Aliens

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Aliens

R

Released Jul 18, 1986

2h 17m

Sci-Fi

Horror

Action

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

142 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find only one survivor, a nine year old girl named Newt (Carrie Henn). But even these battle-hardened marines with all the latest weaponry are no match for the hundreds of aliens that have invaded the colony.

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Critics Consensus

While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.

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Scott Cain

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Let's not mince words: Aliens is the greatest horror movie since Frankenstein. Here is a rare instance in which a sequel is infinitely superior to the original. Alien, the 1979 thriller, now seems like a preliminary sketch.

Jul 30, 2024

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Mike McGrady

Newsday

Cameron is a master of machinery and weaponry, a technical wizard who replaces Scott's refinement with his own kind of muscularity... But with either film, you leave the theater drained, physically exhausted, well-rewarded for all your suffering.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 30, 2024

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Jay Maeder

New York Daily News

The long-awaited sequel to Alien proves to be an extraordinary treat, as perfectly realized a thrill-a-second screamer as has ever come along.

Rated: 4/4

Jul 30, 2024

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Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

From the small character details to the massive set-pieces, Cameron expands the Alien mythology and switches sub genres seamlessly. It truly is a perfect sequel.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 16, 2024

Full Review

Casey Chong

Casey's Movie Mania

[James Cameron] takes the franchise in another direction by raising the stakes and turning the sequel into an action-packed, war epic [while] retaining the dread-inducing feel and tone of the first movie.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 15, 2024

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Lou Lumenick

Bergen Record (New Jersey)

What can I say? Aliens is the scariest and most exciting movie I've seen in several years. My adrenalin was still racing an hour later. It's involving. It has well-drawn characters. It has consistency. And Sigourney Weaver gives a dazzling performance.

Jul 30, 2024

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Chief B

Yeah what can I say that isn't said before about this movie. Cameron delivered one of the best movies and sequels ever and he did it more than once.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/19/24

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John L

Easy 5 for me. Picture this...chubby 10 year old, 1986, no fashion, and definitely no idea what I was about to experience. At one point, I closed my eyes and covered my ears because I could feel the pee starting to come out! Different times now with the great CGI, but back then, it was a story, character, and innovation driven installment in the series. Rivals Alien IMO, and sits as the most watched by me in the almost 40 years since! If you're thinking because it was made in the 80's it's not worth your time, you're missing out on a fantastic sci-fi horror Godfather of a movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/18/24

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Jamie M

This is back when sequels could be better than the original, such a great movie from start to finish. Cameron completely transports you to the colony in LV426 and inside the world of a living breathing alien nesting ground. The marines may have been a bit hammy but they were parodic enough of dumb overinflated jocks that it actually benefitted the story, especially when the aliens start picking them off and the only surviving is Hicks the nerdy, sensitive one and Paxton the witless, anxious one. Seems like jock bravado doesn't last the course against the Xenomorphs. You get absolutely invested in the characters in this one, from Ripley's relationship to the recently orphaned Newt who managed to survive the aliens longer than the tooled up marines, to the odious Carter Burke the mastermind company man trying to impregnate everyone to get his yearly bonus. I first watched at age 13 and in my 40s now and watched it recently for the umpteenth time, it hasn't aged at all, testament to the special effects team (NO CGI), and the cinematograpy. It might be the greatest sci-fi movie of all time, yes it is in fact.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

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Fred n

Still one of the best movies I've watched...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

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Dan N

Loved this film!!! An absolute thrilling ride in the alien franchise

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/10/24

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Andy B

Action, horror, great characters; it's got them all. One of the finest sequels ever made. The new 4K transfer- when it's good it's very good although it does have a tendency to highlight the weakness of some of the effects shots which sometimes just look a little too scrubbed and fake for their own good.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/08/24

Full Review

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James Cameron

Director

Sigourney Weaver

Lt. Ellen Ripley

Carrie Henn

Rebecca "Newt" Jorden

Michael Biehn

Corporal Dwayne Hicks

Paul Reiser

Carter J. Burke

Lance Henriksen

Science Officer L. Bishop

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Aliens: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find only one survivor, a nine year old girl named Newt (Carrie Henn). But even these battle-hardened marines with all the latest weaponry are no match for the hundreds of aliens that have invaded the colony.

Director: James Cameron
Producer: Gale Anne Hurd
Screenwriter: James Cameron, David Giler
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox, Brandywine Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 18, 1986, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $77.6M
Runtime: 2h 17m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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