Aliens (1986)★★★★☆

Sadly it’s been a long and warm and busy day today, so I don’t have as much to say as I’d hoped. Which is sad, because there’s a lot of this movie. It’s long. Like James Cameron long. Oh, and did I mention it was written and directed by James Cameron?

So the dialogue at times sounds like James Cameron, the action sequences are loud and deliberate like James Cameron’s usually are, and the actors are familiar faces that seem to be favorites of none other than James Cameron. But it’s a damn good James Cameron film at that.

It’s not quite as scary as the first one, but what it lacks in horror it makes up for in heart and an incredible cast. Sigourney Weaver shines even more here reprising her role as Ellen Ripley, Paul Reiser is a fantastic corporate asshole, and Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton are both great supporting characters. There are definitely more memorable lines in this one, too. I think my favorite has to be “Get away from her, you bitch!” as cliched as that might sound. For a better analysis than just “I like that shit,” check out this Alternate Takes article about The Power Behind One Line in ‘Aliens’.

This is an action movie more than a horror movie and doesn’t require quite the stomach that the first one does to enjoy it. It’s less about teamwork and more about kicking ass, and sometimes that’s exactly what I need to end the day on a positive note.