From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Nov 17 18:50:57 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!feed1.news.luth.se!luth.se!news.algonet.se!4.1.16.34.MISMATCH!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.uoregon.edu!news.u.washington.edu!grahams From: ChadPolenz@aol.com (Chad Polenz) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Retrospective: Aliens (1986) Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 10 Nov 1997 03:59:34 GMT Organization: None Lines: 90 Approved: graham@ee.washington.edu Message-ID: <6460r6$bh8$1@nntp5.u.washington.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: homer15.u.washington.edu X-Trace: nntp5.u.washington.edu 879134374 11816 (None) 140.142.64.7 X-Complaints-To: help@cac.washington.edu NNTP-Posting-User: grahams Summary: r.a.m.r. #09729 Keywords: author=polenz X-Questions-to: movie-rev-mod@www.ee.washington.edu X-Submissions-to: movie-reviews@www.ee.washington.edu Originator: grahams@homer15.u.washington.edu Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:9149 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1632 Aliens Chad'z rating: ** (out of 4 = fair) 1986, R, 136 minutes [2 hours, 16 minutes] [science fiction] starring: Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Michael Biehn (Corporal Hicks), Bill Paxton (Private Hudson), Paul Reiser (Carter Burke); written by James Cameron, David Giler, Walter Hill; produced by Gale Anne Hurd; directed by James Cameron; based on characters created by Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett. Seen Friday, November 7, 1997 on home video. I'm not sure what the appeal to "Alien" was, and I'm even more perplexed that someone thought it was worthy of a sequel. The "us-versus-aliens" formula has been used many times before, but never as moronic as "Aliens" uses it. It's just a disguised horror flick and an excuse for special effects, not the exciting thriller it tries to be. This film picks up where its predecessor left off as Ripley (Weaver), the sole survivor from the first movie, is awoken from her "hibernation" 57 years later (funny, but she didn't seem to age a day!). We know somehow Ripley will end up going back to the alien planet, but the film doesn't provide much of, if any, rationale as to why this will happen. The only attempts at justification are provided through elements so generic they're pathetic. First there's Ripley's constant nightmares, then the executives who think she's insane. But the same execs have a sudden change of heart when they realize a team of investigators sent to the alien planet have not returned and they want Ripley to "advise" a military rescue team. Now, it's not that these reasons alone are silly, it's the way the film presents them: with complete logic when they're no different than cliches most horror movies use. The fact that within a five-minute period, Ripley goes from being adamantly opposed to going back, to being more than willing to go says it all. And so, after 20 minutes of ridiculous sci-fi and military jargon, Ripley, along with a troupe of Marine Special Forces, head out to the alien planet to save some humans and kick alien butt. That's not the most intelligent plot in the world, but it can yield great camaraderie and pride when done right. Cameron knows this, but he goes about establishing these sensations in the wrong way by over-doing it. The Marines do have a sense of unity to them, but they're so one-dimensional it's corny. All they do is crack on each other and act like idiots - where's the unity in that? Their dialogue is also laughable because they seem more like characters from the cartoon "G.I. Joe." Finally, after an hour or so we get our first encounter with the aliens but many of the marines are wiped out. It's not surprising the survivors all turn into cowards after this point, which is probably intended as satire, but turns out to be annoying (especially Bill Paxton's character, Private Hudson, whose constant whining drove me nuts after 10 minutes). The battle scenes are reason these films were made, but they're shot so poorly it's impossible to tell what's going on. Tension is worthless if it's confusing. From here on the film just starts repeating itself: the Marines try to get off the planet but are always prevented from doing so, in one way or another, by the aliens. There's many scenes of the aliens closing in on the humans, and then carnage ensues. Most of this is set up through cliches, such as the Marines not being able to use their weapons in certain places, the aliens suddenly jumping out of the walls, floors and ceilings, or the fact the Marines always seem to corner themselves. There's also a sub-plot involving the backstabbing exec Carter Burke, who should be an even slimier character than the aliens, but isn't, due to the miscasting of Paul Reiser (!?) for the part. The ending not only clinches the predictable story, it symbolizes the entire film. It's just one exhausting battle after another for no real reason. This also demonstrates how the basic premise is the worst flaw: it's us invading an alien planet and trying to exterminate them when they're not really a threat to begin with. This would be like aliens coming to Earth millions of years ago and fighting the dinosaurs. There isn't much going for "Aliens" other than its special effects and production design (which are excellent, I'll have to admit it), but that doesn't make up for the mediocre story. Maybe if it had been scripted with more wit, it would be worth getting excited over. Please visit Chad'z Movie Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz - over 170 new and old movies reviewed in depth, not just blind ratings and quick capsules. Also, check out The FIRST Shay Astar Web Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz/ShayAstar.html e-mail: ChadPolenz@aol.com (C) 1997 Chad Polenz From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Nov 17 18:51:38 1997 From: "Laurence Mixson" Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Retrospective: Aliens (1986) Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 15 Nov 1997 05:01:35 GMT Organization: Datasync Internet Lines: 70 Approved: graham@ee.washington.edu Message-ID: <64jabf$j7g$1@nntp5.u.washington.edu> Reply-To: jarls@datasync.com NNTP-Posting-Host: homer28.u.washington.edu X-Trace: nntp5.u.washington.edu 879570095 19696 (None) 140.142.64.4 X-Complaints-To: help@cac.washington.edu NNTP-Posting-User: grahams Summary: r.a.m.r. #09799 Keywords: author=mixson X-Questions-to: movie-rev-mod@www.ee.washington.edu X-Submissions-to: movie-reviews@www.ee.washington.edu Originator: grahams@homer28.u.washington.edu Path: news.ifm.liu.se!genius.dat.hk-r.se!news.lth.se!feed1.news.luth.se!luth.se!news.algonet.se!4.1.16.34.MISMATCH!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.uoregon.edu!news.u.washington.edu!grahams Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:9146 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1630 Aliens (1986) Review by Laurence Mixson(venom8@hotmail.com) Starring Sigourney Weaver, Paul Reiser, Michael Beihn, and Bill Paxton. ***1/2 out of **** Every once in a while a movie comes along that completely redefines the genre: with dramas, it was Citizen Kane, with arthouse it was Pulp Fiction, and with comedy it was, well, that Jim Carrey guy(okay, so he's not a movie, but he DID have a huge influence on the genre. Not to mention an expensive one.) Sometimes a movie even combines them all into a big, sprawling motion picture event, as did Forrest Gump four years ago. With action films, it was Aliens, whic was released to much hype seven years after it's equally-innovative parent, Alien(1979). Directed and written by James Cameron(T2: Judgement Day, The Abyss, True Lies), THE authority on action films, it was a masterful encore to his sci-fi thriller The Terminator(1984). While the original Alien film was a dark, enclosed horror film that featured one alien slowly massacering a horrified crew, James Cameron took the big-budget action film with Aliens, which featured multiple aliens doing basically the same thing, although on a much-larger scale. And boy, did he take that route! I'd say at about 165 mph or so... The film opens 57 years after the original, with Lt. Ripley(Weaver) being found in her ship in a cryogenic state by a salvage vessel. If you'll recall, at the end of Alien Ripley, the only surviving member, cryogenically "hibernated" herself after expelling the rogue alien from her ship. Unfortunately, she thought she'd only be out for a couple of weeks... Once she's returned to earth, Ripley is quickly interrogated by "the company", who quickly dismiss her and her stories as lunacy. In truth, they believe her, as they soon approach Ripley with an offer to travel with some Marines to a new colony planet as an "alien advisor". It seems that the colony planet was a once-breeding ground for the nasty aliens, and now all communication with the planet has been lost... It doesn't exactly take a genius to guess what happens next: Ripley agrees, and before you can say "big mistake", she and the half dozen marines, plus the slimy corporate guy(Reiser), who has more than it looks like up under his sleeve, are off to the colony. When they arrive, they find the planet in ruins. Only one survivor is found, a little girl, Newt, who confirms that, yes, the aliens were here and that she only managed to survive by hidding in the ventilation system. And soon enough, the marines come under attack from the aliens... What happens for the next hour and a half or so is what completely sets this movie apart from any other standard alien sci-fi movie: the action scenes. Cameron directs them so skillfully, and so suspensefully, that you're literally ringing your hands by the time the finale rolls around. Which features, in my opinion, the best fight scene ever recorded on film, as Ripley straps herself into a huge robot and battles the nasty Queen alien to the death. Many people will tell you that this film, while being a great action film, has no real drama and is all cliches. Well, they would be wrong, my friends. If this film had no "drama", then why was Sigourney Weaver nominated for Best Actress at the 1987 Academy Awards? That's right, best actress. You know that ANY action film that has an oscar nomination attached to it for something other than technical stuff like editing and F/X has GOT to be good. In short, Aliens combines all the right elements(great action and F/X, drama, a good plot, good dialogue, and great villains)into what could arguably be called the best action film of all time. Then again, maybe not. Movies rise and fall from glory and, sad to say, Aliens was wrestled from it's throne of Best Action Movie by another Cameron film, T2: Judgement Day, in 1991. So who will be the next king? Well, let's wait until December 19th and see yet another James Cameron film-the highest budgeted film of all time-Titanic to make that decision. I can't wait. From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Nov 9 17:25:14 1998 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!feed1.news.luth.se!luth.se!sunqbc.risq.qc.ca!newspeer.monmouth.com!newsfeed.direct.ca!news.u.washington.edu!grahams From: "Dragan Antulov" Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Retrospective: Aliens (1986) Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 9 Nov 1998 05:39:31 GMT Organization: HiNet Lines: 178 Approved: graham@ee.washington.edu Message-ID: <725v6j$159i$1@nntp3.u.washington.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: homer19.u.washington.edu X-Trace: nntp3.u.washington.edu 910589971 38194 (None) 140.142.17.38 X-Complaints-To: help@cac.washington.edu NNTP-Posting-User: grahams Summary: r.a.m.r. #15199 Keywords: author=antulov X-Questions-to: movie-rev-mod@www.ee.washington.edu X-Submissions-to: movie-reviews@www.ee.washington.edu Originator: grahams@homer19.u.washington.edu Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:14385 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2164 ALIENS A Film Review Copyright Dragan Antulov 1998 Almost any film reviewer sooner and later gets nostalgic and thinks fondly about certain period in film history, when unmatched multitude of masterpieces emerged in a relatively short time. For the author of this review, such Golden Age happened in late 1970s and early 1980s, when he enjoyed most of the movies he considers the best. Almost exclusively those movies belong to the genre of science fiction; genre that later became the domain of blockbuster infantilism, inspired by Lucas and Spielberg. Most of the directors that used to shine in that Golden Age, slowly faded away in the years to come, unable to adapt to the new rules of Hollywood. However, even in such atmosphere another masterpiece happened; shining counterexample to the popular belief that Hollywood sequels always must be inferior to the original. Such movie was ALIENS, 1986 science fiction horror by James Cameron, Canadian director who had a difficult task in matching quality of 1979 classic ALIEN by Ridley Scott. However, Cameron managed not only to make a good movie, but he also made a masterpiece of his own, instant cult classic that enjoys popularity even now, after twelve years and two disappointing sequels. Like many sequels do, ALIENS begins more or less exactly where the old movie ended. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is a sole survivor of the space freighter plagued by a single yet deadly alien monster that killed the rest of her crew after being brought from LV-426 planet. Her voyage back to Earth in a shuttle ends when she is picked up by salvage team, only to discover that her hybernated sleep had lasted 57 years. Burdened with terrible nightmare and forced to live in a world with all her friends and family gone, Ripley also loses her job, because her old Company executives don't believe her story about alien-infested LV-426; the planet was in the meantime colonised by terraformers and nobody reported any problems. However, that is about to change when LV-426 stops sending signals. Ripley reluctantly agrees to join Company's senior official Burke (Paul Reiser) on a rescue mission, led by Liuetenant Gorman (William Hope) and his small but elite unit of Colonial Marines. Upon landing, they discover that the entire population was turned into hosts for alien organism. That means that they should deal not with a single monster, but entire small army. Marines quickly learn that in a first serious engagement, when they despite all their firepower, get slaughtered. The remaining band of survivors, nominally led by Corporal Hicks (Michael Biehn), and actually by Ripley, finds itself stranded in a small, isolated part of colony complex. Their chances of survival aren't however, totally hopeless, because a little girl Newt (Carrie Henn), daughter of the colonists, managed to avoid monsters simply by hiding in ventilation tunnels. The biggest achievement of ALIENS is a fact that the movie seems to work both as a standalone action adventure, and as a sequel in the same time. Script by James Cameron remains true to the previous movie, even borrowing some crucial elements of its plot; yet, despite all those similarities, script manages to add new twists to the story and remains original. The most notable difference between those movies is in a genre; the first one was dark, disturbing, and slow-paced horror which relied on a thick atmosphere of anxiety and claustrophobia; the second one is an war movie, that relies on a clever combination of suspense and non-stop action thrills, that brings ALIENS clearly to the action genre territory. However, there is another element that separates ALIENS from ALIEN; it is the fact that, unlike the previous movie, this one has more time and opportunity to speculate about the trends in future society and comment on the present one. The world of ALIENS seems like a natural extension of the some current yet disturbing trends of the Reagan era - supremacy of all-powerful military-industrial complex, rebirth of ultramilitaristic jingoism and, finally, yuppie philosophy of material success through any means necessary. Cameron obviously seems very concerned about the ultimate result if such trends remained unchecked, because ALIENS could be very easily (and most of the critics agree with such notion) seen as a metaphor for another, this time historical disaster - Vietnam. If ALIEN tried to warn about the fact that the universe may hide some horrors that humans aren't ready for, its sequel tries to warn that even in the brightest of futures superior technology can't save humans from repeating some costly mistakes from the past. Because it tries to send a clear message, ALIENS, unlike ALIEN, tries to be more humanely oriented film, even uplifting, especially in the end. While the last one barely had a happy end and left nothing but a bitter taste in mouth, this one manages to praise courage, sacrifice and human spirit, and rewards its heroes by giving them a ride in the sunset in the form of well-deserved sleep. In order to be achieve that impact, ALIENS collected a small yet impressive group of well-drawn and three- dimensional characters the viewer cares for. The only character shared with ALIEN, Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver in an "Oscar"-worthy performance, was well- developed; already proven to be capable of handling dangerous situations, Ripley was hardened by previous traumatic experience and now is ready to tackle with her worst demons. For some contemporary critics, character of Ripley from ALIENS was some kind of feminist response to the RAMBO-inspired renaissance of action moviee machismo. But, unlike Stallone's icon, Ripley was, through her interaction with Nwet, also portrayed as a mother figure, capable of emotions. Thus, character of Ripley can serve as an ideal for strong and capable women who don't want to lose her sensitivity and femininity. Other characters are also well-drawn, although the breath-taking tempo of non-stop action and their constantly dwindling numbers wouldn't indicate so. Corporal Hicks, played by one of Cameron's most reliable actors, Michael Biehn, is brilliant as an indecisive, yet capable soldier, whose single yet subtle scene with Ripley gives few precious elements of sexual tension in this picture. Bill Paxton is, on the other hand, gave much stronger impression as his wisecracking yet panicky comrade who redeems his cowardice in the end. He managed to shadow even Jeanette Goldstein and her great effort to transform herself into tough female Marine. Most subtle performance was one by veteran character actor Lance Henriksen who played android Bishop; his simple gestures helped to turn his android character Bishop into the most human personality of all the cast. All of those characters were also equipped with a series of sharp one-liners that would become one of this movie's trademarks. Even the slimy Burke, played by Paul Reiser, had one of them. Although ALIENS, unlike its predecessor, puts more emphasis on action than on atmosphere, James Cameron had worked very hard on visual details, trying to make it as faithful to ALIEN as possible. Yet in the same time, he made ALIENS quite unique with its new, futuristic weaponry, clothes, vehicles and spaceships. Together with Stan Winston's superb special effects those visuals made ALIENS one of the most recognisable and visually stunning movies. While the original was literally dark, Cameron's photographer Adrien Biddle used a lot of light, but its combination with grey tones made an atmosphere of ALIENS equally depressing. However, the most noticeable element of the movie is a superb musical score by James Horner, who had a very difficult task in matching Jerry Goldsmith's haunting soundtrack in the ALIEN. However, Horner made it by using effective themes that perfectly match numerous action scenes in the film. The proof of its quality lies in the fact that the ALIENS soundtrack is often used outside this movie. For a lot of people ALIENS is considered to be "the best" in many categories. It is considered to be the best in Alien cycle. It is also the best movie in already impressive career of James Cameron. And, finally, it is also considered to be the best science fiction film ever made. Some people might disagree with anything from above, yet one thing remains obvious -ALIENS is an excellent movie, not just for the fans who built a whole cult around it, but also for the regular viewers, who haven't been able to see something matching its quality for a long time. RATING: 10/10 (+++++) Review written on November 8th 1998 Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax Fido: 2:381/100 E-Mail: dragan.antulov@st.tel.hr dragan.antulov@altbbs.fido.hr From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Apr 20 11:26:20 1999 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!feed2.news.luth.se!luth.se!cyclone.news.idirect.com!island.idirect.com!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!news.u.washington.edu!grahams From: "Brian Koller" Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Retrospective: Aliens (1986) Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 17 Apr 1999 17:06:53 GMT Organization: MPSi Net Lines: 57 Approved: graham@ee.washington.edu Message-ID: <7faf3d$l46$1@nntp3.u.washington.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: homer39.u.washington.edu X-Trace: nntp3.u.washington.edu 924368813 21638 (None) 140.142.17.35 X-Complaints-To: help@cac.washington.edu NNTP-Posting-User: grahams Summary: r.a.m.r. #17817 Keywords: author=koller X-Questions-to: movie-rev-mod@www.ee.washington.edu X-Submissions-to: movie-reviews@www.ee.washington.edu Originator: grahams@homer39.u.washington.edu Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:17033 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2282 Aliens (1986) Grade: 86 Director James Cameron does well with action films starring tough, strong-willed female leads. "Aliens", the long-delayed sequel to 1979's "Alien", was worth the wait since it was an ideal project for Cameron's strengths, and likely would have been a lesser film if directed by anyone else. "Aliens" picks up 57 years after the first film left off. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) has been in living in suspended animation in a spaceship sleeping chamber, until rescued by a salvage team. No one really believes her story about the murderous alien with acid for blood, until contact is lost with a colony on the same planet that Ripley had battled the alien. Ripley is sent as an advisor on a rescue mission to the planet, along with android Bishop (Lance Henriksen), creepy 'company man' Paul Reiser, and a crew of wisecracking, gung-ho Marines. They soon encounter the colony's only survivor, a little girl nicknamed Newt (Carrie Henn). Of course, they find the aliens as well, which are disgusting, frightening and ubiquitous. As in the first film, Weaver is most impressive as Ripley, whose character should be out of her element, but always proves to be tougher (and smarter) than those around her. Even when Ripley's actions are wildly risk-taking (especially when rescuing Newt at film's end) her actions seems credible. Credit is due first to Weaver, then to Cameron, and then to the special effects department for making those nasty aliens look so convincing. In addition to the tense and frequent action scenes, "Aliens" is interesting for its psychological aspects. Ripley, who is a loner by nature, not only conquers the aliens, but builds for herself a substitute family. Newt becomes her daughter, Michael Biehn her husband, and Bishop her father. As in "Alien", there is a sabotaging character (Reiser). My favorite supporting character, though, is the whiner (Bill Paxton), who provides the sole comic relief. Henn acts very well for a little kid. "Aliens" was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Weaver). Its only Oscar was for Best Visual Effects, but perhaps it should have won for the great sets (Peter Lamont, Crispian Sallis) as well. kollers@mpsi.net http://members.tripod.com/~Brian_Koller/movies.html From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Aug 24 16:18:23 1999 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!feed2.news.luth.se!luth.se!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.u.washington.edu!grahams From: Paul McElligott Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Retrospective: Aliens (1986) Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 9 Aug 1999 17:26:14 GMT Organization: EarthLink Network, Inc. Lines: 75 Approved: graham@ee.washington.edu Message-ID: <7on2vm$12b4$1@nntp3.u.washington.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: homer12.u.washington.edu X-Trace: nntp3.u.washington.edu 934219574 35172 (None) 140.142.17.37 X-Complaints-To: help@cac.washington.edu NNTP-Posting-User: grahams Summary: r.a.m.r. #19906 Keywords: author=mcelligott X-Questions-to: movie-rev-mod@www.ee.washington.edu X-Submissions-to: movie-reviews@www.ee.washington.edu Originator: grahams@homer12.u.washington.edu Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:19114 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2422 Aliens Starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser Written, Produced and Directed by James Cameron. Aliens represents a true rarity among movies, a sequel that not only equals or even surpasses the original, but also one that stands alone as work unto itself. You could see this movie without knowing the first ever existed. Knowing the original allows you to enjoy the sequel on other layers of course. Weaver plays Ripley, the sole survivor of a mining ship whose crew was wiped out by a previous unknown creature. After killing the creature, she climbed into a lifeboat and put herself into suspended animation. She stayed that way, drifting through space, for 57 years until she was found. Her story is discredited, however, and she is forced into menial jobs. However, a colony has been established on the planet where Ripley's ship found the original alien and now contact has been lost with that colony. Ripley is invited to accompany a platoon of Marines to the planet to investigate. At first, Ripley resists, but the need to purge herself of the nightmares that have been plaguing her sleep impels her to confront her fears. The gung-ho Marines arrive to find the colony deserted, with signs of desperate fighting all around. They also find carcasses of alien "face-huggers," which plant the seed of the adult alien into human hosts, and one lone survivor, a little girl named Newt. An attempt to locate and rescue the other colonists, however, leads most of the Marines into an alien ambush and most of the platoon is wiped out. The few remaining survivors have to desperately fight off hundreds of aliens while searching for a way off the planet. Aliens is less of horror story, like the original, than a straight-forward action story, and on that level it succeeds as well, if not better than Alien did as a horror movie. It represents the peak of James Cameron's career so far, creatively speaking. Those who only know Cameron through Titanic might be surprised to note that yes, he really can write, and he can also bring in a film for only $17 million, on time and under budget. For a film released in 1986, it was certainly not the norm to have a female lead anchoring a science-fiction action film. It's not even common enough today. That's what makes Sigourney Weaver's performance so striking. She can bring off a female action role without ever calling undo attention to the fact that she is a woman. Lesser filmmakers would have felt it necessary to pepper the film with self-conscious feminist rhetoric and lesser actress might have played it self-consciously butch. That wouldn't have worked in this film. Aliens is, among all the macho posturing of the marines, the high-tech weapons and furious gunplay, ultimately a film about motherhood. For those of you who have only seen the theatrical release, I point you to the Special Edition, now available on VHS and DVD. It contains several scenes deleted from the original release to shorten the running time. The most critical of these is early in the film, before the inquest, when Ripley finds out that her daughter died of old age two years earlier. This loss and sense of failure drives the maternal interest that Ripley takes in the newly orphaned Newt, and this sense of responsibility leads, I think, to Ripley going from a shell-shocked basket-case at the beginning of the film to the rock on which all the other characters wind up leaning. The motherhood arc extends to the aliens too, when Ripley winds up face to face with the alien queen, another mother who is now super-pissed at Ripley for torching her nest. This film reminds us that, although women might be referred to as "the weaker sex," in much of nature, the female is the more dangerous and ferocious gender because she is charged with the protection of the young. If you've never watched any of the Alien films, I recommend this one. It's far less gory than the first and far superior to the third and fourth. Reviewed by Paul McElligott From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Dec 1 18:00:27 2003 Path: news.island.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!newsfeed1.swip.net!swipnet!priapus.visi.com!news-out.visi.com!green.readfreenews.net!news.readfreenews.net!cox.net!news-xfer.cox.net!newshub.sdsu.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-xit-06!sn-post-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Marshall Garvey Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Retrospective: Aliens (1986) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.past-films Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2003 22:19:31 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 36375 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 1221851 X-RT-TitleID: 1000617 X-RT-AuthorID: 8934 X-RT-RatingText: 5/5 Summary: r.a.m.r. #36375 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: abuse@supernews.com Lines: 284 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:8160 rec.arts.sf.reviews:701 "Aliens" (1986) Review by Marshall Garvey Rating (0 to 5): ***** Grade: A+ Starring Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Carrie Henn (Newt), Michael Biehn (Hicks), Lance Henriksen (Bishop), Paul Reiser (Burke), Bill Paxton (Hudson), Jenette Goldstein (Vasquez), William Hope (Gorman) Directed by James Cameron Produced by Gale Anne Hurd, Gordon Carroll, David Giler, and Walter Hill Written by James Cameron, Giler, and Hill Original music by James Horner 20th Century Fox 137 minutes/154 minutes (Special Edition) Rated R (violence, gore, profanity) There are films in everyone's life that, long after being watched for the first time, call for a second viewing, especially for a regular movie viewer like me. Months after watching "Alien" and "Aliens" (and after being let down by the last two sequels), my growing desire to watch the films again was fulfilled. First, "Alien" was re-released in a new director's cut, and the impact was so much greater that it went from 4.5 stars to a 5, and has now guaranteed an even higher spot on my top 100 list. However, it was its sequel, "Aliens", that I had been even hungrier to watch again. Also scheduled for a director's cut release, the film's DVD had long eluded me because of the new quadrilogy coming soon. Thankfully, I received both of the initial DVD releases of "Alien" and "Aliens" for my birthday, and was at long last able to watch the Special Edition of this film. While the new footage is fantastic, I still had the same feeling I had when it was 17 minutes shorter: disturbed and exhausted by the wild ride, yet satisfied and gladdened once the survivors had made it away safely. Why, for a summer film, "Aliens" is a movie that, for some reasons unknown, just seems to "have it all". Very much unlike the majority of sequels, "Aliens" isn't a film that tries to copy the first film's success and throw it out for some cash. Seven years after "Alien" hit theaters, it boldly expanded the series and the alien species. James Cameron, who also directed another sequel that surpassed its predecessor ("Terminator 2"), doesn't try to wholly match Ridley Scott's dark suspense, even though he does provide plenty. Instead, he makes this film as much an action flick as his breakthrough picture, "The Terminator". While there are certain similarities between the two, I find "Aliens" to be the superior movie. Here, Cameron's direction is better and more established (not to say that there's anything amateurish about "The Terminator", which also helped me become a Cameron fan). In comparison to "Alien", "Aliens" is also the better film, even though some may see it as simply an action film that's unworthy of comparison to the first, and I'd agree. "Alien" is great because of the establishment of its concept and the mystery of the alien, while this movie is great because of the outbreak and expansion in knowledge of the species. While it is hard to compare two 5-star movies, this one is most certainly the greatest, and is and shall always be the best in the "Alien" series. The great story for "Aliens" obviously picks up where the first left off...57 years later. During this time, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) has drifted aimlessly through space with her cat Jones on the escape ship Narcissus (she doesn't look any different, however). In the first film, she had blown the alien that killed her crewmates out of the Narcissus's airlock, but not before blowing up the mining ship Nostromo in an attempt to kill it before that. She's rescued by a salvage ship, but despite her fortune (her recovery and survival were a 1 in a million chance) she's suspended by the company Weyland-Yutani, who owned Nostromo, and loses her piloting license. Worse yet, she has nightmares every single night that leave her wide awake with her sheets drenched in sweat. She tries desperately to get her story across to the Weyland-Yutani executives, but the price tag on the Nostromo and a lack of evidence of the alien don't help out (the description is "a creature that gestates inside a living human host, and has concentrated acid for blood"). Either way, the alien planet, LV-426, has been colonized for over twenty years, and the company doesn't show a shred of concern. Not much later, Ripley gets word from a company executive named Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) that contact with the LV-426 colony has been lost. "It might be just a downed transmitter." Says Burke, and to find out a platoon of high-tech Marines has been hired to investigate. Burke tries to persuade Ripley to accompany them as an advisor, but she's not convinced. "You guys throw me to the wolves, and now you want me to go back out there?" she retorts. Shortly after her dismissal of the proposition, Ripley wakes up from yet another nightmare. She gets out of bed and calls up Burke to confirm the mission. "Just tell me one thing, Burke. You're going out there to destroy them, right? Not to study. Not to bring back. But to wipe them out." "That's the plan. You have my word on it." With that settled, Ripley joins the crew onboard the ship Sulaco (which looks like a giant shotgun) to head down to LV-426. When these Marines are introduced, they don't seem to be that atypical. They're grunts, a title that they proudly bear, who don't let anything daunt them. The leader of the platoon is Lt. Gorman (William Hope), a well trained but nervous man who's done over 30 simulated missions but only one previous real one. On foot their commander is Sgt. Apone (Al Matthews), who adores life in the corps. "A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm," he says "Every meal's a banquet, every paycheck a fortune, every formation a parade." There are a number of troops, but only a few stand out. Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein) is a tough, bronzed over Hispanic woman who shows more sass and grit than most of the men. Hudson (Bill Paxton) is a sarcastic guy who hardly takes his mission seriously. Hicks (Michael Biehn, in a role much like his one in "Terminator") is the more quiet and reserved type, and not as boisterous as the others. Also onboard are Burke and an android named Bishop (Lance Henriksen), who instantly meets Ripley's disapproval (Ash, the android from the previous film, nearly killed her). Upon arriving at the colony, the Marines don't find anyone or anything except for a young girl named Rebecca "Newt" Jorden (Carrie Henn), who has survived by hiding in the air ducts. The super sweet and adorable Newt awakens some maternal instincts in Ripley (who, as we learn earlier, had a daughter that passed away), which are so overwhelming that Newt's safety becomes just as important as surviving, which itself is difficult once the aliens finally strike. When they do, it's mayhem: two thirds of the Marine squad is picked off, and the escape ship is crashed. Now the small group of survivors must fight with their remaining supplies and whatever can be made of the resources in the abandoned colony, any part of which the aliens could be lurking in until a way is found off the planet and the entire site is nuked. Sadly, it doesn't come that easy. "Aliens" is the kind of film that is so intense and so merciless that the effect it has on your stomach is equivalent to that of too much candy mixed with a roller coaster. Surprisingly, it doesn't strike as soon as the Marines enter the colony. It builds your curiosity instead, hinting at what is to come. After the setup and some character development, then everything blows up and the wild ride really begins, but even then the thrills are genuine and white-knuckle. The entertainment value is extremely high, but the film is also kind of disturbing. During some of the most chilling scenes, James Horner's score gives the viewer an uneasy sense, much like the film. Contemplation of some of the more hidden parts (like the disappearance of the colonists) still gives me a bad feeling, yet it never hinders the overall enjoyment level, and the desire to watch this film is near impossible to curb. The genres of science fiction and fantasy today have become too easily dismissed, perhaps because both are often seen as too "geeky" or unrealistic. "Aliens", "Alien", the "Star Wars" trilogy, "Blade Runner", "Terminator", "2001", "Minority Report", and the recent "Lord of the Rings" films are what I would cite as examples to prove why such a discrimination is not true. To say the least, there are probably less than a handful of films that match the style and atmosphere of this movie, and it is one film I'd consider for a "coolest movies" list. If you do indeed feel too "cool" to watch this because of it being sci-fi, then you're perhaps even lamer than Barney and Power Rangers combined (come to think of it, that's even more disturbing than "Aliens" altogether). "Aliens" is not the first movie to feature slimy bugs running around and killing people, but the species here has plenty of distinction. The aliens sort of operate like a beehive or an ant colony, with drones and warriors running around and retrieving food (or, in this case, human hosts) to return to the hive for the queen. The queen lays eggs containing "facehuggers", which latch on to the host's face and plant an alien embryo in their stomach and...well, there's only one way out. To the surprise of the Marines, the creatures aren't just ruthless killing machines. For one, they know how to cut the power, and the queen can operate the elevator. "How did they cut the power man? They're animals!" screams Hudson. Not quite. These aliens are unpredictable, and while they seem limitless, Cameron doesn't just have them attacking at every second. At times, he kind of uses the "bomb under the table" effect, especially thanks to the tracking devices used by the Marines to find any life. While the trackers fail to pick up any aliens for some time, their presence is perfectly hinted at by showing places where their acid blood has eaten through the floor and where the colonists appeared to make their last stand. It's like "Jaws", when you knew that when you saw the barrels floating above the surface, the shark was there too. Here, when the trackers detect countless signs of movement, you know who's coming. The Academy Awards have always had a tendency to snub sci-fi films, or just about anything that isn't real ("Lord of the Rings", great as it is, isn't bound to win more than some mere Best Effects or Sound award just so as long as a film like "The Hours" exists). In 1986, however, the Academy suddenly seemed to click not only by rightfully giving "Platoon" Best Picture: it also gave "Aliens" seven nods, none of which are as significant as Sigourney Weaver's Best Actress nomination. Weaver, who rose perfectly as the hero toward the end of the first film, is not only at her absolute best in "Aliens". She also plays what could be the strongest female character in movie history (it's not a guarantee, but there aren't many other challengers). I may be a guy, but for me Ripley is a character like no other. As I mentioned in my "Alien" review, she always seems to be shouldered out, this time by the brawny Marines corps. When the situation gets worse, she steps in and plays the hero, and hits all the right notes. For sure, this series would have no chemistry if it weren't for her. One noticeable reason why this film's standard won't be matched is because of the unique relationship between Newt and Ripley. Carrie Henn (in the only role of her career) gives the film some much needed heart, and is so sweet you'd need a bulletproof vest to keep her charm from reaching you. Action films today can blow up and kill as much as they want, but how many times do they feature a relationship that actually has some heart to it? My thoughts exactly. There are currently two versions of this film available for rent, with the 137-minute version on VHS and the 2 hour, 34 minute Special Edition on both formats. While the original theatrical release is available, the Special Edition DVD has gone out of print. If you do manage to get your hands on a copy, you shall not be disappointed. Not only is the treatment great, but the new scenes are excellent as well. The restored footage includes Burke and Ripley discussing her daughter's death, new scenes with the colonists and Newt's family finding the derelict spacecraft, some interior shots of the Sulaco, a new segment with the crew setting up some sentry guns, and Hicks and Ripley exchanging first names. Even without this footage, the movie is still a 5-star winner, but with a film this great it's probably better to add than remove. 11 years after "Aliens" embraced the screen, Jean-Pierre Jeunet attempted to bring back the formula in "Alien: Resurrection", which, while considerably better than most people have made it out to be, was still a failure because of its minimal scare value. The problem in that film was that Jeunet seemed to just put the aliens out in the open, with no adjoining atmosphere and little suspense. He still brought back the guns and the queen, but they didn't help. James Cameron, on the other hand, kept the action even and used perfect timing and suspense in his presentation of the creatures. As for "Alien 3", well, just pretend it never happened. Even with Sigourney Weaver at her pinnacle and the loveable Carrie Henn at her side, the cast's greatness doesn't end with them. Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Michael Biehn, and Paul Reiser make a solid supporting cast, with Paxton being the funniest and Goldstein being the most rock solid. Don't be surprised if Paxton's Hudson leaves you in stitches with his lines, and Goldstein's Vasquez is second only to Ripley herself. Michael Biehn, meanwhile, is no different from his Kyle Reese character in "The Terminator". He's not quite macho, but rises to the occasion when needed. Reiser is a bit of an odd pick, but I wouldn't quite regard him as miscast (personally, I've always seen the alien species as the villains, not him). Henriksen, though, is especially magnificent, even outdoing Ian Holm's Ash from "Alien". Folks, I could go on about Cameron, Weaver, the action, and all that, but if there is one thing I could consider to be the greatest aspect of the film, it would have to be the Alien Queen. H.R. Giger's stunning design for the regular alien is amazing enough, but the Queen is greater than anything else. With a giant crown shaped fin atop her head and a tail that cuts like a blade, she's the perfect match for Ripley, and the fight between the two at the end is unforgettable (Ripley's got a little more machinery though...along with a few words). "Well that's just f****** great!" says Hudson, and it's true. "Aliens" is one of the most thrilling movies ever put on print, and in the annals of science fiction, action, and horror, it is hardly equaled. If truth be told, you may end up watching it several times, and with the new quadrilogy coming this December you may want to visit Santa again. But there's no reason to wait till then. In fact, I think I'll go watch it right now... This review is purely of my doing, and I do not copy off other reviewers. Posted on 11/23/03 So, what does this rating system mean anyway? *****-A masterpiece of filmmaking that should be seen at all costs ****1/2-A fabulous movie. An absolute must catch. ****-An excellent show. You tell your friends about it. ***1/2-A good film. Recommended. ***-Decent movie that could be a lot better. **1/2-Average movie with a number of flaws. **-Pretty bad with a few saving graces. *1/2-Bad. Don't see it. *-As much fun as having your seat kicked for two hours. 1/2-Just plain awful. 0-Death may come ========== X-RAMR-ID: 36375 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 1221851 X-RT-TitleID: 1000617 X-RT-AuthorID: 8934 X-RT-RatingText: 5/5