provides bonus material that gives a real depth to the production.
Rating:
Summary: A WORTHY SEQUEL TO THE ORIGINAL
Review: I must admit that I am a person who normally loathes sequels of any kind. So many times sequels seem to be done to "cash in" on the original- and many times I have left a theatre feeling "ripped off" realizing this. I would have to say after seeing the original Alien my expectations were not that high. I basically went to see Aliens for the "curiosity" factor. I also had nothing better to do that evening. Aliens is a worthy sequel to the original because nothing was compromised. The story held true to the original and many questions were answered in Aliens that were not in the first one. I just finished watching the DVD version of Aliens. This is an excellent DVD!! So well produced and transferred in "real" letterbox format. The added 17 minutes of the movie also answer a few questions. I never knew that Ripley had a daughter- this would explain why Ripley was so close and extremely protective of Newt. I really appreciated her character more thinking this- it added more dimension to Ripley- as a mother. The added footage also explained the happenings on LV-426 before and during the attacks by the Aliens. We also get to see Newt's family and what happened to them. I think that this adds more dimension to Newt. In all, Aliens is an excellent addition to any sci-fi DVD library. Extras galore on the DVD version- cool behind the scenes stuff, trailers, star bios, ect. Worth the money for the extras alone!! It's a great movie- even if you didn't see the original. As I stated before- I think that most sequals are inferior to the original. Aliens is an exception to this rule. I just wish that more sequels were as good as this one!
Rating:
Summary: A surprisingly fresh and enjoyable sequel.
Review: James Cameron has never been my cup of tea. Sure, he's flashy and no one has a better grasp of special effects and how they add to a picture. But can this master of eye-candy surpass Ridley Scott? Absolutley. Different then the original, Cameron's film relies more on action then suspense, creating a film that doesn't shock so much as jolt the viewer. Edited at a break-neck speed and featuring spectacular (and i mean SPECTACULAR) special effects, ALIENS manages to blend the science-fiction film with the traditional shoot-em-up with such ease and skill that the pace never drags a bit... and the audience never gets a chance to breath. Sigourney Weaver reprises her role as Ripley, the sole survivor of the doomed Nostromo, playing her tough and stern, commanding and haunted, a deadly force to be reckoned with when provoked. Her impressive performance gained her an Oscar nod. The rest of the cast sparkles as well with Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Al Matthews, and Jenette Goldstein as members of the gung-ho and tough-as-nails marine corps sent to investiagte the disappearence of an entire colony on the distant planet LV-426. But the film, in my opinion, belongs to Lance Henriksen in the role of Bishop, the soft-spoken android. And to Cameron, whose mastery of scene and spectacle help ALIENS acheive a kind of perfection in it's own right.
Rating: 
Summary: Worthy Sequal, but pales next the original
Review: After buying Alien Legacy on DVD, and first watching Alien (which I was completely awed by), I completely expected Aliens to be just as good, if not better. Yet I was shocked to realise that Aliens had none of eeriness, intensity or subtlety of Ridley Scott's film. This was pure potboiler - bad, cliched dialogue, so-so visuals (Ridley Scott did better in 1978!), unbelievable character motivation. I could go on. But Aliens eventually picks up. I felt the best thing about the movie was the relationship being Riply and Neut, which added a great deal of emotional depth to the film (it worked better than the relationship between Riply and the cat, anyway.) A lot of the action was top notch and excellently orchestrated. Paul Rieser's character was more frightening that all the aliens put together. Unfortunately he is killed off too soon! The "good" andriod in Aliens is also a brillient idea (which out-stayed its welcome in "Alien Ressurection", though). What a shame Alien 3 had to come along, which told us all Riply's adventures were for nothing ...
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first
Review: Even before this special edition hit the market Aliens was one of my favorite sci-fi films. However, the 17 minutes of added footage now make it one of my favorite films, period. By now most people know the story of Lt. Ripley and her encounters with the acid-bleeding, face-hugging, goo-oozing aliens. But in this installment of the series, Ripley becomes more human. We get the chracterization that Ridley Scott's Alien did not give us. The addition of new footage (some of which had been aired in a TV nearly a decade ago) gives us even more of this characterization. We're made to feel the impact of the human loss on LV-426. We understand in more detail Newt's situation and why exactly Ripley bonds with her so quickly. If there's any justice in the world Aliens Special Edition, like the special edition of Cameron's The Abyss, will stand in the future as the definative version of the film.
Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Follow-Up
Review: James Cameron directs an excellent follow-up to Ridley Scott's monster hit. "Aliens" is a suspenseful, action-packed gore fest that had garnered a well deserved 7 Academy Award nominations, including a Best Actress nod to Sigourney Weaver. While the film does have a slim plot, Cameron makes up for it in every other possible way. Weaver is excellent as Ripley, but the visual effects steal the show.
Rating:
Summary: An emotional and physical roller-coaster ride of a movie!
Review: "Aliens" is indeed one of those rare sequals that surpasses the original. The same goes for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day". This movie is so intense, exciting, unsettling, and exhausting. The last half of the movie pumps up your heart and leaves your stomach in knots. Yet this is an action-thriller with a lot of depth and heart to it. What really grabed me most in this film was the relationship between Ripley [Sigourney Weaver] and the little girl Newt [Carrie Henn, who gives an excellent performance for a young kid]. These are characters we come to know and care about, something that is rare in action or sci-fi flicks. Supporting characters are also fantasic, my favorite being Hudson, played by Bill Paxton with sarcasm, guts, and energy. The extra 17 minutes of footage in this "Special Edition" help develop the plot and characters more. We see Newt's parents who search for the aliens in the colony, and we see her brother. We also learn that Ripley had a daughter once, who died a long time ago. These added scenes help the movie rather than hurt it. I recommend you get this "Special Edition" of this great action/sci-fi film while you can.
Rating:
Summary: Best of Series, Best of Cameron, Best Sci-Fi Action Film!
Review: I have loved this movie ever since I was 4 years old. It is aboslutely without a doubt the most enjoyable film I have seen in a long time. It far surpasses the low-tech, somewhat boring original version of the film which I never truly enjoyed (Although I am a huge fan of the series, don't get me wrong). I think the added 17 minutes are nice, including a great scene with Hudson explaining how manly he is. However, they make this film EXTREMELY long. Showing it to a group of friends ended up with 3 out of 9 of them falling asleep (I was embarassed.). Its interesting but it just makes the movie so much that by the time I am done watching it I won't want to see it for a long time. They don't ruin the film though, except perhaps the first few cutscenes involving the face-hugger incident that infested the colony. While we KNOW the aliens are going to be back in this film, It was kinda cool going to the planet with as much knowledge as Ripley had on it. Ripley evolved in this film from a shy, second-rate hero who was really just scared, to a powerful, wonderful female role model of a heroine. All the acting in this film is wonderful, including each Marine. Perhaps the best film of all their careers especially Bill Paxton (Hudson). Definitely the most memorable out of all characters from this film. Lance Henrikson gave birth to a great character whom even Ripley with her fear of androids came to accept and care for. Special FX were great in this film, extensive weaponry and clothing was created that are realistic and beautiful. The Marine costumes are definitely one of the best ever in a Sci-Fi movie. The Aliens remained basically the same, only the crown of their heads changing (Which really is just a stage of maturing). The Queen Alien was always amazing and scary, the scene where she rips Bishop in half is hilarious and terrifying at the same time. This is definitely Cameron's best film, and he did a great job writing the screenplay for it. Titanic doesn't compare. This is a must see for anyone, definitely a classic.
|
