ALIENS. Directed and written by James Cameron; produced by Gale Anne Hurd for Twentieth Century Fox. Starring Sigourney Weaver. Rated R (language, violenoe).
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The title of this movie is a stroke of genius: nothing so obvious or ordinary as Alien, Part II; just the simple, understated addition of one letter—from singular to plural, from one to many. Think about it.
Anyone who saw the first Alien will remember, in all-too-vivid detail, what the title creature was like. Now, instead of just one of the critters, we get to observe a full, functioning colony; scores of the bloodthirsty monsters to outwit, outfight and survive.
Now, more isn't always better, or sometimes even as good. But in this case, it definitely is. Aliens is one of the best action-thrillers of this or any year.
Writer-Director Cameron proves with this movie that his Terminator was no fluke. Both movies have blockbuster special effects and are perfectly paced, with as much well-written and well-acted excitement packed into them as is humanly possible.
Some might criticize Aliens (at almost 2 1/2 hours) as too long. But what scenes would they want to do without? I can't think of any, even considering its one or two little logical lapses. Considering what's supposed to be going on, and the excellence of the movie-making, the length is really not a problem.
Weaver's First Mate Ripley is the only repeat character from Alien (obviously, since she was the only human survivor). She's joined this time, in trying to destroy the beasties who have preyed upon a human colony, by a likeable troop of Marines.
Yes, Marines. Down to the last grunt private, they're the spitting image of those squads you've seen in how many hundreds of war movies set on planet Earth. There's the green lieutenant, the tough but sympathetic Sarge, the clown, the capable corporal, etc.
In the early scenes these guys (and gals—a new and welcome twist on the theme) establish their appeal and their vulnerability effortlessly. We like them, but we know most of them probably won't be around at the final credits. Still, what a good show they can put on in the meantime!
Another new face this time belongs to little Newt (Carrie Hehn), a young survivor of the aliens' attacks on a remote colony. Although her main reason for being there is to show us that Ripley can be warm as well as tough, she's a delight in herself. She draws some good laughs in addition to getting into lots of trouble. And—this is important for her role as the traditional, more passive, female—she's a great screamer.
Aliens is much more entertainment than the ordinary, supermacho, Rambo-type action pictures it resembles on the surface. For one thing, it has the advantage, of course, of a completely nasty enemy, one not even remotely human. No guilt here in cheering when the good guys blast away.
More importantly, the story of Aliens is a lot better, and the characters are more believeable as people, than a lot of action pictures that we're too polite to mention. Ripley, the strongest, smartest and most capable of the bunch, is still scared to death of the aliens. So it's not just Weaver's excellent performance that makes her easier to identify with than the supermen in those other movies.
Aliens is definitely not a movie for the faint-hearted. There is enough tension and suspense generated here for 10 movies. And there's a fair amount of gore, as well—although it's mostly alien gore. The first Alien showed the humans' bloody ends more graphically.
Besides, the setting and the threat of the creatures are so remote from everyday experiences, Aliens won't keep you awake nights—except maybe to marvel at its technical expertise and its gutsy, likeable characters.
NOTE: this movie made my 10-best list for 1986.
August 13, 1986