Aliens (1986) Movie Review & Film summary, Cast

Still severely rocks. More than that, I was struck at how much time has gone by – is it really 22 years old? – and how it’s become, by that mere fact, an historical marker rather than the avant-garde of modern blockbuster cinema technique. Could, I wondered, a current director actually get away with a first act in a blockbuster that takes over an hour to unfold before any action happens? Some of Cameron’s canned grunt-speak hits my ear far less kindly now, and of the many films to get the “special edition” treatment, this one has long been one of my least favourites – the whole Newt’s-family-finds-the-spaceship bit always struck me as scrappily done and sapping of the original cut’s mystery. The black-hearted sequels have somewhat spoilt it, too. But the pacing and filmmaking are virtually perfect and Sigourney’s still the coolest.