Aliens – 1986

Director: James Cameron (Terminator, Avatar)

Writer: James Cameron (Terminator, Avatar), David Giler (Alien, Aliens), Walter Hill (Alien, The Warriors)

Release Date: July 18, 1986

Domestic Box Office: $131.1–183.3 million

Aliens - 1986

The Good and the Bad about Aliens – 1986

The Good:

  • The action is intense and suspenseful.
  • The special effects are groundbreaking and hold up well today.
  • The characters are well-developed and relatable.
  • The story is exciting and engaging.

The Bad:

  • Some of the violence may be too much for some viewers.
  • The pacing can be a bit slow at times.
  • The ending is a bit anticlimactic.

Top 5 Cast:

  • Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley (Alien, Avatar)
  • Michael Biehn as Cpl. Hicks (The Terminator, Tombstone)
  • Bill Paxton as Pvt. Hudson (Weird Science, True Lies)
  • Lance Henriksen as Bishop (Aliens, Near Dark)
  • Carrie Henn as Newt (The Lost Boys, Kindergarten Cop)

Critical Reviews:

  • Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars, calling it “a triumph of filmmaking.”
  • Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune also gave the film four out of four stars, calling it “a thrilling and suspenseful film.”
  • Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film “a sci-fi action movie that is both scary and funny.”
  • Pauline Kael of The New Yorker called the film “a superbly crafted and exciting movie.”

The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Weaver and Best Supporting Actor for Henriksen. It won two awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.

Cinematic Importance: Aliens – 1986 is considered one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. It is praised for its action, special effects, and characters. The film helped to revive the science fiction genre in the 1980s and spawned a number of sequels and spin-offs.