Aliens [Blu-ray]

PrefaceWhile it appeared from the completely inadequate Amazon listing, and some other sources, that the 154-minute extended Version (the 1991 DVD Special Edition release containing 17 minutes of mostly great back-story and fill-in footage) was not included, it thankfully has been: there is a choice in the Blu-ray's opening menu as to which version to play. So, Hollywood aliens are definitely in hibernation, and for a change, the new separate of "Aliens" contains both the 137-minute theatrical and extended versions of the complete movie, and some bonus materials, though the anthology is the package to get if bonus material is really important to you, and if you don't mind paying the premium for the last two, worthless installments, Alien III and IV, which are a stain on the franchise.Blu-ray technical reviewThe 1991 Special Edition DVD plays very well on up-converting Blu-ray players, noticeably better than on regular DVD players, so well that I was really not all that anxious to pay for a Blu-ray upgrade to get what has been unanimously reported by anthology owners to be a somewhat better picture in HD. But the reduced-price offer worked, and I got my Blu-ray.On the technical review, my HD/UC-DVD comparison, using an LG 42-inch, 1080p, HD TV and LG Blu-ray player, was on the extended, Special Edition version on Blu-ray, against the DVD Special Ed, as played through the same Blu-ray player, up-converting the DVD. As to the HD quality of the Blu-ray, compared to up-converted DVD, the bad news is that there is a fine-sand grain, nearly through-out all but the brighter levels, most apparent in warmer tones and grays in medium- to low-light levels. This grain might be the cause of the "white snow" reported in one review, which would be possible if the output settings of the TV are over-driven, as they usually are by non-critical users, and as they also usually are in the settings of those users' computer monitors. There is no such snow effect on my disc/system. But, even as this grain appears in my system, it is not really so apparent if you're not looking for it, as I was for the purpose of comparative evaluation. This is the only drawback, and it is cancelled out by the pluses.First, and best of which, there is a very worthwhile improvement in sharpness resolution and color saturation over UC-DVD, first apparent in the special-effects scenes where star fields are much more distinct and more stars visible, and in shots where the salvage ship docks with Ripley's vehicle. Enhanced color is first noticeable as the blowtorch cuts through the hatch, where it is noticeably more yellow. The resolution improvement is most pronounced throughout the screen in the FX shots, but it is only because of reduced depth of field in close-ups that the nicely increased resolution of details "appears to be" more selectively improved in skin textures, iris details, and costume fabrics. And, with black level, while it is the same in the Blu-ray as the DVD, there is nonetheless also a welcome improvement in dynamic range (the range of light to dark in which details are visible), though not as great as the improved sharpness and saturation, but a little goes a long way where dynamic range is concerned, as in more visible stars and details in Ripley's dark hair, as well as in those sometimes-deadly shadows. And, with my 5.1 sound set-up, there is also a greater dynamic to the Blu-ray's DTS 5.1 sound (Dolby also available; the DVD has only Dolby 5.1). So, all in all, the Blu-ray gets a technical 4-star rating and upgrade is very much worth it, particularly at the $14.95 price.Movie reviewsAs to the review of the movies, "Alien," the brilliant first release, gets five stars, easy. But look, by now, fans have seen it two or three times (me), fanatics more, and for a movie designed around a build-up to a scare, and to bring us the first sights of the monster, once the scares and the creature were out of the bag, there's no surprise or mystery or apprehension left, and only so much I can take to watch again... no more, unless force-viewing to show to a friend who never saw it, and I'm passing on the Blu-ray and keeping my DVD version of that because, until a few years from now, when I can get the "Alien" Blu-ray for $2 or $3, and might want to watch again, through the incentive of a better picture, I'd rather watch my DVD version of "Alien" for that rare-or-never occasion than spend again for the Blu-ray or a rental of "Alien." But if you've never seen these films, you're going to find they're both worth it and there's nothing better in the genre since, so DO rent or buy "Alien" before watching the sequel, "Aliens." You'll probably want to watch "Alien" again, sometime, but you should buy "Aliens," because you'll definitely watch it more times through the years."Aliens" is a seamless and story-enhancing sequel--five stars, not for its quality of production over the first, which is equal, but for its expanded scope, on all levels, especially with the added footage that was edited out of the theatrical release, which makes it the best of them all, and for me, it is where the "Alien" story ends. They're both five-star movies, and they're both entirely different kinds of drama, one being an extension of the other. "Aliens" isn't a scare-fest that depends almost entirely upon the unknown and a build wrapped in suspense, like "Alien," the first movie. It pivots around solid action with great characters, pretty well fleshed out, and it is also well-written with sharp dialogue, but it's the kind of flick with a logical and broadening extension of the story-line that you can watch again and again and again and...Now, some spoilers follow:"Aliens" opened up so many avenues for pushing the story and characters at its conclusion that it is hard to believe the producers dead-ended it with "Alien III," which was too depressing and too monotone, dreary brown, to go with it--2½ stars, because even though I certainly don't care for what "Alien III" is, and particularly for the garbage can where it took the story, it was done well and was a believable circumstance, except for the meteor-like crash of the escape pod into the water, which was not survivable. But no matter how well done, "Alien III" is nonetheless a cancer on the heart of the story that has, in my mind, along with "Aliens IV," been excised, and had I known what III and IV were, I never would have watched them at all, letting the story in motion-picture form end with "Aliens." But, I didn't know and now I just have to think of III and IV as bad and terrible alternate endings and try to forget...It would have really been nice if they would have cut Ripley and the little girl, Newt, a break, making the crash on the prison world just a stop-over on the way to Earth, where Ripley and Newt survive fighting the alien (unfortunately, Cpl Dwayne Hicks still has to die in the escape-ship capsule for this to happen) along with beating back the horny and the pedo prisoners, where Ripley gets to fight-off and rescue Newt from another kind of monster, to finally get them both back to Earth and have a life, making guest-role appearances for Weaver after that in further releases, as a consultant/expert. That's why I only wanted to get the extended "Aliens" on Blu-Ray, because in my mind, that's what happened, and all that followed in the franchise, after "Aliens," never did. I'd love it to have seen Ripley star in a after-she-got-her-life-back sequel to a re-written "Alien III," but you know that there's no way she'd ever give up playing mom to Newt to go back into space to face aliens again.What ifsSo, now, if they hadn't killed off Newt and Ripley, they could make a movie where the little girl, now grown into a tear-`em-apart bombshell, goes after the aliens in a critical situation on some other colony to avenge her family's death (in "Aliens")--if they had kept her alive. And Ripley would star, to finally go with Newt after failing to talk her out of it, to help her and try to keep her safe. This would be the place where Ripley should have died, at the climax of a fight where she is mortally wounded by an alien that was attacking Newt, which she kills before collapsing from her wound:Newt runs to Ripley, kneeling beside her and lifting her up into her arms, "I'm so sorry I made you come here, Mother." Newt touches the clothing torn open on Ripley's torso, and her face turns from frantic to despair as she scans the wounds... "You're dying... and it's my fault."Ripley, bleeding and breathing heavily, gasps, struggling to speak, "NO, you can't blame yourself, Darling. You had to meet your own devils, just as I did when these monsters brought us together."Newt, tears rolling from her eyes, her arm warming with Ripley's flowing blood, "Oh, Mom..."Ripley strains to speak, but her voice is failing, softening, "I never thought anything good would come from going back, but Newt, listen to me... remember, I'll never regret going back, NEVER... because it gave me you." Ripley lifts a trembling arm to put her hand upon Newt's, grasping it, as if, through her, to hold on to life for just a few moments more, "And now... you... you are fulfilling YOUR destiny."Newt quickly lifts her eyes from Ripley's face to scan the area. They are alone in the darkening chamber, no aliens, alive, and no one to call to for help. She hears Ripley groan and, turning back to her, Newt begins to sob, "Oh...Mom..."Struggling to hang on, Ripley pulls Newt closer and whispers, "NEVER blame yourself." Ripley's brow angles with intent as she locks her eyes on Newt's, "I am so proud of you. You have made me SO happy..." Ripley's face relaxes into a blankness as her gaze begins to shift, looking somewhere above Newt now, as if blind, pale, fading away, "And... and I will always... always love you..."And so, as she dies, Newt's reply, "I love you, so much..." echos in a dream as she passes...just before the climax, as Newt, filled with anger and sorrow, goes on alone to avenge Ripley and her own family by wiping out the Alien origin hive and its overlord.Instead of that, we were given the meaningless, back-story death of Newt and the insanity that was sprung from the dead-end disaster of "Alien III," when the franchise went into a realm of unbelievability, going way too far with "Alien Resurrection," where some of the characters were way too comic-bookie, along with the situations, from the cloning, made necessary by the ridiculous decision to kill Ripley off in "Alien III," to the space-running cadre, invoking a universe where space travel is more like Star Trek than the believable reality that was portrayed in the first two movies. And the aliens are scary enough, as they can only be, with no need to make an ugly, comic, abortion version that really wasn't so scary at all in comparison, and which, in keeping with the for-kids-only flavor of the flick, is made to be a monster that cries like a baby... some weird, creative attempt at hinging humanity to the creature? Well, the fact that the aliens were drooling around the universe was enough, and the attempt, in "Alien IV," to evolve an abortion that would be more dreadful than Geiger's monster was a complete failure. I gave that release a very generous two stars, and all of them for Weaver's portrayal in it which, as in the previous movies, was one where she made the best of a bad situation which, in this case, was not the making of the aliens in the realm of the story, but rather the external, creative decisions of the project's leaders.RetributionActually, they could redeem themselves and reignite the franchise, making a new flick, "Aliens--After the Dreams," where, on the way back to Earth, after blowing up the colony (after "Aliens"), they drifted through the core systems (as was the case after "Alien"), but this time, because something went wrong with a part of the hyper-sleep system, they began to age at some point, so that when their ship was finally intercepted, Ripley appears as she (Weaver) does today, and they select an appropriately-aged actress to play grown-up Newt, and Ripley tells her the strange dream she had while in the long sleep, about being on a prison world and Newt being dead, and Newt tells Ripley about a strange dream she had about this far-out military spaceship that was breeding alien abortions, and where Ripley was a clone!"I've never had such absurd, insane dreams in all my life," Ripley would say, Newt, nodding in agreement.And the doctor would reply, "We cannot account for all the effects of such extended sleep on the unconscious mind, especially in a case such as yours and Newt's, where your metabolism and subsequent aging process was accelerated more than it should have been. But physiologically, I can tell you that if not for the reserve nutrition available to you because of the early, complete failure of Cpl. Hick's capsule, you both would have starved to death."Then, they could go get aliens again, in the new flick, in a new story that has some semblance of quality like the first two.But I’m glad they’ve come out with separates, and that the extended version of “Aliens” is in there. I also prefer the “Aliens Director’s Cut,” and the added characterization it provides. “Aliens” is a jump-off point for imagination, where, post “Aliens,” in my mind, Ripley and Newt live on, chasing aliens and being chased by them... in my very best nightmares.UPDATE - October 2016I am updating my original review (above) which was posted in 2010, because I have just learned that a sequel to Alien/Aliens will be made, and the good news, that it will overlook Alien III and IV, and will include grown-up Newt and a reappearance for Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. I am also pleased to see on various Youtube blogs that Aliens III and IV are being “written off,” not only by the producers of the promised “Aliens 5?” sequel, but also by most fans as alternate timelines, alternate universes or, as I suggested, bad dreams that never really happened.Prometheius has also become part of the accepted Alien franchise since I published this “Aliens” review, and it is a worthwhile entry which, though leaving open questions, has a sequel in the works which is said will answer some of them while also tying-in more completely to the “Alien” universe—an anticipated release, but I really can’t wait for the “Aliens” sequel, which promises to right the ship from the sinking caused by III and IV, and open the franchise to a new future of stories as I have envisioned, with Newt as the alien kick-ass beauty to succeed Ripley in the fight against the undying alien threat.

Okay, this GenXer fully admits, I’d never seen any of the Alien franchise before about 2 weeks ago. My wife has been trying (for years), but frankly, I’m not into SciFi all that much. I do the Star Wars franchise (the ones I acknowledge as actual films), but beyond that, I just can’t get into it. But Amazon had Alien on Prime recently, so I told my wife I’d watch with her, and it turned out... it was actually pretty darn good. Then Amazon had a really good deal on Aliens - the sequel if you didn’t know - and we grabbed it. (We have also agreed to get Alien when it has a good deal) and, I liked it as well. it’s a pretty good movie. I was impressed.Never realized the first two were James Cameron films, but watching, I’m not surprised. I’d never paid attention, but then I could see his voice all over it. Alien and Aliens are smart films. Not just your run of the mill, giant dangerous monsters take over and kill people. In fact, I know there was stress and anxiety and action and heightened, growing tension as the Alien/aliens have to be hunted and destroyed, before they get closer to civilization. But I don’t remember blood and gore (for the sake of it or not). The great films don’t need to put it in your face, or at least do it in a way that you aren’t overwhelmed. All of that is expertly built into the action of the film.But the other thing about great action and thriller movies, they are about someone - there is a way for the audience to come in, be engaged, and want their hero to win. Aliens, like its predecessor, has that kind of heart. Without it, a person may still like movie, but there is always “something missing,” they often just can’t tell you what... so yes, Aliens has that heart... found in both our hero, Ripley, and her new charge, the little girl, Newt. Cameron has done a great job of picking up where the first one let off, then grab us and brings us into Aliens quickly and easily, then builds a story with both the action and growing energy most want, but the heart that your viewer’s heart knows it needs.There are the standout performances of Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn (Newt), Lance Henriksen, and Michael Biehn. In this turn, Paul Reiser does very well as the villain. But I think my biggest surprise was found in Private Vasquez, played by Jenette Goldstein. If you want to know why, watch Aliens. If you want to know even more... she’s the Irish mom in Titanic, the James Cameron masterpiece. And a few other parts - she’s an unknown/little know chameleon actor with such a talent, when I found out all she’s been in, I was blown away - she’s excellent.The story picks up where Alien left off, taking Ripley back to the planet of her greatest challenge and threat of death from... the alien now aliens. She and the others sent to find out (many years later) what has happened to an ill advised colony there. As things play out she and the others, a top military team, are hunted by even more aliens. They also find a young Newt, in need of their help - well, as far as a kid who’s survived on their own for so long needs help that is (think Jurassic Park 3). In the end, will anyone get off the planet... I can honestly say, I think you’ll have fun finding out. I will add, I have now watched the next in the franchise and did not like it at all. Why? Because it is completely missing what Cameron did - the heart as the hero of a SciFi film. Every movie needs heart and this SciFi has it.

Looks crystal clear looks digitally remastered great 👍

This is how a blu-ray disk of a movie should look like!Got both the Theatrical and the Extended Edition of the movie, 3 different quality english dubs, four foreign language dubs, a commentary by the director and members of the production team, got separate deleted scenes as well of course.

Aliens is a perfect film. After it was over I felt exhausted, as though I'd been running alongside Ellen Ripley. This is, in my opinion, James Cameron's best movie, closely followed by Terminator 2. The special effects and look of the film are awesome - every shot is absurdly rich - but they're backed up by magnificent storytelling which equals Alien's. Some of the same twists from Ridley Scott's movie are used, though Cameron tweaks them just enough so that we don't see them coming.Sigourney Weaver is back, and this time around she's less naive, becoming an action hero who's not concerned about protocol. She's spent 57 years cryogenically frozen, drifting through space, and is distraught to learn that her daughter has since grown up, lived and died during her absence. She's picked up and woken by a salvage crew, then told about a colony which has been established on the planet where the aliens were found. They've since lost contact with the colony, and Ripley is sent as an adviser to join a bunch of marines in investigating what's happened.In hindsight the marines could be seen as less malign precursors to Avatar's soldiers. Of those that are developed Bill Paxton plays Hudson, a petulant private, Jenette Goldstein is Vasquez, a butch shooter, and Michael Biehn is Hicks, a squad leader who grows close to Ripley (first Sarah Connor, then Ellen Ripley; Biehn got through the 80s sci-fi heroines). There's also an android (Lance Henriksen) who Ripley naturally distrusts, and Burke (Paul Reiser) a representative of the corporation that invested in the colony.When they arrive on the planet they discover Newt (Carrie Henn), a young girl who escaped the aliens by hiding in the air ducts. She's of course traumatised, but is brought out of herself and comforted by Ripley. Their bonding is the film's emotional core, and in a way Newt serves the same purpose as Ripley's cat in Alien: she softens her, giving her something to risk herself for. Given that Newt is a child, not an animal, and Ripley's own daughter is dead, that raises the stakes. Henn gives a strong, realistic performance and her character's development was compelling. Weaver as Ripley is more confident and world-weary here. In Alien she felt slightly naive, uncertain, and at one point tried denying crewmates access to the ship in case they introduced a threat. Aliens' Ripley is more of a humanitarian, and disobeys orders so she can save her colleagues.Though it does have similarities, Aliens is very different to Alien, which Ridley Scott compared to Ten Little Indians. Alien was a slower paced psychological horror story, while Aliens is pure pulp sci-fi. It tells an action packed tale filled with much larger aliens who do unspeakable things to the colonists and crawl about looking for fresh meat, their acid blood oozing from their horrible mouths. Aliens is, quite simply, a masterpiece, and one of the best films ever made.

I saw this at the cinema when it first came out.I wasn't sure if I should because I really wasn't over fussed on the first, and to top it all off sequels are notorious for being bad, but this was and still is a great film. I admit the overriding reason I saw it was that I am a Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton fan.I admit that I hadn't watched it for a couple of years, but decided to lift it out a couple of days ago and watch it. I wasn't sorry. Even after more than 20 years this is a great film, and in my opinion the best of the alien series.The special edition version was one of the first of the 'directors cut' film releases. It sold so well that other films were produced with a 'directors cut' extended version too. The speical edition has an extra 17 minutes which doesn't sound much but is, in fact, a great deal. The missing scenes add to the story, and are included situ within the film rather than in an extras section of their own.There are a number of extras including an interview with James Cameron, behind the scenes footage, etc.The story is that Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and the cat are rescued from the emergency pod that was left at the end of the first film. She has to face an enquiry over what happened to her crew and the vessel that they were in (it is the latter that appears to be the most important to the company).Ripley is then approached by Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) and Lt Gorman (William Hope) to join them on a mission to the planet known as LV-426. She initially refuses but then agrees, and this is were we met the rest of the cast - the marines. The main marines for the film are Cpl Dwayne Hicks (Michael Biehn), Pvt Hudson (Bill Paxton), Pvt Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein), Pvt Drake (Mark Rolston), Sgt Apone (Al Matthews) and the "artifical person" Bishop (Lance Henriksen) - the entire group of actors who play the marines manage to pull off the feeling of a group that has been together for a while. Even the troops that we had only seen in passing are known to us because of the banter between the characters.The film moves at a good pace after the initial and rapid story setting sequences. It's 148 minutes of outstanding film making. A true standard setting film.This special edition does not contain a commentary for the film which is the only disappointment. Still an excellent film. Definitely a keeper.

I love this film. It is an artistic portrayal of good versus evil from a female point of view. It was made in 1986, long before it became cool to have strong female leads in every movie for no particular reason.The strong themes in Aliens are morherhood, courage and team work. This is the full version of the movie including scenes that were not in the cinematic release. These extra scenes help to add depth to the story.The writing is just so good it's hard to find any fault with. Ten stars.

Only bought this because we had to. This edit is widely regarded as THE cut. Definitive. And for some reason isn’t available on Prime streaming.