Aliens
From AwardAnnals
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| Director(s) | James Cameron |
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| Series | 2nd in Alien Quadrilogy |
| Distributor | 20th Century Fox |
| Honors | |
| Aliens is one of the few cases of a sequel that far surpassed the original. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley, who awakens on Earth only to discover that she has been hibernating in space so long that everyone she knows is dead. Then she is talked into traveling (along with a squad of Marines) to a planet under assault by the same aliens that nearly killed her. Once she gets there, she finds a lost little girl who triggers her maternal instincts—and she discovers that the company has once again double-crossed her, in hopes of capturing one of the aliens… | |
Honors
Reviews
Amazon.com
Aliens is one of the few cases of a sequel that far surpassed the original. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley, who awakens on Earth only to discover that she has been hibernating in space so long that everyone she knows is dead. Then she is talked into traveling (along with a squad of Marines) to a planet under assault by the same aliens that nearly killed her. Once she gets there, she finds a lost little girl who triggers her maternal instincts—and she discovers that the company has once again double-crossed her, in hopes of capturing one of the aliens to study as a military weapon. Directed and written by James Cameron, this is one of the most intensely exciting (not to mention intensely frightening) action films ever, with a large ensemble cast that includes Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, and Michael Biehn. Weaver defined the action woman in this film and walked away with an Oscar nomination for her trouble. —Marshall Fine
Barnes and Noble
Running the gamut from self-pitying victim to battle-ready soldier, Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley ranks among the most compelling heroines in American cinema. Aliens, the second entry in the hugely successful series, features this haunted survivor in top form, and takes off in a much action-oriented direction than the Ridley Scott original. On a mission to rescue the colonists of a planet infested with predatory alien intruders, Ripley develops maternal feelings for the lone survivor, a little girl whom she must protect from a hideous alien queen. Weaver’s performance nabbed her an Academy Award nomination, a most uncommon occurrence for a sci-fi/action role. The entire supporting cast—which includes genre stalwarts Michael Biehn and Lance Henriksen as Ripley’s comrades in arms—offers such detailed characterizations that the impeccable effects and stunning action sequences never overwhelm the human element. This director’s cut provides crucial background information on Ripley’s character and clarifies a couple of minor plot points, giving it a distinct advantage over the original studio-cut release. Director James Cameron, fresh from his breakthrough 1984 hit The Terminator (also featuring Biehn), proved himself a formidable director with this film, again showing an uncanny knack for balancing intelligent storytelling with visceral thrills. Amy Robinson
