Aliens (Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Aliens (Special Edition)
Movie Review: This is why Special Edition's are made!
Summary: 5 Stars
Aliens is NOT a rehash of Alien. They are completely different films. While Alien used suspence and shock factor to get the audience (I didn't drink milk for weeks after seeing it!), Aliens is an action-packed powerhouse. Heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat cinema at it's finest. My hat is off to James Cameron for directing and re-writing the script.Quick rundown of the plot of Aliens:
Flight Lt. Ripley (Sigorney Weaver) wakes up after an unusually long hyper-sleep to find out that the horror she left behind in "Alien" has taken on massive proportions.
You'll see a bunch of familar faces in Aliens:
Michael Biehn (Terminator, The Abyss) as Hicks
Paul Reiser (Mad About You, Diner) as Burke
Lance Henrikson (Millennium, The Quick and the Dead) as Bishop
Bill Paxton (Twister, Titanic) as Hudson
...and a few others that will make you do a double-take. -See if you can figure out what other movie "Private Vasquez" was in with Bill Paxton.
The visual effects are astounding. Thanks to DVD, details can be seen that were blurred in the VHS format. (I can finally read what is written on Ferro's helmet!) This film takes clear advantage of the DVD format and its THX re-mastering. I feel sorry for you if you don't have a large screen and full surround-sound at home for this one! Watching it in wide-screen format reveals all of the detail that has been missing for so long in the pan-and-scan format.
The Special Edition goodies include scenes that were cut from the theaters. The "new" footage (previously only available in LaserDisc format) blend seamlessly into the film. They all add value. I kept thinking "I don't remember that" and "HEY! NOW I get it!" If you've never seen the 17 minutes of added footage, you're in for a treat!
You'll also find Behind the Scenes footage and a photo gallery in the Special Edition. All perks that make this purchase worth while. Even the main menu on the DVD is a treat.
Do yourself a favor, buy this action classic and watch it the way it was intended to be seen!
Movie Review: Aliens - The Best Of The Series
Summary: 5 Stars
The sequel to the 1979 horror hit, "Alien", is awesome. "Aliens" is not a standard horror flick. Instead, it is more of a horror/sci-fi/war movie. I thought this movie was the best of the series. Everyone enjoyed the first one. I thought it was good. Everyone hated the 3rd one. I hated it too. Everyone thought the 4th one was okay. I did too. Yet, "Aliens" stands out.Plot - Ripley (Weaver) wakes up from hyper-sleep many years after her attack with an alien. She learns from researchers, including a young Paul Reiser, that LV-426 has been colonized. After communication is lost with the colony, Ripley decides that it isn't a good sign. She, a bunch of marines (including Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, and others), and a robot (Lance Henriksen) are sent to the planet to see what happened. They get there and find the only survivor, Newt. The whole group learns that the aliens have taken over LV-426. After their ship explodes, they realize they have to fight back to stay alive. (99/100)
Acting - The acting is outstanding for this movie. We have stars galore in this movie. Yet, you will probably only notice the two scene stealers, Paul Reiser and Bill Paxton. Paul Reiser does a good job as the complex researcher with a hidden agenda. Bill Paxton is more favorite. He's the tough, cussing, hilarious marine. (95/100)
Effects - The effects were very good in this movie. If you see "Alien Resurrection", you will definitely tell the difference between the alien's looks in this movie. The aliens look more real though. I thought that was cool. Also, the ending with the Alien Queen fighting Ripley was amazing! (93/100)
Action - The action is top notch for this movie. This movie takes awhile to get started (I think 45 minutes), but it is worth the wait. The rest of the movie is all action. (97/100)
Gore - This movie isn't too gory. I mean people do die horrible deaths. Yet, for a horror movie, it doesn't really use it. I thought it was a cool idea. (97/100)
Rated R for extremely strong violence, some gore, and very strong language.
Movie Review: Great Film, Very Poor Sociopolitical Message
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a terrific action flick with a great plot and tremendous actors -- it's a classic, even better than the first "Alien."Having said that, I have to point out that I was repelled by the socio-political message this movie sends. A team of US Colonial Marines is sent to a colony to kill alien beings there. No one mentioned the possibility of involving other nations, of obtaining approval from the United Nations for unilaterally attacking these aliens. And the diplomatic effort was absolutely non-existent, no effort whatever was made to deal reasonably with these aliens, to give them a chance to stand down and cease their hostilities. At no point did the US characters ever ask, "Why do they hate us?"
While it's true an alien killed every member of Ripley's Nostromo crew without any warning whatever, a stunning surprise attack that terrorized the crew during a meal, there were no follow-up efforts to negotiate any sort of peace with the creature -- they just unilaterally decided to kill it, as was the case with a group of these alien beings in the sequel. After the first attack on the Nostromo, everyone should have simply turned the page and moved on. After all, what's passed is past, it's old news. In the sequel, there was no patience or diplomacy whatever in dealings with the aliens, the crew simply attacked and attempted to kill all of them they could.
What if the aliens were driven by an ancient religion that required them to kill all the members of any other species they encountered? Who were these Marines, to question that cultural ideal? The message this sends about such creatures is that the only way to stop them is to kill them, or they will always be striving to kill you. The Marines should have done some yoga instead, and asked themselves again and again, "Why do they hate us?" They at least should have sent in some inspectors -- and if that failed, they should have given the inspections more time to work. Nothing in the world will deter terrorism more effectively than giving inspections more time to work.
Movie Review: cousinpaco's top terrors: #3
Summary: 5 Stars
Bugs are icky.Entomologists might disagree with me, but black, glistening, chitinous exoskeletons evoke a primal revulsion in many people. Wasps are the worst--they're cruel-looking, aggresive predators. H.R Giger tapped this nerve when he envisioned the creature for "Alien," and James Cameron (with Stan Winston) pushed those buttons even harder when he tweaked the design for the sequel. Plus, Cameron's film shows more of the aliens in motion, and their agile leaping and lightning-quick striking movements are fundamentally unsettling.
Ripley, the sole survivor of the first film is returned to Earth, where she learns that people have begun settling the world she visited. When communications are mysteriously cut off, Ripley accompanies a band of Colonial Marines to investigate. After landing on the desolate planet, they discover the entire colony is missing, except for one small girl named Newt. The marines inadvertently swagger into a hive of lurking parasites, where chaos quickly breaks loose. The marines' overconfident bravado proves to be their undoing--they DRASTICALLY underestimate their foe.
Ripley, Newt and the last few Marines are left to figure out an escape, while hordes of murderous aliens converge on their position...
The DVD release, touted as a "director's cut," includes 17 unnecessary minutes. Most of the additions are insignificant, but a restored sequence fleshing out Ripley's backstory detracts from her relatonship with Newt--the fact that Ripley once had a daughter makes her bonding with Newt more contrived. I always thought it made for a more well-rounded character that Newt ignited a maternal instinct in the tough, ordeal-scarred Ripley.
Like most "special editions," I wish they'd included the original theatrical cut on the disc. But even with the extraneous footage, this film is top-notch entertainment, and there are some neat bonus features that make the DVD worth picking up.
At its heart, "Aliens" is an "icky bugs" movie. But it's a darn good one.
Movie Review: Best of Series, Best of Cameron, Best Sci-Fi Action Film!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have loved this movie ever since I was 4 years old. It is aboslutely without a doubt the most enjoyable film I have seen in a long time. It far surpasses the low-tech, somewhat boring original version of the film which I never truly enjoyed (Although I am a huge fan of the series, don't get me wrong). I think the added 17 minutes are nice, including a great scene with Hudson explaining how manly he is. However, they make this film EXTREMELY long. Showing it to a group of friends ended up with 3 out of 9 of them falling asleep (I was embarassed.). Its interesting but it just makes the movie so much that by the time I am done watching it I won't want to see it for a long time. They don't ruin the film though, except perhaps the first few cutscenes involving the face-hugger incident that infested the colony. While we KNOW the aliens are going to be back in this film, It was kinda cool going to the planet with as much knowledge as Ripley had on it. Ripley evolved in this film from a shy, second-rate hero who was really just scared, to a powerful, wonderful female role model of a heroine. All the acting in this film is wonderful, including each Marine. Perhaps the best film of all their careers especially Bill Paxton (Hudson). Definitely the most memorable out of all characters from this film. Lance Henrikson gave birth to a great character whom even Ripley with her fear of androids came to accept and care for. Special FX were great in this film, extensive weaponry and clothing was created that are realistic and beautiful. The Marine costumes are definitely one of the best ever in a Sci-Fi movie. The Aliens remained basically the same, only the crown of their heads changing (Which really is just a stage of maturing). The Queen Alien was always amazing and scary, the scene where she rips Bishop in half is hilarious and terrifying at the same time. This is definitely Cameron's best film, and he did a great job writing the screenplay for it. Titanic doesn't compare. This is a must see for anyone, definitely a classic.