Aliens: Die Rückkehr

So often when you think of sequels you imagine cynical attempts to cash in on successful movies, efforts to bring in the coins with any old rubbish, when you think of the likes of Police Academy, Halloween and Jaws you can understand why, and then there is Aliens......

Not often is a follow up as good as the original (and better in some ways,) but Aliens is, I would class it as one of the best movies of all time, a cinematic Masterpiece which seems to improve with age. It's a space horror, which is dramatic, action packed and funny at times.

Aliens changed the genre, sci fi would never quite be the same again. This film will have you gripped, glued and on the edge of your seat, truly an adrenaline fuelled thrill ride, with amazing visuals, wonderful acting, and terrific music. Film makers of today watch and see how it should be done.

A masterpiece. 10/10

I have watched this movie when I was a pre-teen at the cinema, and MY! It completely blew me away. It has got my adrenalin pumping so hard that I almost wanted to slip back to my seat and take a breather! Although during that time I didn't quite understand most parts of it (too young to understand), I was deeply immersed into such rich story-telling and the fantastic alien creatures. The tensely build-up atmosphere and the space-ships, grips you so tightly it seems never to let go.

This movie rocks, scares you right on to your face, very mysterious, have tons of special effects (not quite CGI though, but the mechanical aliens looks just so threatening and scary). James Cameron is such a fabulous story-teller in this Sci-Fi stellar! The movie ran at more than 2 hours but I didn't feel that at all. Actually James has cut out a lot of scenes for this theatrical release back then, but you can still get those scenes back on the DVD (extra 17 minutes footage).

The acting is good especially from Sigourney Weaver, Paul Reiser and Lance Henriksen (as the robot). Sigourney's Ripley is such a strong-willed woman, that even put shame to men (somehow I feel this is quite unbelievable, because she has got so much energy, especially the scene where she gets back to the Queen's hatch to save Newt). I have watched other alien series (Alien legacy - All four parts), but I can say this part 2 of the series is my favourite, followed by Alien, then Alien:Resurrection, and lastly Alien3)

I am quite happy to see this film stays high at one of the top Sci-Fi movies in IMDB)

Till now as an adult, I still go back to watch this DVD occasionally and every time I watch it again, it brings in a completely new scare, and new thoughts, also the new meaning of what is a horror movie all about!

Highly recommended if you haven't watched this yet. I give it an 8 out of 10! (Truly deserves the high IMDB rating at 8.2 to-date)

It's 57 years after the first movie. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) has been lost in cryogenic sleep until she's discovered by a deep salvage team. She's asked to return to the planet to investigate why the colony there has lost all communication. She and a team of space marines must battle the aliens in an all out fight.

James Cameron has taken this franchise from its horror origins to a great big action adventure. The change in style is seamless. The action is perfect, and it's a non-stop roller coaster ride. Ripley has transformed herself from the feminist icon into a powerful mother figure. There isn't a false note in this movie. The characters are all well drawn from the humanist robot Lance Henriksen to the comic relief Bill Paxton. They all work to create one of the most thrilling rides of all times.

Ripley and Jones are rescued, but 57 years have past and humans now colonise the planet where the original Alien was found.

Can the Company get a crew of Marines out to the planet in time to save them? Can they survive themselves?

After being awoke from such a long hypersleep, Ripley's life is very different. The Company does not believe her story and she is striped of her profession. Even all her family have now passed away. She finds herself tortured by nightmares.

When the Company loses contact with the colony, after sending some colonists to investigate Ripley's story, they have a change of heart and send the crack Marines in to rescue the colonist but need Ripley's knowledge.

She eventually, reluctantly joins the trip as an advisor, as long as they kill the creatures they find.

When the team find that the colony is completely overrun with the creatures, survival becomes the only concern.

Strong sequel. Very different in mood, deliberately, as they move into a sort of siege story and the hide and seek of the first drifts away.

As a result this is a less effective horror story but is a very effective grownup sci-fi movie.

Although the Marines are all stereotypes, and they have the minimum required to cover all the options, they are well acted and the action is well paced.

Sigourney Weaver's second outing as Ripley allows the character greater depth and flexes some different acting muscles too. There is a believable set of relationships and dynamics between Ripley and the other characters, especially young "Newt", played by Carrie Henn. Indeed, the child steals many scenes from the more established actors.

Lance Heinrikson and Michael Biehn are always good to watch but Bill Paxton is superb as the 'comic relief' Hudson. Paul Reiser, very popular at the time, pulls in the slime as the Company man looking to make his fortune - at any cost.

The effects are good and the sets again very believable. The final showdown again grips.

Although this is a very effective sci-fi action movie it is not a traditional horror, lacking the menace of the original.

Things to look out for: nightmares, inquiry, queen alien, grunts, Newt, loads of one liners, another android.

THE sci-fi movie. It's nearly perfect in every way: storyline, characters, menacing threat, suspense, action, direction, music, emotion, etc... It's always been a favorite of mine and still is. To me this is not just a film, it is an experience. The adrenaline pumps like in no other film and rarely have we had the chance to see a heroine as compelling as Sigourney Weaver. She can kick anyone's ass and still keep a heart and soul. (Why she didn't win the Oscar back in 1986 is beyond me.) When the action starts, you're in for the ride of your life. Truly a milestone in movie making. Now if they could only release it on DVD...