Retrospective: Aliens (1986)

"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

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