Last year, I purposefully made a point to screen a sequel. I know that in today’s film landscape, dominated by sequels, reboots, remakes, and universes, the sequel can feel expected and unoriginal. But the sequel can be a special type of film, unrestrained by the toll of character introductions and world-building. Done properly, a sequel can really elevate a storyline. This was true for last year’s film, “The Godfather: Part II”, and is true for this year’s sequel, “Aliens”.
Now if you may recall, I really didn’t care for “Alien”. It was a claustrophobic and clunky space-horror film, burning most of its time on sequences that show you, “Oh, did you know the Alien can do that too?!??”. “Aliens” benefits from this initial grounding by wasting no time with exposition. 57 years of hyper sleep after the last film, the planet from the original has been colonized by humans but has gone radio silent—let’s send in the Space Marines (and Ripley)! We already know what damage one of these aliens can cause and now, there’s a BUNCH of them! #credits
But “Aliens” isn’t simply better for its pacing and action. The characters are far more clarified and fascinating. I loved annoying Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser’s company-man Burke, the classic sci-fi android tropes explored by Bishop, the inexperienced military leadership guys, and of course, Rebecca. Introducing a child into the mix was not only a brilliant choice for story’s sake, it really enhanced Ripley’s character from a one-dimensional ass kicker to someone with real depth, motivation, and pain.
I’m still not prepared to say that this franchise is necessarily my cup of tea. I found even this film to be over-the-top, overly-convenient, and ultimately too monochromatic for my taste. But I thought James Cameron did a good job of playing in this universe, lighting the film, and using the expectations we already have of these creatures to ’ratchet up the crisis.’ It was a great lesson in not writing something off and giving it another chance.