Sequels rarely stand up to the original. Jaws, Jurassic Park and Predator are all big Hollywood franchises that started at a very high standard but as time continued they simply grew worse and worse. However there are those sequels that many believe to be better than their predecessors. The Godfather part 2 and The Empire strikes back are a few of the names but in my opinion the best of this rare breed is the 2nd in the Alien saga. Aliens. The story starts with Ripley being found in space, shes has been floating their for 56 years but due to hyper sleep hasn't aged a day. The company Weyland Yutani picks here up and brings here back to a space station, where She tells them of her encounter of the Alien, which is met with ridicule and disbelief. However the company looses contact with the farmers that mine on the alien planet and together with a group of marines Ripley returns to face her demons. The acting is the best the series ever offered with Sigourney Weaver picking up an Oscar nomination and rightly so. Michael Biehn and Lance Hennrikson are very impressive, giving great depth to their characters. Carrie Henn is a great new comer, but for some odd reason has never worked again. The thrills are in high supply here as are the often grisly scares. The Aliens look even meaner here than they did in the original and the Queen when she appears is possibly the most frightening creature ever to grace are screens. Another great point Aliens offers is the fact you care for its characters, Even the asshole marine types. This means that when ever peril is near we feel even more anxious, simply because we have grown attached to those for whom the danger looms. Few movies these days have that quality, indeed the only action orientated film of the last 15 years that had this factor is the original Jurassic Park. So to conclude Aliens is really worth seeing. Its well acted, well written and highly entertaining. You would be a fool to give this one a miss.
Review of Aliens
