Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor from the original ALIEN, is awakened after 57 years of drifting through space, her stories disbelieved by Company executives who tell her that the alien's planet is now inhabited and colonized. When contact is suddenly lost with the colonists, Ripley returns to the planet with a squad of marines, an android (Lance Henriksen), and a Company executive (Paul Reiser) with a mission of his own. Once on the planet, no survivors can be found except for Newt, a little girl who awakens motherly instincts in Ripley just in time for the acid-blooded aliens to attack in what quickly becomes a one-sided battle for sheer survival. Considered by many to be the best of the series, ALIENS is a fast-paced, high-intensity thrill ride that set a new standard for action films and cemented director James Cameron's status as one of Hollywood's leading directors following the success of THE TERMINATOR. Weaver received an Academy Award nomination and became a feminist hero for her strong, sensitive performance as the survivor Ripley, while costars Reiser, Henriksen, and Bill Paxton all give career-making performances in this landmark sci-fi extravaganza.
In this cathartic sequel to ALIEN, Ripley is rescued after years of hibernation in space and reluctantly drawn into a second encounter with the deadly xenomorphs, this time as part of a gung-ho platoon of narines. James Cameron's film is truly one of the greatest action movies of all time.
Excerpt: "What the hell are we supposed to use, man? Harsh language?"--Frost (Ricco Ross) after Gorman has ordered the troops to unload their weapons
"They mostly come at night. Mostly"--Newt (Carrie Henn) on the aliens
"Game over, man! Game over!"--Hudson (Bill Paxton)
"Get away from her, you bitch!"--Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) to the queen alien as she attacks Newt
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Disc 1:
Audio Commentary - 1. Michael Biehn, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn, Terry Henn,
Lance Henriksen, Gale Anne Hurd, Pat McClung, Bill Paxton, Dennis Skotak, Robert Skotak and Stan Winston
1986 Theatrical Version
1991 Special Edition Version
Introduction by Director James Cameron
Disc 2:
Pre-Production
57 YEARS LATER: Continuing the Story
ORIGINAL TREATMENT: by James Cameron
BUILDING BETTER WORLDS: From Concept to Construction
THE ART OF ALIENS: Conceptual Art Portfolio
PRE-VIS ANAMATICS
PREPARING FOR BATTLE: Casting & Characterization
CAST PORTAIT: Still Gallery
Production
THIS TIME IT'S WAR: Pinewood Studios, 1985
PRODUCTION GALLERY: Photo Archive
CONTINUITY POLAROIDS
THE RISK ALWAYS LIVES: Weapons and Action
WEAPONS AND VEHICLES: Photo Archive
BUG HUNT: Creature Design
BEAUTY AND THE BITCH: Power Loader Vs. Queen Alien
STAN WINSTON'S WORKSHOP: Photo Archive
TWO ORPHANS: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
Post-Production
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: Music, Editing and Sound
VISUAL EFFECTS GALLERY: Photo Archive
ALIENS UNLEASHED: Reaction to the Film
Film Finish & Release
Easter Egg: A BOY AND HIS POWER LOADER
Costume Designer
Emma Porteous: Costume Designer
Director of Photography
Adrian Biddle: Director Of Photography, AN AMERICAN HAUNTING (2006)
Executive Producer
David Giler: Producer/Writer/Director
Executive Producer
Gordon Carroll:
Executive Producer
Walter Hill: Screenwriter/Director/Prod.
Production Designer
Peter Lamont: British Production Designer
Story
David Giler: Producer/Writer/Director
Story
James Cameron: Director/Screenwriter, TITANIC (1997), ALIENS (1986)
Story
Walter Hill: Screenwriter/Director/Prod.
Special Effects Designer
Stan Winston: Oscar-winning special effects master
Review 1:
"...A flaming, flashing, crashing, crackling blow-em-up show that keeps you popping from your seat....[Weaver] is a one-woman army..."
Source: New York Times
p.C11 07/18/1986
Review 2:
"...Gripping..." -- Rating: B+
Source: Entertainment Weekly
pp.70-1 10/04/1996
Review 3:
"...Canny, ironically funny and certainly successful when Weaver's around....ALIENS is a perfectly honorable sequel, taut, inexorably paced..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C1 07/18/1986
Review 4:
"...[A] top-drawer sequel..."
Source: USA Today
p.3D 01/03/1992
Review 5:
"...Technically, [the] film is superior in all respects. Special effects are varied and always convincing..."
Source: Variety
07/09/1986