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Aliens
1986 137 min United States of America R 18+
★8.9
Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
Director: James Cameron
Trailers
EN
EN
Teaser
Description
Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.
Budget:
$18.5M
US Gross:
$85.16M
Worldwide:
$183.32M
Starring
Sigourney Weaver
Actor
Michael Biehn
Actor
Carrie Henn
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Science Fiction Film
Academy Awards 1987
— Best Sound Editing
Academy Awards 1987
— Best Visual Effects
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Costume Design
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 1987
— Best Sound Editing
BAFTA 1987
— Best Sound
BAFTA 1987
— Best Makeup and Hairstyling
BAFTA 1987
— Best Production Design
Academy Awards 1987
— Best Film Editing
Academy Awards 1987
— Best Visual Effects
Academy Awards 1987
— Best Sound
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Screenplay
Golden Globe 1987
— Best Actress (Drama)
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Director
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Young Performer
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Supporting Actress
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Actress
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Supporting Actor
Academy Awards 1987
— Best Original Score
Saturn Awards 1987
— Best Visual Effects
BAFTA 1987
— Best Visual Effects
Key opinion
Aliens is widely celebrated as a masterful sequel that successfully transitions the franchise from atmospheric horror to high-stakes action. While some purists prefer the slow-burn dread of the original film, the general consensus praises James Cameron's expansion of the universe, the evolution of Ellen Ripley, and the enduring quality of the practical effects.
| Acting | Sigourney Weaver delivers an outstanding performance, effectively evolving Ripley from a lone survivor into a battle-hardened, maternal warrior. | |
| Production | The practical effects remain remarkably high-quality and immersive, standing the test of time despite being produced in the 1980s. | |
| Direction | James Cameron succeeds by shifting the franchise into a high-octane action-horror hybrid rather than attempting to replicate the original's slow-burn aesthetic. | |
| Theme | The film's tone is divisive: fans of the first movie miss the intimate, philosophical horror, while others praise the transition to a spectacle-driven, expansive war narrative. |