Aliens Review

Aliens


Release Date: 6th November 1986 - Australia


Production Companies
Brandywine Productions

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 132 minutes
                 154 minutes
                 (special edition)


Budget: $18,000,000

Box Office Gross: $183,291,893 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
After drifting into space for 57 years, Ripley awakens from

her escape pod and gets

rescued by a salvage crew.

However, the company's

officers refuse to believe her

description of the lifeform.

Then, as if things couldn't be

worse for her, there's the loss

of all contact with the

colonists where her crew

first encountered the alien.

It compels Ripley to go with a group of colonial marines with hi-tech weaponry and is on a mission where she must learn to confront her fears.


Cast
Sigourney Weaver - Ellen Ripley
Michael Biehn - Cpl. Dwayne
Hicks

Carrie Henn - Rebecca 'Newt' Jordan

Paul Reiser - Carter Burke

Lance Henriksen - Bishop
Jenette Goldstein - Private Vasquez
William Hope - Lt. William Gorman
Al Matthews - Sgt. Al Apone
Bill Paxton - Private William
Hudson

Mark Rolston - Private Drake

Ricco Ross - Private Frost

Colette Hiller - Corporal Ferro

Daniel Kash - Private Spunkmeyer

Cynthia Dale Scott - Corporal Dietrich

Tip Tipping - Private Crowe

Trevor Steedman - Private Wierzbowski

Paul Maxwell - Van Leuwen

Barbara Coles - Cocooned Woman

Carl Toop - Alien Warrior

Jay Benedict - Newt's Father

(Uncredited) (Special Edition Only)

Holly De Long - Newt's Mother (Uncredited)

(Special Edition Only)

Christoper Henn - Newt's Brother (Uncredited)

(Special Edition Only)

Elizabeth Inglis - Amanda Ripley-McLaren

(Uncredited) (Special Edition Only)

Mac McDonald - Simpson (Uncredited)

(Special Edition Only)

Crew
Story/Screenplay/Queen Alien Designer

(Uncredited)/Director - James Cameron

Based on Characters - Dan O'Bannon

and Ronald Shusett
Story/Executive Producers - David Giler

and Walter Hill

Producer - Gale Anne Hurd
Casting Directors: USA - Jane Feinberg,
Mike Fenton and Judy Taylor
Casting Director: UK - Mary Selway
Production Designer - Peter Lamont

Supervising Art Director - Terry-Ackland Snow

Art Directors - Ken Court, Bert Davey,

Fred Hole and Michael Lamont
Conceptual Designer - Ron Cobb
Conceptual Artist - Syd Mead
Original Alien Designer - H.R. Giger
Set Decorator - Crispian Sallis

Property Master - Bert Hearn

Costume Designer - Emma Porteous

Makeup Supervisor - Peter Robb-King
Director of Photography - Adrian Biddle

Camera Operators - Shaun O'Dell and

David Worley

Production Supervisor - Hugh Harlow

First Assistant Director - Derek Cracknell
Second Unit Director/Alien Effects Creator -
Stan Winston

Stunt Coordinator - Paul Weston
Special Effects Supervisor - John Richardson

Creature Effects Coordinators - Alec Gillis,

Richard J. Landon, Shane Mahan,

John Rosengrant and Tom Woodruff Jr.

Visual Effects Supervisors - Dennis &

Robert Skotak
Visual Effects Supervisor: Post-Production -
Brian Johnson

Art Director: Visual Effects - Peter Russell

Mechanical Armature Design: Visual Effects

Unit - Doug Beswick and Phil Notaro

Miniatures Technical Supervisor: Visual

Effects Unit - Pat McClung

Miniatures Floor Supervisor: Visual Effects

Unit - Brian Smithies

Film Editor - Ray Lovejoy

Associate Editor - Peter Boita

Supervising Sound Editor - Don Sharpe

Chief Dubbing Mixer - Graham V. Hartstone
Music - James Horner


Awards

1987 Academy Awards
Best Sound Editing - Don Sharpe (Won)
Best Visual Effects - John Richardson,
Dennis Skotak, Stan Winston and
Suzanne M. Benson (Won)
---------------------
Best Actress - Sigourney Weaver (Nominated)
Best Art Direction - Peter Lamont
and Crispian Sallis (Nominated)
Best Sound Effects - Graham V. Hartstone,
Nicolas Le Messuirer, Michael Carter
and Roy Charman (Nominated)
Best Film Editing - Ray Lovejoy (Nominated)
Best Original Score - James Horner (Nominated)


Review
It's hard to think that ALIENS might not be the best possible sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien because it's very different. It matches up to the predecessor, mainly because of the direction by James Cameron. He added the action and took a few inspirations from Starship Troopers. It has the intensity and the edge-of-the-seat suspense that is part of the series formula. ALIENS has maintained the details and aspects, like Sigourney Weaver's continuation of her acting as Ripley, and great moments include when Ripley is fighting against the Alien Queen. There are fantastic performances by Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton.

As far as sequels come and go, ALIENS lived up to the first movie, unlike several sequels that failed to do so. ALIENS is a tremendous classic with a loyal following from fans, and it's a must-see if you're into the sci-fi/horror genre.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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