Aliens (1986)
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A survivor of a deadly alien encounter must join forces with a squad of Colonial Marines to investigate a colony where the creatures have reappeared.
The story
Set in the far future, the film follows Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of an alien attack on her ship. When communications are lost with a human colony on the moon where her crew first encountered the alien creatures, Ripley agrees to return to the site with a unit of Colonial Marines to investigate. The mission is complicated by the fact that the colony is now the site of a terraforming operation. Ripley must confront her past trauma while navigating the dangers of the alien environment and the complexities of the corporate interests involved in the investigation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a deep-space salvage crew finds a ship where Ripley has been in stasis, she is recruited by the Weyland-Yurtians to join a Colonial Marine unit to investigate a lost colony on the moon LV-426. Upon arrival, the team discovers a battle-ravaged colony and a young girl, Newt. They descend into a facility where they find evidence of alien activity and are eventually ambushed by a swarm of creatures. Amidst the chaos, Ripley discovers that the corporate representative, Carter Burke, intentionally allowed the situation to occur for research purposes. After a series of skirmishes and the loss of several marines, Ripley and Newt are trapped in a medical lab. Following a desperate fight to clear the area, Ripley must venture into the heart of the hive to rescue Newt. She faces the alien queen in a final confrontation, eventually escaping just as the colony is destroyed in a nuclear blast. The survivors, including an android named Bishop, escape in a dropship, only to face a final attack from a queen that stowed away in the landing gear.
- First release year
- 1986
- Runtime (minutes)
- 137
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Cameron
- Writers
- James Cameron · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sigourney Weaver · Ellen Ripley; Michael Biehn · Dwayne Hicks; Paul Reiser · Carter J. Burke; Lance Henriksen · Bishop; Carrie Henn · Rebecca "Newt" Jorden; Bill Paxton · Hudson; William Hope · Gorman; Jenette Goldstein · Vasquez
- Genres
- science fiction; action
- Themes
- survival; corporate greed; fear of the unknown
- Tone and mood
- tense; action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- sequel; space exploration; military action
- Franchise connections
- Alien
- Reception
- The film was met with critical acclaim, particularly for its action sequences and Sigourney Weaver's performance. It is considered a landmark in the science fiction and action genres.
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actress · 1987 · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Sound Effects Editing · 1987 · Win; Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · 1987 · Win; British Academy Film Award · Best Special Visual Effects · 1987 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Science Fiction Film · 1987 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Actress · 1987 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Performance by a Young Actor · 1987 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Supporting Actress · 1987 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Supporting Actor · 1987 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Special Effects · 1987 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Director · 1987 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Writing · 1987 · Win; Hugo Award · Best Dramatic Presentation · Win
- Production trivia
- The film's development was fraught with conflict between the director and the British crew.; The film's budget was approximately $18.5 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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