Aliens

A Blueprint for making a sequel

Lover: Taken from IMDB
“THE sci-fi movie. It's nearly perfect in every way: storyline, characters, menacing threat, suspense, action, direction, music, emotion, etc... It's always been a favorite of mine and still is. To me this is not just a film, it is an experience. The adrenaline pumps like in no other film and rarely have we had the chance to see a heroine as compelling as Sigourney Weaver. She can kick anyone's ass and still keep a heart and soul. (Why she didn't win the Oscar back in 1986 is beyond me.) When the action starts, you're in for the ride of your life. Truly a milestone in movie making. Now if they could only release it on DVD...”

Completely agree, even if they are a bit dramatic.

Hater: Taken from IMDB
“I'm sorry to disagree with about 90% of this website, but I did not find this sequel to be anything but a rehash of the first. Not only is it a rehash, but it also brought to life, some of the really dumb stereotypes that exist in movies today. Crummy dialog that is fixed to sound 'cool' and 'awesome' or 'in with the times' and you know what? It isn't. Now, before you dismiss the rest of my review, I want to add that I tried to like this film. For a long while I tried to find some cool ways to see it, and you know what? I thought I had for a while. But you know, the thing s that so many people hold it up higher than the first, and I just can't see why. I guess I would be more open to give it a second chance, but people keep saying it is better than the first, and I just don't agree. I think the opening was alright, until the shock sequence when...uh-oh! She might have something in her stomach and.....oh, just a dream. HOW CHEAP! Why would they even rely that much on the first? Especially since it had been a good 6 or 7 years already? Jeez! I just thought that was mistake #1. Next, the film was quite intriguing, but that was because they discussed the originals damages. I just can't say when I lost it. Most of Sigourney's dialog was pretty awesome, and of course, Sigourney was GREAT. I'll give it that, but the rest, it just seems to imposed and buffed, and for what? It just crashes into all the rocks on LV-426.-Oops! There's another problem right there! They just HAVE to bring us to the scene of the crime, and...57 years later! UGH! Why not have the original beast find it's way to earth? Why not make a new type of disaster happen? Taking back to the original scene of the crime was unnecessary! My final word is that this film needn't have been made, but it was, and I watched, actually thinking it would be good. It could have, and should have been, but I just don't think it was. How do you follow the act of the original Ridley Scott classic? You don't! Sorry.”

A really long review here I’m sorry, but for those who can’t be bothered to read it I’ll give you a synopsis: This guy loves the first one so much that he was never going to accept a sequel. Pure and simple that’s it, this film is just as good as the first one, in fact this sequel should only impress the audience enough to watch what lead up to it.

What I thought:
My brother once said that you can’t pick any holes in Aliens, whilst I’m sure you could if you wanted to, why would you want to!? Aliens is up there with one of the best examples of a perfectly executed sequel, it completely respected the original whilst changing the genre, making it Horror Action “this time its war”. It’s a balancing act to be precise, add enough very cool things from hard as nails colonial marines, snappy quotable dialogue and fast paced action set pieces. Balance this out with enough from the first: Strong female lead (stronger when in a motherly role), jumpy scares mixed with impending doom and above all else The Alien design itself. Fair enough all of things kept in are turned up to Hollywood degrees but they still work.

Aliens really sparks into life when the colonial marines enter the film and I defy any man who has watched this and didn’t want to be a colonial marine, though if you knew you were going to fight the “Xenomorphs” you may have had second thoughts. It’s that downfall that is most effective; the marines are built up to and though you know it must all go wrong you still route for them. Then they are set upon in what is the stand out Alien Attack of the quadrilogy, for me anyway. When you add to these great performances from everyone involved and the effects of which a vast majority still stand up to today’s standards you have one hell of a movie, not to mention one of the most quotable!