I know, I know, I might as well have been in cryosleep my whole life, because I had no idea James Cameron’s Aliens would be as good as it is. The 1986 movie is high up on our list for the best horror movies of all time and the best sci-fi movies ever made, but even still, it took my anticipation for the release of Alien: Romulus to finally press play. Sure, I had seen the original Alien movie years ago, but recently I’ve been finally making my way through the Alien movie timeline, and I need to talk about my thoughts regarding the franchise’s first sequel.
So here’s the thing: Hollywood doesn’t have the best track record with sequels. In my opinion, it's incredibly rare for the second movie in a blockbuster to be worth seeing, especially for the '80s. There’s the re-watchability of the iconic Back To The Future Part II and the Star Wars movies, or the way Terminator 2: Judgement Day transformed Sarah Connor to think about, but then there are movies like Jaws 2 or Halloween II that really didn’t hold a candle to their iconic first films. I didn’t think Aliens could possibly be as good as the first, but I’m happy to realize that assumption was wrong.
Aliens Drops Ripley Into A War Movie, And It’s A Blast
While I expected the second Alien movie to follow the same final girl trope the first movie is famous for, I was surprised to learn that James Cameron’s sequel goes a different route with the framing of another Xenomorph invasion while viewing it with my Hulu subscription. Rather than Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley being caught in the same scenario for the second time, she finds herself waking up after 57 years in her escape shuttle and among a group of Colonial Marines. While Alien was a science fiction survival slasher in a lot of ways, Aliens feels a lot more like an action-packed war movie, as Ripley and a crew of these Marines go on a mission to exterminate a ton of Xenomorphs that have invaded their colony.
This premise gives Aliens a new place to go that is both exciting and not a rehash of the practically perfect Ridley Scott film. It was engaging to see how Ripley has been affected by the events of the first movie and how the crew of Marines deal with killing off the very dangerous extraterrestrials. Also, as a massive fan of Cameron’s other movies, I loved how much Aliens reminds me of T2, yet kept the integrity of the world Scott established.
Ellen Ripley Is In Good Hands With James Cameron
Along that same vein, I was pleased to see Ripley remained the badass iconic female character she is (who is not solely defined by her gender, but sets herself apart from male leads in the genre) for Aliens. I'm sorry to say this is a rare notion, even sometimes in today's major releases. So naturally, this was one of the major concerns I had going into Aliens. I’ve seen instances of one filmmaker doing right by a woman-led movie, only for the sequel to water her down. Thankfully, Ripley was in the hands of writer/director James Cameron, who has a commendable reputation of writing female characters over the years. You can really spot the difference too of how Scott and Cameron did right by her when you watch the very male-gazey Alien 3, that’s for sure.
I was impressed with how Aliens explores Ripley’s trauma without either victimizing her, glorifying her or likening her to some kind of video game-like character who has all the gifts and special traits. Ripley has a quiet confidence about her, and Weaver’s portrayal of her really grounds the movies because she's a protagonist that isn't put on a pedestal. I love that Cameron allowed there to be room for her to deal with the emotions she has regarding her trauma whilst also giving her some major action moments that were not as present in Scott’s original horror flick, such as her in the techno-suit fighting the queen and telling her to “Get away from her, you bitch!” of course.
The Alien Franchise Is Better For The Inclusion On Newt
I particularly loved the introduction of Newt in Aliens. The character is a great addition to the franchise because the inclusion of Newt allows Ripley to process her trauma with someone who has just experienced the same thing as she has. Ripley finds strength through being there for Newt, and protecting her gives her another reason to push forward and make a meaningful relationship with another character. After the death of her entire crew in Alien, it’s surely difficult for Ripley to form major connections with all the Marines knowing they may all die, but she can focus on the survival and well-being of Newt, and does.
I also appreciate how neither Ripley or Newt are these superhuman action heroes. They feel like real people who are relying on each other in order to survive. The inclusion of Newt helps humanize Ripley further in a way that was not fully explored in Alien, and that in of itself made me happy this sequel exists.
And I’m Amazed Aliens Doesn’t Look As Old As It Is
When I rewatched Alien, I was struck by how it didn’t feel like a movie made in the 1970s due to a huge amount of practical effects and a rather timeless script and set design. Aliens continues that feeling, and of course it does. It’s James Cameron! The amount of practical sets and effects is really felt as one watches the movie. I swear it even looks better than some science fiction and horror movies I’ve seen in this decade. Apparently an FX artist from Aliens is even part of the Alien: Romulus production; that’s how well this movie holds up on a visual level!
As my love for the Alien movies has now formed more deeply, I can see myself easily either choosing between Alien or Aliens based on my mood, or opting for a double feature for both in a row like I do with other awesome movies that have just as good sequels. I’m sure for the huge Alien fans who read this, this is not news, but I hope my fresh perspective on seeing it for the first time was insightful And for those who had only seen Alien or haven’t dipped their feet into any of the movies, I can now highly recommend you check them both out without fear the sequel will disappoint you.
