Aliens (1986) DVD Reviews

Starring	Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser
Director	James Cameron
Genres	Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Critics' reviews (5) of Aliens
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Surpassing its predecessor in terms of sheer spectacle, this sequel to Ridley Scott's outer-space nightmare from director James Cameron is an outstanding science-fiction thriller. Sigourney Weaver wakes up 57 years after the original events unfolded, only to be told that the planet where she first met the alien predator has been colonised. When all contact with the inhabitants is lost, she's sent in with a crack squad of marines, and hurtles headlong into a hi-tech house of horrors that delivers super shocks and nail-biting suspense. Masterfully controlling the tension and moving the involving plot at a lightning pace, Cameron exploits everyone's worst fears and carries them to the riveting extreme in this consummate Oscar-winning fright-fest.
- Radio Times
- Posted 29 Jan 2006
"...A flaming, flashing, crashing, crackling blow-em-up show that keeps you popping from your seat....[Weaver] is a one-woman army..."
- New York Times
- Posted 29 Jan 2006
"...Technically, [the] film is superior in all respects. Special effects are varied and always convincing..."
- Variety
- Posted 29 Jan 2006
Most helpful members' reviews (3) of Aliens
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27 out of 29 people found this review helpful

This time It's war - and I'm glad!

This film is simply a rip-roaring, ass-kicking, alien bashing classic. Great performances, great hardware (I want one of those big-ass smart guns) and plenty of hair-raising moments. Transcends the average sci-fi movie because of it's technical brilliance and outstanding acting. An absolute sci-fi masterpiece
- - imran from London
  - Posted 10 Jun 2004 20:43
17 out of 26 people found this review helpful

classic

the story goes on you need to watch the next two.then alian v preditor makes sence.
- - A customer from norfolk
  - Posted 14 May 2005 14:56
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful

The best sci-fi movie of all time?

Aliens is probably the best science fiction movie of all time and certainly the most thrilling. Aliens is written and directed by James Cameron. This Sci-Fi classic stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley in a sequel to 'Alien'.

In 'Alien', a single alien wipes out the entire crew of a commercial space ship, except for Ripley. 'Alien' explains the alien life cycle; a face hugger lays an egg in the stomach of a human host, later it bursts from the host, killing it, and grows into an adult alien. The aliens are ferocious and have strong acid for blood.

In Aliens, Ripley is found in stasis sleep 57 years later, and by this time The Company have colonised the planet where the alien was first encountered. Contact with the colony is lost and The Company send a team of high-tech Space Marines, with Ripley as an advisor, to find out what has happened. The space marines are armed with the latest high tech weaponry and are hyper confident. The team land looking for the colonists and encounter swarms of highly aggressive aliens. The team has lots of different interesting characters, who all react differently to the fight for survival.

This magnificent film is very tense, especially when the marines first encounter the aliens and when Ripley goes into the heart of the alien nest to rescue the only survivor of the colony.

Aliens is a truly brilliant Sci-Fi action thriller I gave it 10/10.
- - JohnRead from Hampshire
  - Posted 26 Oct 2003 13:58
Most recent members' reviews (2) of Aliens
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

Best Film in Alien Series

OK I am baised in that this is one of my favoutite film's and one I have seen many times since I first saw it in the cinema in 86'.

And while I don't normally bother with listening to the directors etc commentry track in this case I did and for fans of this film its very illumininating and entertaining particuarly in terms of their views on English working practices at Pinewood at the time!
- - A customer from West Yorkshire
  - Posted 17 Sep 2006 22:00
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

Better than the original?

It’s a classic and one of the rare times the follow up is better than the original.

In fairness, though, it is hard to compare the two, because the first is a masterful horror-suspense movie and 'Aliens' is a pumped up action flick - albeit with the same beasty (this time multiplied) and the same feminine twist. Indeed, the ending is a momentous face off between 'mothers', so it is unlike watching those other testosterone-filled films of its day (Predator, Rambo, Terminator, Rocky, Commando et al).

But what really makes it rear its head above the norm and regularly enter into the all-time top 50 lists of movie magazines is the legacy of James Cameron's tireless pursuit of perfection. His iron discipline infuses the casting, direction, story and particularly screenplay. This is one of the most quotable films ever ('Hudson! Run a bypass!'; 'Game over, man! Game over!'), and is filled with some of the most grand and indelible war spectacle of the decade.

It is violent, gory, coarse, and filled with so many ludicrous moments of pure Hollywood fantasy that it should fall flat on its face - if only it wasn't one of the finest examples of what cinema does best. It is exciting, thrilling and downright entertaining stuff. For that, I absolutely love it.

I can't say I've ever been more terrified watching a film than when I saw 'Alien' for the first time, but I can't re-watch it as often as this. If you've never seen 'Aliens' before, and you like fantasy action or war films, you're in for a treat.
- - A customer from Firefly's Palace, Freedonia
  - Posted 07 Sep 2006 15:24

27 out of 29 people found this review helpful

This time It's war - and I'm glad!

This film is simply a rip-roaring, ass-kicking, alien bashing classic. Great performances, great hardware (I want one of those big-ass smart guns) and plenty of hair-raising moments. Transcends the average sci-fi movie because of it's technical brilliance and outstanding acting. An absolute sci-fi masterpiece
- - imran from London
  - Posted 10 Jun 2004 20:43
17 out of 26 people found this review helpful

classic

the story goes on you need to watch the next two.then alian v preditor makes sence.
- - A customer from norfolk
  - Posted 14 May 2005 14:56
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful

The best sci-fi movie of all time?

Aliens is probably the best science fiction movie of all time and certainly the most thrilling. Aliens is written and directed by James Cameron. This Sci-Fi classic stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley in a sequel to 'Alien'.

In 'Alien', a single alien wipes out the entire crew of a commercial space ship, except for Ripley. 'Alien' explains the alien life cycle; a face hugger lays an egg in the stomach of a human host, later it bursts from the host, killing it, and grows into an adult alien. The aliens are ferocious and have strong acid for blood.

In Aliens, Ripley is found in stasis sleep 57 years later, and by this time The Company have colonised the planet where the alien was first encountered. Contact with the colony is lost and The Company send a team of high-tech Space Marines, with Ripley as an advisor, to find out what has happened. The space marines are armed with the latest high tech weaponry and are hyper confident. The team land looking for the colonists and encounter swarms of highly aggressive aliens. The team has lots of different interesting characters, who all react differently to the fight for survival.

This magnificent film is very tense, especially when the marines first encounter the aliens and when Ripley goes into the heart of the alien nest to rescue the only survivor of the colony.

Aliens is a truly brilliant Sci-Fi action thriller I gave it 10/10.
- - JohnRead from Hampshire
  - Posted 26 Oct 2003 13:58
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

Incredible

Newly enhanced special edition is incredible. Crank up the surround sound, sit back and enjoy one hell of an experience. Possibly my favourite film of all time. Watched it about 50 times.
- - nick9 from london
  - Posted 26 May 2004 10:08
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

The Bees Knees

I cannot express how much I love this film. For years I couldn't watch it as it scared me too much, I'd go to bed and think the aliens were hiding in my wardrobe.

Then when "quazar" was all the rage I went to one and it was done out like Aliens with 7 foot tall models as you walked in a the bases were alien nests with eggs that open!!

Now I just cannot get enough of this film it ranks 1st or 2nd on my top 10 films of all time, this release is great as it includes originally deleted scenes with both the theatrical release and the Special edition.

Crank up the sound and compare them both!
- - john69 from Lancs
  - Posted 31 Dec 2004 14:58
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

Superlative!

I find it quite difficult to be objective about this film. I have watched it dozens of time, and each time I get something new out of it. In my opinion it is the best science-fiction/action movie ever made. The acting is superb; the tension throughout the film is gripping. There isn't a single aspect of this film that I can criticise.
- - Mark from Hertfordshire
  - Posted 06 Jan 2006 15:22
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

Best Film in Alien Series

OK I am baised in that this is one of my favoutite film's and one I have seen many times since I first saw it in the cinema in 86'.

And while I don't normally bother with listening to the directors etc commentry track in this case I did and for fans of this film its very illumininating and entertaining particuarly in terms of their views on English working practices at Pinewood at the time!
- - A customer from West Yorkshire
  - Posted 17 Sep 2006 22:00
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful

A sequel as good as the first movie

It is very rare to find a sequel as good as the first movie. Infact its nearly inpossible. But this must be one of the most outstanding sequels I have ever seen. Full of action, horror and suspence. You're gripped to the movie till the very end. A must see, Enjoy.
- - jonz from Wirral
  - Posted 03 Nov 2003 13:17
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

Outstanding

This is quite simply an out and out classic. Totally outstandingly brilliant film. James Cameron excells himself, there is practically nothing to fault in this film. A work of genius. One of the best SF films ever made.
- - Matt Garner from London England
  - Posted 10 Jun 2005 23:48
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

Aliens nail biting still

Alien top 3 all time scary scfi moives.

Aliens top 4 all time action scfi moives

Dont like the rest as much thought Alien vrs pred is good with pitza.
- - A customer from newcastle UK
  - Posted 10 Mar 2007 03:03

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Critics' reviews (5)
Surpassing its predecessor in terms of sheer spectacle, this sequel to Ridley Scott's outer-space nightmare from director James Cameron is an outstanding science-fiction thriller. Sigourney Weaver wakes up 57 years after the original events unfolded, only to be told that the planet where she first met the alien predator has been colonised. When all contact with the inhabitants is lost, she's sent in with a crack squad of marines, and hurtles headlong into a hi-tech house of horrors that delivers super shocks and nail-biting suspense. Masterfully controlling the tension and moving the involving plot at a lightning pace, Cameron exploits everyone's worst fears and carries them to the riveting extreme in this consummate Oscar-winning fright-fest.
- Radio Times
- Posted 29 Jan 2006
"...A flaming, flashing, crashing, crackling blow-em-up show that keeps you popping from your seat....[Weaver] is a one-woman army..."
- New York Times
- Posted 29 Jan 2006
"...Technically, [the] film is superior in all respects. Special effects are varied and always convincing..."
- Variety
- Posted 29 Jan 2006
Frightening but mechanical sequel with none of the half-assed poetry of the original.
- Halliwell's Film Guide
- Posted 02 Mar 2006
"...Gripping..." -- Rating: B+
- Entertainment Weekly
- Posted 29 Jan 2006

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop

- - Buy
- Aliens
  
  Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor from the original ALIEN, is awakened after 57 years of drifting through space, her stories disbelieved by Company executives who tell her that the alien's planet is now inhabited and colonized. When contact is suddenly lost with the colonists, Ripley ...