By Freddie Coles.
On July 18th 1986, director James Cameron’s Sci-fi/Action blockbuster Aliens released in cinemas worldwide, grossing over half its $18.5 million budget on its opening weekend. A sequel to 1979’s Alien, Cameron upped the stakes with more action, more carnage and, as the name implies, more aliens. On release, the film was praised for its likeable cast of characters, revolutionary special effects and intense action setpieces, with many ranking it as the pinnacle of the franchise. But how has Aliens adapted after 40 years? The short answer is incredibly.
Firstly, the film is impeccably cast. Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of space super-mom Ellen Ripley reaches its peak in this film, a woman stuck in cryo-stasis for 57 years, who missed the chance to see her daughter grow up thanks to the events of the first film. Ripley’s snark is more deadpan than most modern protagonists and never comes across as comedic, and you can see her anger towards the titular aliens (known as Xenomorphs) constantly blazing behind her eyes.
Equally entertaining is the cast of marines who accompany Ripley to the overrun colony, with the late, great Bill Paxton’s performance as Private Hudson being the origin of some of my favourite film lines. Corporal Hicks, played by Michael Biehn, creates a nice contrast from a lot of his fellow soldiers. He’s much quieter and more reserved than Hudson and the others, which makes him a good companion to Ripley.
The special effects, courtesy of effects legend Stan Winston, hold up remarkably well. The xenomorphs feel like actual animals, rather than actors in suits, always drooling and snarling whenever they’re on screen. Similarly, the vehicle miniatures used are extremely convincing, and a forgotten art in a way. The dropship and USS Sulaco cruiser especially are breathtakingly detailed. This leads to some incredible action scenes in the second half of the film, from the initial ambush in the alien hive, to the final showdown between Ripley and the xenomorph queen. The fight is an incredible feat of filmmaking, with both the queen’s fourteen foot tall puppet and Ripley’s mech suit having a number of moving parts that had to be operated simultaneously to make the scene look convincing.
James Horner’s bombastic score adds tension to the incredible action scenes, and it’s hard to believe that he only scraped the final soundtrack together in the last two weeks of post-production. Horner’s quieter tracks similarly create a great atmosphere in the earlier parts of the film as the marines search the abandoned colony. Many people forget how much of a slow-burn the first half of the film is, which makes the carnage that ensues in the alien nest all the more terrifying as you’re constantly waiting for the penny to drop.
Aliens is James Cameron’s magnum opus, and it’s hard to believe that it was only his third directorial job. The effects are still a spectacle, the tension through the roof and the cast an absolute delight. It’s an action classic for a reason, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
5/5 Stars
