Why ‘Aliens’ Is Still a Masterpiece of Tension, Dread and Horror

aliens 1986
20th Century Fox

I remember the first time I saw Alien, I was over at a friend’s house, and his older brother let us watch it. I didn’t understand why his brother hung around until I saw the chest-bursting scene, then I realized he wanted to see our reactions. That scene, and the feeling of the movie, stayed with me for some time, so when I heard about the sequel, I was interested yet skeptical. I found it hard to imagine I would be so moved a second time around…

Shows you what I know.

Directed by James Cameron, Aliens took me on an emotional roller coaster that few films have matched since. We are given just enough setup to get hooked: we find Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) 57 years later, adrift and in hibernation after the final events from the first film. The horror of her situation, the loss of all loved ones, is only amplified when she finds out a colony has been set up on the planet they found the aliens, and now they’ve lost contact with it. Fueled by a wish to end nightmares and maybe dish out some revenge, she joins a group of marines to go check out what is going on. No one heeds her warnings, no one takes her seriously, and chaos ensues.

There is a great weaving of events that makes this such a great thriller/action/horror movie. The characters are interesting and likable, save Burke (Paul Reiser), who is the lone representative of the mega-corporation who has sunk tons of cash into this colony, and now dreams of weaponizing the aliens. Cocky, arrogant, but lovable Marines (who doesn’t quote some of Private Hudson’s great lines, R.I.P. Bill Paxton), a young girl Newt (Carrie Henn), who somehow survived by living/hiding in the air ducts, and android Bishop (played beautifully by Lance Henriksen) get thrown together with Ripley, who is the only one who knows what they are getting into.

However, even Ripley isn’t prepared for what they find, and the journey to the discovery of the Queen is something to behold. One of the more remarkable things Aliens does is literally cram the intensity and dread down your throat (a little Alien humor there), and while that is great in its own right, the sheer length of time you feel this intensity is ridiculous. With a dark, evil, and foreboding colony/lair to navigate, the eerie soundtrack makes for a great companion as the aliens begin popping out of the walls, floors, and ceilings. The intensity goes on, without stopping, for almost the last half of the film, and the viewer is left with no other choice but to hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

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One of the things that always makes me smile when I rewatch Aliens is the performance of Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. She stands her ground, can take care of herself, and is tough as nails in the worst situations. The fight with the Queen was not only two mothers defending their own (Ripley was basically a surrogate mother to not only Newt but the Marines as well), but two REALLY pissed-off mothers. I cheer every single time I watch this scene.

Thinking about it more, I have that reaction numerous times during this film, rooting on the Marines through the alien maze of hell, telling them to look up or look around a certain corner, and begging someone to kill Burke. Our quick attachment to the characters is a testament to Cameron and the actors. The film was designed to really prey on every emotion you have and, while doing so, push them to extreme limits as well.

Aliens was exhausting in terms of tension, exhilarating in terms of emotions, and simply a perfectly-executed film in terms of melding sci-fi and horror into one big, beautiful spectacle. Not only is it a great sequel to Alien, but it’s also one of the better sequels ever made in any genre. So do yourself a favor and pop in the movie, crank the volume, dim the lights, grab some popcorn, and lose yourself in the excellent display of filmmaking.

1 COMMENT

  1. Great, I watched some parts of the first movie I think and some parts and it was great, but it’s the movie they call the Radiator with Aliens The Strangers It was weird and not good unlike the first roles of the movie

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