Aliens

Yeah, most everyone knows that some sequels don't deliver the goods. Thankfully there are those that are just as good or even better than the original.

With Aliens, James Cameron graciously stayed true to the vision Ridley Scott presented seven years earlier. Hell, he improved it. You got to admire a director who previously worked under the wing of Roger Corman and picked up where a now-known director left off.

One of the improvements Cameron made was making Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) a more prominent character. Scott introduced us to her; Cameron made her a more in-depth role. And Weaver displays what Cameron wrote flawlessly.

In some eyes, this representation of Ripley is somewhat of a feminist's wet dream. Sure, her kicking ass and taking name is pretty awesome, but bear in mind this was released in the 1980's, an era where women were trying to reinvent their image (with shoulder pads and HUGE hair). Though I couldn't help but smile when Ripley said this to the Alien Queen: "Get away from her, you BITCH!"

In short, Aliens is probably the most badass film out there. Weaver definitely delivers here, and I applaud Cameron for making that possible. Badassery, thy name is Ripley.

My Rating: *****