Year:
1986
Studio:
20th Century Fox/Brandywine Productions
Feature:
4/5
DVD:
4/5
Aliens is my
favorite movie in the series. James Cameron was given the job of
creating the sequel to a classic science fiction thriller movie. What
he came up with was Aliens, a
movie that moved away from the horror/thriller to be more of a
mainstream action/thriller with lots of gunfire and explosions. What I
liked, besides the change to an action genre, were the Colonial Marines.
At the end of Alien, Ellen
Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is in hypersleep, drifting back to Earth in
an escape capsule. She is found almost 60 years later to a universe
that seems much the same as before. Except now Ripley is being blamed
for the destruction of the Nostromo and there is no evidence that the
Alien ever existed. Worse yet, the planetoid where they found the Alien
is being terraformed by a group of about 200 colonists. Ripley has her
pilot's license suspended and she's forced to work in the loading docks.
A few weeks later the corporation comes looking for Ripley. They've
lost contact with the aforementioned colony and so a ship is being sent
to investigate. They want Ripley as a consultant in case Aliens are
involved. The other civilian on the mission is corporation
representative Carter Burke (Paul Reiser).
The Colonial Marine platoon is led by the inexperienced Lt Gorman
(William Hope) and the tough Sgt Apone (Al Matthews). Notable grunts
are Cpl Hicks (Michael Biehn) and Privates Hudson (Bill Paxton),
Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein), Drake (Mark Rolston) and Frost (Ricco
Ross). Also attached is an Artificial Person, Bishop (Lance Henriksen)
whom Ripley does not take kindly to.
While the Marines are looking forward to shooting a bunch of
xenomorphs, Ripley knows that it's going to be very dangerous. They
land to find a deserted outpost. Investigate. Find the colonists.
Aliens. Then the screaming and the dying start. Lots of action,
running, gunfire, explosions, people dying all the way to the end of
the movie. Great movie.
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The commentary track for Aliens is quite better than for
Alien. Once again it was several groups of people doing separate
commentaries and then spliced together. But this time it wasn't quite
so jumpy. Director James Cameron does one; producer Gale Anne Hurd with
one other guy; actors Carrie Henn and her brother Christopher Henn (who
was cut out of the theatrical release); actors Michael Biehn, Bill
Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Jenette Goldstein. Cameron and Hurd do a
lot of talking. Paxton and company also talk a bunch. The rest not
much. I especially liked the camaraderie and anecdotes of Paxton and
company.
Extras DVD:
Superior Firepower - The Making of Aliens
Pre-Production
57 Years Later: Continuing the Story [11:00]
Original Treatment: By James Cameron
Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction [13:30]
The Art of Aliens: Conceptual Art Portfolio
Previsualizations: Multi-Angel Videomatics [3:15]
Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization [17:00]
Cast Portrait Gallery: Photo Archive
Production
This Time It's War: Pinewood Studios, 1985 [19:40]
Production Gallery: Photo Archive
Continuity Polaroids
The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action [15:15]
Weapons and Vehicles: Photo Archive
Bug Hunt: Creature Design [16:30]
Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs Queen Alien [22:30]
Stan Winston's Workshop: Photo Archive
Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn [13:45]
Post-Production
The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound [15:30]
The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects [28:00]
Visual Effects Gallery: Photo Archive
Aliens Unleased: Reaction to the Film [12:30]
Film Finish and Release: Photo Archive
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