At the Movies with Alan Gekko: Aliens “86”

MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Sci-Fi Action/Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, Carrie Henn, Bill Paxton, William Hope, Ricco Ross, Al Matthews, Jenette Goldstein, Mark Rolston, Daniel Kash, Trevor Steedman, Cynthia Dale Scott, Colette Hiller, Paul Maxwell, Barbara Coles/Runtime: 137 minutes

I think it can safely be argued that, should one wish to make a list of the most iconic sci-fi horror films ever made, one slice of cinema that would, and should, without any reservation whatsoever make the list would have to undoubtedly be 1979’s Alien. I mean not only is the direction by Sir Ridley Scott perfectly taut and ominous, but the cast does terrific work, the visual effects (especially in regards to the design of the titular monster) are truly stunning, the score is magnificent, and the cinematography succeeds at not only making you feel claustrophobic within the confines of the Nostromo, but also at making the environment feel as (for lack of a better word) alien to us as movie goers as it does to the characters themselves. So *of course* when you have a slice of cinema that is this fantastic it should not surprise you to learn that eventually the land of movie magic, as they are known for doing in that truly indomitable fashion of theirs, decided that the best course of action was to give this film a sequel to be initially released in the long-ago year of 1986. Yet, rather than continue down the sci-fi horror route of the original, they decided that this one was going to be a potent sci-fi action film with maybe a shade or 3 of horror thrown in for good measure. Even more intriguing was the fact that, instead of Ridley Scott returning to direct this installment, the creative minds over at the studio decided to turn directing duties over to a young man by the name of James Cameron who had, 2 years prior in 1984, made quite a name for himself with a little low-budget sci-fi action film known simply as The Terminator. Even with the success of Terminator under his belt however, there was still a wee bit of apprehension on the part of fans of the first Alien to see if the sequel, and slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today incidentally, known as Aliens would either be worthy of its predecessor’s legacy or prove to be yet another tragic example of a sequel failing to live up to the first film. Thankfully, I can confirm that this film did more than just prove itself worthy of Alien’s legacy. Rather, it also managed to be quite the phenomenal movie in its own right. I say that because this truly is an incredible film dear reader and yes it might have a few miniscule problems here and there, but with the aid of downright phenomenal work on both sides of the camera Aliens manages to be a truly majestic and riveting slice of cinema that I promise you is not only a fantastic follow-up to one of the most iconic movies ever made, but is also a film that will leave you hooked from the opening all the way to the moment that the credits at long last begin to roll.

The plot is as follows: Picking up a solid 5-plus decades after the terrifying events of the first film, Aliens gets its spine-tingling story underway as we see that, in the time since Ripley found herself having to obliterate her ship the Nostromo following a ruthless alien menace butchering everyone else in her crew, she has been enjoying quite the extensive stasis-induced nap. A nap that we soon witness being interrupted courtesy of her escape pod being found by a group of scavengers. From there, we see that our heroine is whisked off to a debriefing with her employer, one Weyland-Yutani, where we learn that the review board that the company has convened for this purpose is more than just a tad bit on the skeptical side about her story involving the face hugger parasite, the massive amount of eggs located inside a rundown vessel, and all of the other tragic elements that befell her and her crew following their arrival on the celestial body LV-426. Of course, when the company in question also has no qualms about revealing that a colony has been established there during the period of time that our heroine has been in stasis can you really blame them? All sarcastic comments aside dear reader, we see that, following the review board not exactly deciding in her favor, Ripley has been let go from her job with the company, her space flight license has been taken away from her, and she is pretty much at what I’m sure the people writing the dictionary were thinking of when they put in the phrase “rock bottom”. As we all know though, it is moments like these where it is not all that surprising to see Lady Fate decide to give people a 2nd chance of sorts and today is Ripley’s turn to get that 2nd chance. This is because we soon see as a rep for the company by the name of Carter Burke and a lieutenant in the Colonial Marines (this future universe’s take on the Marine Corps currently in existence) by the name of Gorman show up at her door with a rather urgent request. It seems that (surprise, surprise) contact with the aforementioned colony has been mysteriously lost and so our dynamic duo here would greatly appreciate if Ripley, given her experiences on the celestial body in question, would be so kind as to go with them, plus a gung-ho Colonial Marine squad, and head back to LV-426 to try and get to the bottom of things. Of course, it should come as no surprise to learn that, despite both extreme hesitation to say nothing of still coping with significant trauma from her last visit, our heroine decides to go with them, but only if they wipe out every last alien creature on the planet. Yet when the mission (predictably) goes awry, can Ripley and the squad backing her up utilize the significant arsenal of firepower at their disposal to kick some alien butt or is this one close encounter that’s about to end very badly? That I will leave for you to discover….

Now right off, it should be said that the work done by the various departments behind the camera is absolutely magnificent in every sense of the word. Without question, this starts with the work done in the director’s chair by the iconic (or infamous dependent on one’s perspective of him and/or if you know even 2 of the stories about him as a filmmaker) James Cameron and honestly he does an absolutely incredible job here. Indeed not only does Cameron do a wonderful job of keeping the terrific sense of tension and dread that Ridley Scott established so well in the first Alien film, but he then proceeds to add to the mix a terrific amount of nail-biting and edge of your seat-style action as well. As a result, not only are we given a film that is able to leave you fairly consistently on edge, but that also is incredibly successful in its efforts to keep you engaged from beginning to end and every thrilling minute in between. We also see that Cameron is also incredibly successful when it comes to his contribution on this slice of cinema as its main screenplay author as well. I mean not only does Cameron ensure that we are given just enough for us as movie goers to be able to tell that this is very much set in the same universe as that first film, but he then proceeds to flesh out that universe in ways that help reinforce the previously established mythos whilst also planting seeds that later installments would deal more in detail with. Best of all in terms of the writing department however is the skill that Cameron has when it comes to the cast of human characters at the heart of this story. Indeed not only does Cameron do a magnificent job of ensuring that each character in their own way comes across as either strong and/or relatable in some key way, but he also adds new layers to the returning character of Ripley that help make her even more of a three-dimensional individual than she was whilst also giving her story a bit more emotional heft this time around. We are also given incredibly solid work by Adrian Biddle (The Princess Bride, Willow, and Event Horizon) on this film’s cinematography. Indeed Biddle does a phenomenal job of calling to mind the creepy and confined vibe that was essential to the first film’s success whilst also instilling into the mix a perspective that is more clear-cut and less flamboyant as well. Lastly, I feel like this section would be woefully incomplete if I didn’t take some time to talk about the work done by the late yet iconic composer James Horner on this film’s musical accompaniment. I mean not only does Horner give audiences a score that synchs up to the action and terror present, but it also helps to conjure up a vibe that is equal parts ominous and frantic to brilliant effect. Suffice it to say that when you factor in absolutely dynamic work from the editing department as headed by the iconic Ray Lovejoy (Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and 1987’s Suspect among other titles) and jaw-dropping visual effects work especially in regard to such things as the futuristic locales, the ships utilized, the firearms being used, and the design of the titular creature among others it’s clear that, a few miniscule issues here and there aside, the work done behind the camera is absolutely proof of movie magic and then some in one of the best ways possible.

Alongside the stellar work done by the various departments behind the camera, this thrilling cinematic outing also benefits immensely from a collection of equally as solid work in front of the camera by an impeccably chosen cast of talent. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with Sigourney Weaver reprising her role of Ripley and honestly this might be one of the 7 best performances of her career. Indeed Weaver does a terrific job of giving us the same degrees of leadership, strength, and resourcefulness that made her portrayal of the character in the first Alien back in 1979 so iconic. At the same time though, we see that Weaver then also does a great job of adding on to the character and giving her some new aspects to bring to life including more than a hint of cynicism, a dash of weariness and trauma from her previous encounter with the Xenomorph, and even a bit of good ol’ fashioned maternal instinct toward the character of Newt that are all surprisingly integrated into the fabric of the character really well. Suffice it to say that, like Harrison Ford and Han Solo, Weaver IS Ripley and this performance manages to be solid proof of that and so much more. Alongside Weaver, this slice of cinema also contains a fantastic performance from fellow frequent Cameron collaborator Michael Biehn in the role of Corporal Hicks. Indeed Biehn does a wonderful job of giving audiences a guy who might be soft-spoken and low-key, but is undeniably an extremely well-trained to say nothing of proficient individual who is able to be in equal measure both the leader you would need in a crisis like the one faced by the team in this film to say nothing of someone who tries to give our heroine and what she has been through the respect that she so rightfully deserves as well. Besides our aforementioned dynamic duo, I must say that I was really impressed with the work done here by Paul “Mad About You” Reiser in the role of Carter Burke. Indeed I can’t really say a whole lot about this role due to spoilers, but what I can say is that Reiser does a terrific job at playing a role that, given the kind of characters he was playing at the time, is very much a departure from those parts in the best way possible. Lastly, I think this section would be woefully incomplete if I didn’t talk about the winning performance given by the late iconic screen talent Bill Paxton in the role of Private Hudson. Indeed I always enjoyed when Paxton popped up in a movie and here he is an absolute joy as a guy who is very much meant to be the overconfident class clown of the squad only to, when things hit the fan, dramatically lose his nerve and proceeds to spend the rest of the movie torn between a consistent panic attack and trying to regain his composure to help the team survive the events unfolding around them. That and, without going into spoilers, he gets easily one of the best lines in the movie. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in solid performances from such talents as the iconic Lance Henriksen who is spot-on casting for the role of the android Bishop, William Hope, Al Matthews, Jenette Goldstein (perfectly cast as the one woman army that is Private Vasquez), Mark Rolston (Rush Hour plus Saw V and VI), and Carrie Henn to name but a few it’s clear that this slice of cinema’s cast understood what was being asked of them and they all manage to deliver here no matter how big or small their overall amount of screentime turns out to be.

All in all and at the end of the day is Aliens “86” a perfect and flawless slice of cinema by any stretch of the imagination? Sadly, and as much as I would like to say to the contrary, no though darn it all if it doesn’t manage to come a heck of a lot closer than the vast majority of movies that are released in a given year. With that in mind does that make this the worst slice of cinema in either its respective genre, the franchise of which it is a part, or even in the filmographies of any of the creative talent involved in bringing it to life either in front of or behind the camera? Thankfully, for both my peace of mind let alone insomnia, I can confirm for you that is most assuredly not the case either. Not by a long shot. To be sure, there are a few miniscule issues scattered about here and there, but honestly if you are able to look past those then I have no doubt that you will find that this is an absolutely fantastic movie dear reader. Indeed the work done at the helm and on the written page by James Cameron is absolutely solid (though let’s be honest: I have never heard of Cameron’s work as a director ever being called into question….even on Piranha II: The Spawning, but that’s another story), the work on the soundtrack is absolutely taut and thrilling, the action beats are sure to leave you on the edge of your seat in the best way possible, the cinematography is wonderfully ominous, the scares are sure to leave your seat momentarily lonely in the best way possible when you jump out of it, and the performances given by the cast (with particular regard to the ones contributed by Weaver, Biehn, Henriksen, Reiser, and Paxton) are all absolutely phenomenal with everyone bringing their A-game to their respective parts no matter how big or small the amount of screentime that they are ultimately given. Suffice it to say dear reader that Aliens is more than an undeniably fantastic sequel to a film that is easily one of the best sci-fi horror films of all time. Rather, it is an engaging, riveting, thrilling, frightening, and genuinely enjoyable film that you are sure to be left riveted by time and time again. Now if you’ll excuse me: I have to go check on a friend of mine. Not because I’m worried about him or anything, but because he said he was going to be right back and that was about 3-4 hours ago and I’m really hoping he didn’t run into the extraterrestrial posing as my dog in the backyard….oops. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Aliens “86” a solid 4.5 out of 5.