Aliens (DVD, 2008, Canadian; Special Edition; Gold O-Ring)

Aliens is as obvious as they come. We know from the beginning that another crew will travel to space, and, for whatever reason, something will go horribly wrong, and all but a few lucky souls will end up dead at the claws of the breed of deadly monsters. It happened in the first film, and we know it will happen again, not only in this film, but in the concluding films in the quadrilogy as well. The fact that the films are routine is irrelevant, however, because it’s the ride to the inevitable that is all the fun. Aliens is one of the few films that can be predicted perfectly, but it’s so well crafted—and so damn exciting—that we just don’t care. The destination does not matter just as long as the journey is entertaining… and Aliens is very entertaining.

The film owes a lot to Sigourney Weaver’s performance, which is the thread that holds everything together. She portrays Ripley not as a hard-boiled alien commando, but as a multi-layered human being. Weaver puts her heart and soul into Ripley, and provides her with a lot of empathy and depth. She injects vulnerability and tragedy into Ripley that shows, yes, she’s a tough broad, but not out of choice. The supporting performances are also impressive and, from Paul Reiser to Bill Paxton, it’s fun to see so many recognizable faces so early in their careers.

A good watch as always!