ALIENS (1986) REVIEW!!! - THROWBACK FRANCHISE

Initial release date: July 18, 1986

Studio: 20th Century Fox/Brandywine Productions

Taglines: This time it's war.

There are some places in the universe you don't go alone.

Plot: After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find only one survivor, a 9 year old girl named Newt. But even these battle-hardened marines with the latest weaponry are no match for the hundreds of aliens that have invaded the colony.

Cast

Sigourney Weaver - Ripley

Carrie Henn - Newt

Michael Biehn - Corporal Hicks

Paul Reiser - Burke

Lance Henricksen - Bishop

Bill Paxton - Private Hudson

William Hope - Lt. Gorman

Jenette Goldstein - Private Vasquez

Al Matthews - Sgt. Apone

Mark Rolstan - Private Drake

Ricco Ross - Private Frost

Colette Hiller - Corporal Ferro

Writer/director: James Cameron (I think he did a couple big movies...)

Rated R for monster violence, and for language (137 minutes)

After watching the 1979 Alien film for the very first time a couple nights ago, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's highly entertaining and, at times quite scary. The other night, I continued on with my first time viewing of this franchise with the 1986 James Cameron-directed Aliens.

Aliens is an excellent sequel that is really action-packed and features some awesome alien action. While the first movie is almost like a horror movie, this sequel is primarily an action flick. All of the action is really gripping and quite suspenseful during a few moments. Several parts will leave you at the very edge of your seat and the adrenaline-pumping thrills will really surprise you.

The 1986 sequel also features some great memorable characters, including Bill Paxton's scene-stealing Private Hudson. Granted, his character did get a little annoying at times. But, Paxton still made it highly entertaining and even funny. One thing that Alien fans will likely remember from this sequel are some of its memorable quotes, such as Ripley's infamous quote of "Get away from her, you bitch" (towards the conclusion of the film) and Paxton's "Game Over, Man! Game Over!".

The ending of this film is, without a doubt, one of the most thrilling endings ever. It's pretty much Ripley vs. the alien round 2, but the action that's incorporated into it really helps!

Tomorrow and Sunday, I will be taking a look at the last of the original sequels, Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection. From what I've read about, these upcoming 2 sequels are really divisive. Well, let's just wait and see how they are!!

Here are some fun tidbits for 1986's Aliens!

• Like most films, the movie wasn't shot in sequence. But for added realism, James Cameron filmed the scene where we first meet the Colonial Marines (one of the earliest scenes) last. This was so that the camaraderie of the Marines was realistic because the actors had spent months filming together.

• When filming the scene with Newt in the duct, Carrie Henn kept deliberately blowing her scene so she could slide down the vent, which she later called a slide three stories tall. Cameron finally dissuaded her by saying that if she completed the shot, she could play on it as much as she wanted. She did, and he kept his promise.

• Lance Henriksen had privately pledged to quit acting if this part didn't work out for him after years of journeyman roles. It proved to be one of his most successful films.

• Sigourney Weaver's Best Actress Oscar nomination for this movie was the first ever for an actress in a role in an action and sci-fi movie.

• The alien nest set was kept intact after filming. It was later used as the Axis Chemicals set for 1989s Batman. When the Batman crew first entered the set, they found most of the alien nest still intact.

• Aliens was never shown to test audiences because editing and scoring wasn't completed until the week before its release. Only a studio screening was performed for Fox executives, which was enthusiastically received. Marketing experts later said that Aliens probably saved Fox, which was in a desperate need of a hit at the time.

• Weaver had initially been very hesitant to reprise her role as Ripley. She had rejected numerous offers from Fox to do any sequels, fearing that her character would be poorly written and a sub-par sequel would hurt the 1979 film's legacy. However, she was impressed by the high quality of Cameron's script - specifically, the strong focus on Ripley, the mother-daughter bond between Ripley and Newt, and the incredible precision with which Cameron wrote her character, that she finally agreed to do the film.

• The alien screams are Baboon streaks altered in post.

• Was voted the 42nd Greatest Film of All Time by Entertainment Weekly. They describe it as the "greatest pure action movie ever."

• The success of Alien led to immediate discussions of a sequel, but the production company Brandywine Productions struggled to convince Fox to make it. Studio president Alan Ladd Jr. was supportive of the project but left Fox to create the Ladd Company, and his replacement, Norman Levy, was concerned about the cost of producing a sequel.

• The 1986 summer movie season began in mid-May. The season had been starting earlier each year as studios attempted to beat each other with their biggest films. 55 films were scheduled for release between May and September, including Top Gun and the comedic Sweet Liberty, but the season wasn't expected to break financial records due to fewer sequels, anticipated blockbusters, and films by Spielberg or starring popular comedians that had dominated the earlier half of the decade.

• Films expected to do well were aimed at younger audiences and featured comedy or horror, such as Back to School, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Space Camp. Some films targeted at adults were also seen as potential successes, including Legal Eagles, Ruthless People and Cobra.

• Aliens was seen by industry professionals as a potential sleeper hit based on positive industry word of mouth during filming, enthusiastic industry screenings and favorable pre-release reviews.

• The film began a wide release in the US and Canada on July 18, 1986. During its opening weekend, the film earned $10.1 million from 1,437 theaters. Based on its opening five day total (13.4 million), Aliens exceeded Fox's expectations and was anticipated to become the summer's top film, surpassing The Karate Kid Part II, Back to School and Top Gun.

• By the end of its theatrical run, Aliens had grossed about $85.1 million. This figure made it the year's 7th highest-grossing film, behind Back to School, Star Trek V: The Voyage Home, The Karate Kid Part II, Platoon, Crocodile Dundee and Top Gun.

• Aliens is considered one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made, as well as being among the best films of the 1980s, and one of the greatest action films of all time. The film is also considered one of the best sequels of all time, and equal (or better than) Alien.