One of my all time favorites. It still contains some of the drama and suspense of the first but with far more action leading to what I find a far more appealing storyline. As with Cameron's movies he makes you feel for the core characters from the start rather than just a bunch of 'bad ass' marines (Although they are). The progression of Ripley was really defined by this movie the 'brave but scared' Ripley of Alien is gone and a more determined, meaner Ripley emerges with elements of the older nurturing character kept in check with a young girl called Newt. It definitely stands out miles compar... read the rest.

"Ripley and the Soldiers" can be found in two versions: the short version that cuts from Midway station directly to the Weyland-Yutani hearing, and the "director's cut" which cuts to a waiting room with a wall size "scenery channel" display. When I first saw the short version, I wondered how Ripley was able to make an immediate connection with Newt. "Sister solidarity" sounded bogus, and the "director's cut" cleared up that mystery. The more interesting "director's cut" reveals Newt's family on LV-426, a long discussion on what the surviving Marines are facing, and an action sequence featurin... read the rest.

The Disney film of the franchise

A basic shoot 'em up that comes complete with soldiers greasing up and watching each others muscles and also added an annoying kid straight out of Oliver Twist.

Cameron took everything Ridley Scott slowly built up and tossed it in the trash can to make a cheap shot Stallone/ Schwarzenegger style action fiasco.

People who like this one tend to not be fans of horror movies as they complain about the dark nature of the horror film Alien 3 - LOL - and this is precisely the reason Aliens fails as part of the horror franchise that is Alien.

• Charl... read the rest.

My mommy always said there were no monsters - no real ones - but there are.

Ripley has been found in deep space by a salvage ship and brought back to a space station to be awoken from her 57 year sleep. Here she is mortified to find that the planet on which herself and her now deceased Nostromo crew found the Alien, LV-426, has been colonised by Weyland-Yutani Company. Suffice to say that when The Company representative, Burke, tells her that all contact is lost, she's not in the least bit surprised. Unable to get anyone to believe her about what happened to the Nostromo crew, Ripley is cajo... read the rest.

How Disappointing !

This movie, Aliens (1986) is a real fiasco. Especially compared to Alien (1979). James Cameron ruined the spirit and soul of Alien for several reasons.

The first one, according to me, is that, unlike Alien, he is using too many characters. Almost all of the actors are lacking of charism, even Sigourney Weaver. The soldiers show more muscles than intelligence and this is not reality, it is almost ridiculous. I do not understand why Cameron did that. It's unbelievable for a director who made in 1984 Terminator and in 1991 Terminator 2.

The second one, is the lengt... read the rest.

How do you do a followup to a classic like Alien? GIve it to James Cameron to amp it up to 10 with a bazillion aliens and a fantastic performance by Sigourney Reaver.

A better sequel to 'Alien' than I was expecting.

'Aliens' - love the creativity, guys! - is a minute jot off the original but it remains a thoroughly enjoyable film - despite a slightly longer run time, which pleasantly doesn't hamper events. Sigourney Weaver is terrific again; I can see why these films launched her career.

I will say parts of this 1986 flick are a tad repetitive from the original and a few bits are predictable, e.g. the arcs of Lance Henriksen's Bishop and Paul Reiser's Carter, but when judged overall it's another entertaining release from this franchis... read the rest.

Overall : Aliens is an unparalleled essential that any sci-fi or horror fan needs to see.

The original Alien (1979) set a new standard for sci-fi horror due to the fantastic vision and directing of the legendary director Ridley Scott. How could a green rookie director with just a handful of directing credits hope to top that? James Cameron found a way! Aliens improves on its predecessor in every way. Instead of a crew of civilian pilots fighting to survive a single alien, Cameron pits a squad of hardened space marines against an alien infestation. The experience, training, and advanced w... read the rest.

One of the best monster movies

I prefer James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986) to its predecessor, Ridley Scott's "Alien" (1979), mainly because the story is more compelling. People often say "Aliens" is more of an action film than "Alien," but it's not a mindless action film and, in fact, the action doesn't even start until a FULL HOUR into its 2 hour and 18 minutes runtime (the extended cut runs about 16 minutes longer). The best horror/action movies take this route -- taking their time to build character and suspense before unleashing the horrific mayhem.

Some complain about the screami... read the rest.

Even BETTER Than The First! I LOVED this movie! The intense action, the gripping horror, the characters, the aliens, the ascetic...everything. And it takes its time to give us all the little hints and clues from the first film as we venture into this thrilling ride. Though I have much respect for Ridley Scott's first Alien film, this one just takes it to a whole new level in a way the first never could. THIS is how it's done.