Aliens: Why is it So Good?

Aliens: Why is it So Good? Aliens is considered as one of, if not the best Sci-fi action films ever made.
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On its release, Aliens was a massive hit and it received near universal critical acclaim. Sigourney Weaver was nominated an academy award for her performance and the film was a big success financially.
But the movie still had a lot to live up to
as its predecessor the iconic horror science fiction masterpiece Alien. Directed by Ridley Scott, this movie broke new grounds in the sci-fi thriller genre, and its large fan base had waited up to 7 years for this sequel. Fans to this day still contest over which one is superior.
By today's standards, the plot to aliens sounds pretty cliché. Nobody believes Ripley's warnings about this so-called "Alien". The company loses contact with the planet she's warning them about. The company panics and sends a team of marines with Ripley as counsel on a rescue mission, to find out what happened to the colonists.
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Check my channel out for monthly Netflix movies, genre suggestions, science fiction, science fantasy content. Xenomorphs, power loaders, smart guns and Ripley kicking aliens butt! Space marines owned by Weyland Yutani what more could you want from an action sci-fi movie!
#Aliens #WhySoGood #AliensMovie #Movie #scifi

[@Hyperdriveuk]

Which film do you prefer Alien or Aliens? Want to support my channel, please go to www.patreon.com/user?u=5540784 Cheers!

[@VictorBelfast]

Aliens definitely, movie has everything, and u make nice videos, keep it up :)

[@outty77]

Alien had a certain element of originality about that cannot be reproduced in a sequel, however Aliens was possibly the greatest follow-up a fan of the original could ever ask for.

[@ovalofsand]

I consider them to be one unit together. Trust me.. watch them back to back. They work so well together.

[@teamhren1000]

HyperDrive alien is much better. Cameron makes cliche movies. aliens is terribly cliche. on it's own merits it's a great movie. As a sequel to alien it's very disappointing.

[@panfacedbag]

Alien should have been a dumb B movie, based on the original script, Ridley made it iconic. Where Ridley saw the alien life form evolving, I considered his original plans dumb, and Cameron's epic and pandemic and therefore much more frightening. Alien was a sci-fi slasher, aliens was a pandemic action thriller. And here we are today. I'd figure the Ridley folks would be happy, it's mostly been slasher and infection slashers from here on out. The same old Ridley premise over and over.

[@azimuth361]

I remember watching Roger Ebert's review of this film and I think he nailed it. He said that you don't watch this film, you experience it. You're alongside the characters, in the story, not just watching things happen to them. For me, what draws me into the film are the little moments, the little bits of dialogue that make the movie seem so ordinary. Vasquez is lowering a metal plate over a conduit when Bishop says, "Watch your fingers." Now, that little touch, that little detail is something that ordinary people would say to each other in an ordinary situation. But Cameron scripted it into a movie with space marines battling monsters on an alien planet. Those little nuances suck the viewer into the story. We're WITH the marines. We have emotional stock in them. I think it's the best movie ever made.

[@deejaydan313]

The little touches, the nuances make it great.

[@deker0954]

I went out after seeing it and bought another ticket. I never did that before and never again.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

Tbf Roger Ebert can be very unpredictable with his reviews on popcorn flicks but man sometimes he really just nails a perfect review where he articulates that super well

[@mastodonrock96]

'The movie is like spending time with old friends' Perfectly said. This was great watch, subbed.

[@EJSmith-dk3yg]

Alien is the scariest HORROR film that I have ever seen. Aliens is one of the best SCI-FI films that I have ever seen. However call it ... two great films, period!

[@davidmusil8756]

the thing is way scarier

[@LordMalice6d9]

@@davidmusil8756 Its a toss up between Alien and The Thing for which movie is the best sci-fi horror film for me.

[@RamrodAI]

@@LordMalice6d9 It's definitely a toss up for me too. Both movies are just so perfect. You could say that Aliens has more satisfying action while The Thing has more satisfying horror. They are tied for Number 1 on my list and I doubt that will ever change.

[@tomy5868]

good and fun as shit but "scariest"????

[@fredypaucar8397]

Both are sci-fi, the first is a Horror movie and the second action movie

[@DaveTheTurd]

First time I watched Aliens was on VHS, and I was sooo glad... since after the disaster where the Marines were chopped down in the power plant and the survivors made their escape, I literally had to stop the film for a half-hour and walk around and catch my breath. I needed to regroup before continuing the movie. No other movie has ever had that effect on me, before or since. Masterpiece.

Aliens is hands down the best in the series, it had the best xenomorphs, the best facehuggers and the best marines! The movie turns it up from the get-go and doesn't let up until the end, amazing!

[@daveschall8764]

+Thumbsdown Bandit YES god finally someone said it,it's not my favorite either,I really don't care much for the movie untill Ripley goes down the elevator to fight the Queen. it not a bad movie atall and deserves all the praise but it's not everyone's favorite movie like people try to imply it is.

[@element1111]

I really like Aliens, I really do, but the xenomorphs suck compared to the first movie. They're nothing more than two legged crocodiles that are as dumb as bricks. The original had a creature that was born in an unnatural environment, grew to full size in less than a day and ran circles around a crew of like 10 people. It could use stealth, strike when people were at their weakest, and easily find its way around an environment that was completely alien ( heh ) to it. It was the "perfect organism. Its structural perfection matches only by its hostility....a survivor". In the 2nd, they gang rush a corridor and eat 2000 bullets until it sinks through the thick skulls that there are machine guns at the end. Honestly, they were just terrible in the 2nd movie. Put hundreds of 'Alien' on that planet, and the Marines don't last 1 minute.

[@greyscaleb1537]

Leroy Gallagher Nah the Alien Xenomorph was the best, it was actually scary and is basically a an outerspace super parasites that spawns nearly unkillable hybrid biomechanoids that kill and rape people and being very sadistic and unknown, not like that typical "bug!" type aliens like in aliens.

[@bornjusticerule5764]

CORRECT!!!!

[@arunphillips6977]

Plus this movie has dreadful and dated looking effects now. The back screen projection stuff is laughably bad, the shot of earth looks like it was painted by 12 year olds, and the whole dumb 'shoot em up' premise is beyond ridiculous! The armed robot sentry scene is good, but that's about it

[@finesupplements9698]

They need to make a prequal of Aliens, the battle of the colonist vs the aliens and the rise of the queen

[@eqqaia3856]

There is a series of audiobooks that take on that theme. From the gap between Alien and aliens, the battle of the colonists and a story several hundred years past aliens.

[@eventhorizon4816]

Agree :D but alien 3 was masterpiece :D

[@bakerfresh]

Be great if THEY could still make good movies.

[@philv2529]

Aliens also had three mother fucking climaxes THREE CLIMAXES! : 1) final battle where Hudson dies then escape 2) newt's rescue and queen's lair 3) loader v queen duel on the ship which itself had another final climax with the airlock sequence

[@dwizzy.34]

Phil V I thought I was the only one who noticed that.

[@FerrerBarr]

Phil V hudson escapes?

[@philv2529]

no I meant the scene where Hudson dies and the rest of them escape

[@julioalejandro7837]

I think another climax is the first human-vs-aliens combat and when Ripley comes to rescue all marines

[@W4rr4X]

Julio Calderon That's exactly what I was going to point out, that first encounter where they're decimated, Drake heroic efforts to cover the retreat (then subsequent death, damn he was badass) and exit of the station was climax too.

[@NichoTBE]

my favorite film rip bill paxton

[@Hyperdriveuk]

RIP BIll! I was listening to the audio commentary of this movie while I heard the news! I was so sad! :-(

[@VictorBelfast]

Since were talking paxton, i recommend his film frailty, which he directed, damn he was something else :'(

[@SardonicALLY]

Indeed. The world is short one ultimate bad-ass now.

Bill was killed by the Alien, Predator and Terminator and was one of the best Vampires (Near Dark) ever! RIP

[@beenerdunnat]

Leroy Gallagher lance henrikson is the other killed by an Alien, Predator and Teminator.

[@PassportBrosBusinessClass]

WHY IS IT SO GOOD? #1 NO CGI #2 PUPPETEERING #3 SUBTLE SPECIAL EFFECTS #4 STRONG CAST with EFFICIENT DIALOGUE #5 CLEVER EDITING The exact same reason Robocop, Robocop 2, Predator, Predator 2, Alien, Terminator, Terminator 2 and Stargate were so good.

[@Swaggmire215]

Yeessssss

[@ableasdale2000]

Ripley.

[@Eisenbison]

This movie was extremely bold, transitioning from the first movie which was a dedicated horror movie, into a blend of horror and action/adventure. This movie works because essentially every component of it was masterfully crafted and executed. Solid acting, likable distinct characters with personalities, humor where it was needed, intense action that kept you on the edge of your seat, a fast-paced plot that was well-written, a fanstastic soundtrack, and actual depth. What's more is that it expanded on its source material while feeling like a true next chapter. I give this movie a solid 10/10. A rare case of a movie that is, in practicality, perfect.

[@deker0954]

The motors for the airlock doors at the colony. I can here them right now.

[@christinenickles9609]

and don't forget...Cameron 's opening shot when Ripley is rescued shows the weapon she shot the alien with in ALIEN

[@weldonwin]

It took me years and dozens of viewings of the movie before I noticed the harpoon gun still stuck in the door and when I finally noticed, it blew my mind

[@dynjarren7523]

The Showdown between Ripley protecting the child Newt and the Mother Alien trying to protect her eggs and species was mind boggling!. It was the greatest climax to a film I’d seen in a long time. Afterwards, I was emotionally exhausted! Incredible Final Fight to the Death! In Alien, they are fighting one Monster and losing everyone except for Ripley and her cat 🐈 that survive. In Aliens, she has help from the Marines and still ends up being one of the few survivors. Both are classic films!

[@KALFRID]

you can tell when a movie is well made when you see it 31 years later and the special effects look great even better than new cgi movies.

[@SlavaUkraini85]

this! fully agree! how is this even possible??

[@irllcd13]

Good practical effects will always be better than incredible CGI. Think of the last shot of Independence Day, with the crashed alien ship, and the characters looking at it. Except, that was a greenscreen effect and so you can clearly tell all the characters are looking in different directions. When your actor just has to use his imagination to play off of, its human nature to treat it differently than if you actually have something real in front of you, even if it's a puppet and you can see the strings on it.

[@PopePlatinumBeats]

i was just saying that ... the Special effects are still excellent. 31 years later

[@Fifury161]

The directors cut is the only version to watch.... The fact that you get a sense of scale from all the colonists in the opening scene gives you an appreciation of the sentry guns and the formidable task they have of abating the alien rush!

[@Ultimagtr650]

Best move ever..This one had it all. Great cast, music,screenplay and directing. My favourite of all time...This one as described, is like a roller coaster..You can see the scary parts coming, but you simply cannot get off the ride!

[@eventhorizon4816]

Definitely :D

[@aug-pahunters51]

by FAR my favorite action movie. i have lost count how many times ive watched this masterpiece. This film is fucking perfect

[@marksolarz3756]

It's realistic..............................................unlike the rest! From a military perspective.........especially Bill Paxton's breakdown........and the PTSD of Sigorney character is very relatable. Plus James knows how to tell a story! Which the other directors lacked.....to much effects,not enough character development!

[@deker0954]

Ripley got to save some this time. You can feel it. And she killed that bitch. Very satisfying, circular.

[@aeronomer8389]

Just watched this movie again the other day. When it was in the theaters, my friends and I went to see it again the following night. We didn't even do that with Star Wars. This is a great movie that holds up just fine today.

[@colinglen4505]

Aero Nomer ...yes, it holds up more than 'just fine' today, in fact I believe it is head and shoulders above most of todays action movies...if anything , modern action movies would struggle to hold up against most action films pre 1990.

[@TheIslingtongirl]

Would love the chance to see this on the big screen. That or Blade Runner.

[@David_Last_Name]

This is one of the few "old" movies who's special effects still stand up to todays movies. And this was before CGI.

[@danilomarvel5657]

i had to see it last week ... i guess every year i come back to see ALIENS and always get amazed...

[@chrisofnottingham]

But what makes it soo good? While there are 1000 details and design choices that Cameron got right, IMHO the single thing that makes the difference in terms of the viewer experience is that like Ripley, we know what one of these things can do, but the narrative has everyone else being fairly dismissive about the danger. So from our point of view we never expect unbridled success, we are just waiting to see how big a disaster it will be. And thus because we know more than the characters (apart from Ripley) we can't help but be drawn into the marine's unfolding realization of how bad things really are. It is kind of like watching a reaction video, because even watching it for the first time, when you don't know the plot, you do know that they are way to cocky. I also think the early dream sequence is a brilliant idea because it reminds us of the alien and unsettles us right from the start, whereas in fact there is there a huge period of time without any real world action. It just helps add to the feeling of looming impeding disaster.

[@altodomino2721]

chris4072511- Very interesting point.

[@artygunnar]

its an old idea, its called dramatic irony, when the audience knows something that the characters don't

[@Davidcross0121]

What i love about the movie are the characters and they're what makes it work. They have great lines, great chemistry with each other. And most importantly the characters don't make dumb decisions like movies today.

[@jimbobeire]

Well, with the exception of Spunkmeyer and Ferro opening the dropship like they're parked at a drive thru, after a mission briefing warning them about an absolutely horrible monster that likes to ambush its prey.

[@Nick64266]

I agree. I love all the characters. Some like Gorman and Hudson who at first might annoy you end up redeeming themselves. Then Hicks who stays quiet and ends up becoming a great leader.

[@Merknilash]

The reason this movie is so amazing is the characters are all fantastic, the dialog is almost all perfect, the pacing is tight, and the movie picks up from the original perfectly

[@HerrHoppenstedt]

A real masterpiece. Nothing short of genius. We'll most definately won't see any movie of this calibre again. I guess, it is for the best.

[@feanor22]

As he did later with T1 and T2, Cameron nailed the sequel and nobody could blame you from preferring the prequel or the sequel better.

[@butcherjsy8]

Maybe Avatar 2 will actually be good then :p

[@mistersharpe4375]

I think T2 and Aliens work so well as sequels is that James Cameron understood how to raise the stakes without telling the same story again. Making the Arnie Terminator a good guy to contrast the greater threat the T2000 poses is nothing short of genius.

[@feanor22]

We spent the first movie "hating" him and wanting him to die, a few hours later we're almost in tears as he dies in the "lava". That's good directing (among other things)

[@implicaverse]

One can only imagine what a Titanic II would be like.

[@feanor22]

I personally didn't like Titanic. Glad the ship's sunk, so a sequel is very unlikely ;)

[@donaldsachse4817]

Alien.& Aliens were both great movies. Alien was ground breaking! Aliens was a.GREAT SEQUALL!!

[@eventhorizon4816]

Don't forget Alien 3 the most distinctive one in the franchise :D and unique too

[@vidstrikken]

Very good analysis! Totally agree Aliens is, IMHO, the best sci-fi movie ever created. I'm disappointed with the reboot movies by R.Scott. I find the characters in them are a joke whereas in Aliens every character's decisions and actions were 'reasonable' and fit their individual character.

[@glouconx983]

I also think that Aliens deserves credit for being one of the best military movies ever made. The dynamics of a combat platoon was so well done.

[@deker0954]

The movie just would not quit.

[@richnight4848]

Aliens is an ACTION + HORROR + THRILLER + DRAMA all together plus a bad ass sound track...

[@alwaysarmy3207]

All female characters, especially in this day, can learn from this movie. Sigourney Weaver played the part of a leading female character in Aliens that sets the bar for all women characters. She is their model and any deviation from her example is absolute trash.

[@CC-Wulf]

Exactly. All the women in this movie were the "professionals", doctor, pilot, leader, etc. while the men were the "grunts".

[@bobrew461]

but ripley the character was written as a male in alien. they didn't change the script much in the end.

[@reloadpsi]

bob rew That's what makes the character so good - gender isn't a gimmick for her.

[@TheZorolord]

Bob Rew couldn't really see a guy save a child that wasn't his own from a creature like the Xenomorph, Ripley was recovering from losing her child, she went into the jaws of hell itself to recover newt, and then she took on the Queen Xenomorph, not once but twice! I can tell you now, that there is no way on this Earth, I wouldn't take on a creature like the Xenomorph! Except to save a love one, and I definitely wouldn't take on the the hive or it's leader then Queen (except what the points I said)!

[@EASY7356]

So you haven't seen T2 then? (It's 5 Years younger than Aliens tho) Both Movies are probably the best Sequels ever Made and both have Badass Female leads

[@weldonwin]

I think its worth noting, that the plot and style of Aliens wasn't cliched yet at the time it was made, because they became cliched BECAUSE of ALiens as it created its own sub-genre of sci-fi action horror, spawning innumerable copy cats and creature features.

[@ChistopherMoonlight]

Nice breakdown of a great film.

[@Hyperdriveuk]

cheers

[@quadq6598]

No film has yet come even close to the brilliance of Aliens

[@eventhorizon4816]

Alien and Alien 3 did :D

[@chriscorley6478]

ALIEN and ALIENS are one, and cannot be separated. Both innovative award winning classic masterpieces. ☕😆

[@Hyperdriveuk]

Best comment so far, and I agree 100%. Might make a video on it lol.

[@chriscorley6478]

Great, please do. Should end some of the dumb arguments people have about which is better lol. ☕😆 _c.

[@eventhorizon4816]

and Alien 3 as definitely the most chaotic, messy, unique, distinctive one :D

[@PopePlatinumBeats]

Best movie of all time in my opinion. Best Sequel ever clearly although T2 is a very close second.

[@j.f.fisher5318]

"Let's hope covenant can live up to this" cuts to "game over man, game over!" that about sums it up.

[@Hyperdriveuk]

LOL!

[@zorglub667]

people often overlook how precise and effective cameron is with character development, which is a very unusual virtue for people that are considered action movie specialists. i cant quite put my finger on how he does it, but basically, in almost all cameron movies, he gets you to know and care for a character almost the moment it appears on screen, where other directors, even "serious" ones that are considered specialists for plot and character arc heavy movies, need a LOT more time and a healthy dose of exposure per character. a good example would be what looks like a throwaway gimmick, the squad leader and his cigar mere seconds after waking up from deep sleep. a single line from paxton and a reply from whatshername. there it is. you have an idea and an opinion about all three of them, and it took cameron mere seconds. with that level of effectiveness, its no wonder that he has you care about the entire ensemble once the action gets going. crazy how the british crew apparently didnt realize throughout the entire production that they were dealing with an upcoming grand master of movie making. pretty sure theyre not very proud of their behaviour today, when looking back.

[@darkhighwayman1757]

I saw this with my dad and we both loved it.

[@WargamingVortex40k]

Its nice to watch a KZbin clip about movies that doesn't tear down the movie ( like so many other channels ) Great Work.

[@jackryan9183]

James Cameron knows film structure. It's one of the main reason that film (and his others) works so well. Plus, 'Aliens' has a motor on it and it never lets up.

[@ThePleb]

Yeah full throttle all the way with max turbo lol

[@ronaldhelman3783]

Not only is this one of my favorite movies of all time, it just occurred to me that it also is the only film that has the most quated lines of any movie I've ever known. *Game over man, game over*

[@fredfredburger5150]

When somebody said "alien" she thought they said "illegal alien" and signed up.

[@SperryACHI]

I personally prefer the first Alien film, however I admit that Aliens is very compelling. The other day, I wanted to watch 5 minutes of Aliens, but the pacing drew me in, and finally could not keep myself from watching the whole thing again. Brilliant.

[@glouconx983]

Yes. The slower pace of Alien made it more terrifying in a way. But the pace of Aliens was so unrelenting that you couldn't catch your breath.

[@SperryACHI]

Precisely ;-)

[@gmxperia2235]

Everything good: The characters, The Alien Queen, The action, The suspense, The Director, The actors Everything bad: Nothin'😜

[@bornjusticerule5764]

i've watched this movie in it's entirety AT LEAST 10 TIMES. it is a top 10 movies of all time for me.

[@LukeLovesRose]

You're new aren't you? I lost track of how many times I've seen Aliens 20 years ago.

[@Flayne009]

I don't get the "Alien is a horror movie, ALIENS is an action movie." Does ALIENS have action, guns, and explosions in it? Yes. But it also has horror and terror and, imo, more of it than Alien. I was much more concerned and frightened for the characters in ALIENS. What do know about Dallas, Kane, Lambert, etc? What kind of character arc do they go through? The only characters I found fleshed out in Alien are Parker, Ash, and maybe Brett. Not even Ripley is given much to do other than not get killed. I love Alien but I feel people that like it better feel the need to piss on ALIENS to prove something. Oh, excellent video my friend. Excellent.

[@Hyperdriveuk]

Cheers!

[@Clown90125]

Flayne009 Totally agree. They are both horror movies. Aliens has much more action in it.

[@NarekAvetisyan]

Your channel is very underrated.

[@Hyperdriveuk]

Thanks!

[@piggyoinkoink6352]

The best part is the Xenomorph Queen's design. She's elegant, frightening, bizarre, disgusting, regal, feminine and deadly-looking, all at once.

[@THEGRUMPTRUCK]

Fifty, sixty times, this is in my top three movies of all time. I never get tired of this movie.

[@Giggidygiggidy12]

I ask myself this very question every time I watch it. Never gets old

[@derajnitram1882]

*Spoiler* Alien Covenant doesn't.

[@Hyperdriveuk]

lol you noticed eh :-D

[@ThePleb]

Prometheus and covenant don't live up to the Alien legacy, the story of how the aliens were created in covenant just ruined it for me

[@GrizbyK72]

Ridley Scott didn't even want to do Covenant but FOX strong-armed him into scrapping all of his original ideas and drove him to it... and alcoholism.

[@beringstraitrailway]

I think you mean Alien Convent doesn't exist... But if it did it would most likely be better than Alien Covenant...

[@Krontok]

Consider that most of the cliches in this movie CAME from this movie and are original ideas and not cliches at all.

[@Jetfire-kk1ti]

Thank you for a wonderful retrospective on this film. The director's cut remains my all time scifi/horror/action movie. I built 4 model versions of the dropships and the power loader.

[@toonarmy8524]

The best sci fi film ever , along with Total Recall.

[@cyberswiper6317]

My favourite movie of all time and I wasn't even around in the 80s!

[@Hyperdriveuk]

It's a true classic

[@jessecheng1487]

Aliens is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Ever since 1986 when it first came out, I haven't ever seen a better sequel. So many incredible epic one liners and characters. James Cameron his a grand slam with his first movie!

[@eventhorizon4816]

can't agree more :D also David Fincher's great masterpiece sequel. love them both. And Alien 1 of course

[@collegeman1988]

I like the theatrical release better than the director's cut. I vividly remember seeing this movie in the theater in the summer of 1986. Aliens was the best sci-fi horror film I've ever seen. I jumped out of my seat several times while seeing this film in the theater.

[@JD43232]

I fell in love with Aliens as a kid. So much action and horror. But Alien is also a great movie. It depends on the mood but its best to watch these 2 back to back

[@alexroyster182]

Because it has something that tons of movies today doesn't have. Competent writing, Acting and directing. Real special effects. It's the perfect sci fi action movie. I remember seeing it in the theater in 86 when Vasquez screams, Lets Rock! The whole theater erupted, it reminded me of when Rocky cuts Drago in Rocky IV. Great memories

[@bobbyking1738]

Because it is JAMES CAMERON!!

[@dweliq2993]

Alien is "just" a great horror, Aliens are an INCREDIBLE action movie.

[@eventhorizon4816]

and Alien 3 is unique compromising masterpiece :D

[@easyamp123]

say what you want, but imho this is one of the best movies ever

[@76HabeasCorpus]

"Stop your grinnin and drop your linen.." One of my all time favourites.

[@djnefario4566]

Alien was well ahead of its time considering it was made in the late 70's, such an iconic movie, Aliens was a very good follow up, but let's face it, Sigourney Weaver made those films work and made them believable, she was a very good choice to play Ripley, just my humble opinion though 😊

[@AnakinSkywakka]

DJ NEFARIO Bill Paxton also nailed it in Aliens. It wouldn't of been the same without him, RIP.

[@dynjarren7523]

Now I see Bill Paxton in this film and appreciate how good he was as the comic relief. But he still has a mental breakdown from the stress of watching everyone get killed. He had some of the best lines in the movie. Newt survived! Why don’t you put her in charge then? Classic bellyaching complaints. Then he says my favorite line: Hey, I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with current events but we just got our Asses kicked! Hilarious! Of course he was right but I couldn’t help laughing. Then the Plane that’s supposed to rescue them crashes and he says: what do we do now? We’re effed! He was scared and in despair because it looked like the Aliens were like some kind of demons defeating them at every turn. So he finally flipped out! RIP Bill Paxton-Excellent Actor! I really enjoyed his performance in Aliens.

[@nickmitsialis]

One of my favorites...aliens, T1 AND T2 are caught in an eternal battle for 1st place in my mind.

[@lanakane7325]

Aside from my eternal love of Bill Paxton, I hadn't given a lot of thought about the portrayal of the Marines and what it contributed to the film, but now I have to agree with you wholeheartedly. In the beginning they come across as stupid and fratboyish, but when everything started going down every single one of them was very capable, brave, smart and competent. Even Bill's character who was kind of the comic relief and made to be a complainer was actually just a character who voiced his fears and I never held it against him. But when it came time to shoot, he shot straight and was one of the last ones standing. It took a whole room full of Aliens to take him down and he went down swinging. The fact that I can say that much about a character that wasn't even a headliner is a testament to the careful portrayal that this movie gave. This is actually my favorite movie and I have watched it more times than I can count. Like you said, watching it is like spending time with old friends. PS: it ages wonderfully, it does not feel dated at all even though it is almost 30 years old.

[@jacobpeters5458]

so true, I watched this recently and it doesn't feel old at all, and is better than many movies today. I think the fact that the actors who played the Marines were openly antagonistic to Cameron and Hurd irl on set made the movie have a very genuine feel with their cockiness etc. I feel like if they were respectful, they would've reflected a "leashed" attitude on set, just imo

[@donnasokolowski9605]

My favorite movie of all time and bill paxton plays a big role in that

[@nickmattio3397]

Never.Gets.Old.Ever. "Bishop hey cmon man...AAAAAAGGGHHHHH

[@jells31]

Why was this movie so good? #1 Mystery, they kept the unknown origin of the aliens. Short shots of aliens, alien ship, no exposition and at the end, still no answer. GREAT #2 Characters & character arcs for everyone. Actors are fully invested #3 Character choices #4 Character dialogue #5 Script / Plot (no unnecessary dialogue or scenes) #6 Practical effects and puppeteering > CGI #7 Creating tension, music #8 Direction, cinematography #9 More aspects im probably forgetting

[@delandpete]

By FAR my favorite movie of all time!!!

[@altodomino2721]

P Popovich you have good tastes

[@FireTiger941]

9:00 Yep... when I saw Alien Covenant I was like Hudson "Game over man! Game over!" LOL

[@warrengday]

Director's Cut? You mean Special Edition. As Jim Cameron has said, all of his films are Director's Cuts, as he has final cut on all of his films, even the edited versions he'll do for different censors and situations, such as the cut for viewing on planes.

[@williecolon1982]

I've watched this movie at least 100 times in my life. When I purchased the Bluray version it felt like a new movie.

[@Jigsaw407]

I never attempted to compile my definite Top Ten Movies of All Time, but I know one thing for sure: Aliens and Jaws are on that list!

[@steviegbcool]

basically everything. even the sounds the guns make is awesome!!

[@IMORTLKEN]

OMFG my favorrite movie of all time. 52 yr old ..... best sequal of all time.

[@Mozzytm]

alien convent? thats a whole other movie. illegal imigrant nuns... actually, put a farce spin on it and it writes itself, ill get a pen.

[@Epoch11]

I think you have a great idea right there..........imagine secret aliens nuns amongst us..........they are secretive to begin with. Now we have a reason for their clandestine behavior.

[@Hyperdriveuk]

Ah someone did notice Convent :-D lol

[@HansLemurson]

I noticed! That would make a funny film. :)

[@thailandajarn]

Nuns on the Run 2 ;)

[@implicaverse]

Xenomorphs in nun's habits. "Contact at five hundred yards, Captain." "Use the scope. I want a visual." "Yes sir. Scanning horizon, coming out of the mist . . . got 'em." "What do you see?" "Well, either they're the most hideous monsters imaginable, or they're giant penguins." "Could they be both?" "Hadn't thought about that, sir." "That's why I'm the Captain, and you're one of the interchangeable space marines who's gonna be first to die." "Yes si -- uh, what did you say?" "Nothing. Keep watching, I've got to go inside our highly secure base for a minute to do some diddly jack shit plot contrivance thing. Stay outside here in the open and don't let them sneak up on you." "No sir. Have to be an idiot to let that happen, sir."

[@gregsalcedo4857]

Aliens is one of my all-time movie favorites and that includes non-sci-fi movies. It has one thing in common with the movie Godfather II; they're both better than the original.

[@CocacolaBoy83]

1 and 2 are the best...

[@robertwiegman1]

Yes, Aliens is a four star movie; knew it was when I first saw it when it came out...Yes, absolutely right, among the best sequels like Empire and Star Trek 2, Superman 2...a masterpiece :) James hornets score is amazing; bought it on dvd when it came out in late 80s. I think James Cameron's best movie :)

[@MrMachu22]

Shout out to Micheal beihns corporal Hicks, the best New character in the series. Calm, cool, respectful of Ripley, fatherly to Newt, a good leader to the marines, a total badass himself, and a all around well made and acted character.

[@redk1234]

Aliens is my personal favorite film

[@gunnyakdo1653]

aliens is the best movie of all alien movies just was upset that much of the marines were killed too early

[@alejandromolinac]

Oh I had the Kenner Action Figures as a Kid and I reenacted the movies all the time! And the Marines came with stickers so you could personalize them as you pleased...

[@blackderby80]

i find it interesting how the preferences go here, and on other videos/forums, etc... many who prefer the first leave a lot of comments saying 'alien is a masterpiece. the sequel sucks, and cameron sucks too.' those that liked aliens better (myself included) aren't seen trying to degrade ridley's film nearly as often by comparison. one commenter here said something to the effect of 'alien is awesome, a sequel could never reproduce the feel of it'. yes, very true. that's why james cameron did not try to do what so many franchises before and since have done... look at the friday the 13th films, or 007. most of those are pretty formulaic, with the plot structures and tone being consistent from one to the next. as for anyone saying aliens is cliched... not many films had been made about vietnam at that point... there was apocalypse now, the deer hunter, maybe a couple others out while aliens was in production. to sum up, harlan ellison (who infamously sued over the terminator) said it as well as anyone can. in 96 or 97 when he heard there was a starship troopers movie coming out, he said 'why? they made it ten years ago, but they called it aliens.'

[@irllcd13]

Then there are the mentally deranged people that say Aliens sucks and Alien3 is good. I actually do prefer Alien but only slightly. They are both some of my favorite movies.

[@mmattson8947]

Aliens seems cliched, because of how many films over the next 3 decades blatantly copied the Aliens plot, with only cosmetic changes. (The SyFy "original" movies did this a lot.)

[@WhFastus]

Nice breakdown. Aliens was the first R-rated movie I saw in a theater - I got my Grandma Betty to take me (may she RIP). Still holds up 30-plus years later.

[@deadman_]

Aliens is my favourite film of all time. And to me Aliens(1986) is better than alien(1979).

[@Swaggmire215]

This movie is just too damn good.it set the bar soo damn high everything else falls short and forever will

[@studapeppahead5384]

If I had to pick ONE MOVIE as my ONLY FAVE....here ya go....

[@eventhorizon4816]

I would choose alien 3 :D it was more intense

[@DingKong]

Aliens is good because it is elevated above being a by-the-numbers action movie. It has good characters, good acting, scares, tension, excellent camera work, special effects that (mostly) belie its relatively small budget and a fantastic score.

[@hanstimmek5257]

Great Video and description why this is one of the best scifi movies of all times!!!

[@zew1414]

Vasquez was a pure badass woman figure as much as Ripley! How Vasquez calls Ripley Snow White in the beginning to totally trusting and backing up her decisions was great character progression

[@wheretogoto]

Terminator was 1984. Aliens was 1986. The cast should have known about James Cameron.

[@727Phoenix]

Aliens was the first R movie I ever saw, and it was worth violating the religion I was stuck with!

[@jparks6544]

oh for fuck's sake who cares

[@southerncross5719]

Obviously him, and that is all that is required. But let us analyze people that say "oh but who gives a fuck" about someone's thoughts. First they usually have to be antagonist reaction based on the prior statement by the one now speaking negatively, and that by definition means, you care even if on the opposite spectrum of dismissal. If no one cared, no one would bother commenting. It's those that come out yelling who cares that usually care more than most. And hence why it is one of the most idiotic and self-defeating lines in the English language. And there, mr J parks, is how you've made yourself redundant, but cemented Pheonix Knight's thoughts as important. Yay psychology and education.

[@jparks6544]

actually, no.

[@Thagomizer]

How the hell does watching this film violate anything religious? Are you an orthodox Jew and did you watch this in your house during the Sabbath?

[@727Phoenix]

Jehovah's Witlesses aren't allowed to watch R movies, regardless of the content. They can corrupt one's faith and if seen & recognized whwn going into the theater to see an R film makes a bad impression on JWs cuz image is everything to the religion. If I wrote a list of all the prohibitions, plus all the things to be wary of (like buying something from a yard sale, it could be demonized) it'll take up a lot of pages. Getting the cult out of me is like having the first bowel movement after a lifetime of constipation.

[@Willysmb44]

Good video. I agree fully with your take on this. I saw the movie when it was first released and I was blown away. I'd never seen anything like that before. I'm still impressed by it and it holds up well, even to this day. But I think most of you would agree when I say it should have ended after the closing scene of this film, with none of the following films. Alien 3 pretty much null and voided everything from the first two films.

[@williamhackett6980]

When you have extremely talented and passionate people; conflicts will inevitable arise. That's why a strong director is an absolute necessity. He must have dictatorial control, the patience of a saint, and the aggressiveness of a Marine. It is a testament to this director that he produced a great movie, on time, and under budget.

[@dylanmorgan2374]

Can’t be praised enough… it’s one of the best movies ever made… and it’s a sequel. Truly amazing

[@guinness77100]

LT: "Drake. Check you're camera." Drake smashes helmet against the wall. LT: "That's better."

[@samwallaceart288]

Essentially, Aliens took the world of a horror film and made an action film version of the same idea. I wish they would take this approach for the various shared universe films; give the Marvel films more freedom to explore different genres with the same property; heck, Star Wars could use more of this treatment; let one of the Star Wars spinoffs explore mystery, crime, or straight-warfilm aspects while still respecting the original vibe.

[@jd190d]

The detail on continuity of story when the marines are in the alien nest near the reactor and Ripley is asked what is that and she doesn't know because she did not see the inside of the alien ship in the first movie. Little touches like that show how carefully they paid attention to the first movie when making the sequel.

[@1701Starfish]

Great video. I've always called this my favourite movie, but never really thought what it was that made it so good.