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[[Ellen Ripley]], the only survivor of the [[Weyland-Yutani| Weyland-Yutani Corporation]] space freighter ''Nostromo'', is rescued and revived after drifting for 57 years in [[Stasis (fiction)|hypersleep]]. Ripley has recurring nightmares about the vicious alien that killed her crewmates aboard the Nostromo. Ripley explains her story to a board of skeptical Weyland-Yutani executives. However, all evidence of the alien was lost on board the ''Nostromo''. The board informs her that [[LV-426]], the planet where her crew first encountered the alien, is now home to a [[terraforming]] colony. |
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After Ripley takes a position loading cargo on a space-dock, Burke a |
After Ripley takes a position loading cargo on a space-dock, Burke, a company executive, informs her that contact has been lost with LV-426, and the Company is sending him and a squad of [[United States Colonial Marines|Colonial Marines]] to investigate. Ripley, asked to accompany the expedition as an advisor, agrees after initial reluctance. The expedition travels to LV-426 aboard the warship ''[[Sulaco (spaceship)|Sulaco]]''. Arriving in orbit, Ripley gives a briefing on the aliens to the marines, but her warnings are unheeded. |
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The marine expedition travels to the planet's surface via a dropship, and finds the colony seemingly abandoned, the only living things |
The marine expedition travels to the planet's surface via a dropship, and finds the colony seemingly abandoned, the only living things are two [[facehuggers]] on display in the colony's medical lab, and a traumatized young girl, nicknamed "[[Newt (fictional character)|Newt]]", who has survived by hiding in the colony's sprawling ventilation system. The marines eventually locate the other colonists by tracking their surgically-implanted transceivers. Traveling to the site in their "[[Armoured personnel carrier|APC]]" combat vehicle, the Marines find a large alien nest, filled with the [[cocoon]]ed corpses of the colonists. The Marines awaken the aliens, that had been lying dormant, when they destroy a chestburster. After most of the squad is wiped out, Ripley uses the APC to infiltrate the nest area, rescuing Lance Corporal Hicks, Private Vasquez, and Private Hudson. Cpl. Hicks assumes command of the mission after it is discovered that Lt. Gorman had been knocked unconscious during the rescue. After brief discussion, Cpl. Hicks orders the dropship to recover the APC, with the purpose of returning to the ''Sulaco'' so that the colony can be nuked from orbit. Unfortunately, a stowaway alien kills the dropship pilots causing the vessel to crash into the colony's processing station. The humans barricade themselves inside the main colony complex, where Bishop points out a new problem: the damaged processing station is now unstable and will soon detonate with the force of a [[nuclear weapon]]. He volunteers to crawl down a pipe to the colony transmitter array and bring down another dropship by remote control. |
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A revived Lt. Gorman rejoins the team, while Ripley and Newt try and get some rest. Ripley awakes to find the two live [[facehuggers]] released. Hicks, Hudson, and Vasquez arrive just in time, after being alerted to a fire alarm set by Ripley. Ripley accuses Burke of releasing the [[facehuggers]] with the intention of using Newt and Ripley as hosts to smuggle the aliens past quarantine. Cpl. Hicks decides to execute Burke, but is interrupted when the aliens attack en masse. During the battle, Hudson is captured by the aliens, and Burke, who flees the group alone, is presumably killed. Newt begins leading the surviving members into the air ducts. While fighting through the ducts, Vasquez is injured. Gorman attempts to retrieve her, but is cut-off by surrounding aliens. With no other resort, Gorman detonates a grenade, killing himself, Vasquez and several aliens. The resulting blast from the grenade causes Newt to fall down a chute, where she is captured by an alien. Hicks and Ripley, failing to rescue Newt in time, manage to reach the incoming dropship, but not before Hicks is badly injured by an alien. |
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Ripley, unwilling to leave |
Ripley, unwilling to leave Newt, gears up for a solo, armed rescue and reenters the alien nest. She finds and frees Newt from an alien coccoon, then accidentally stumbles into the nest's main breeding chamber, where both are confronted by the monstrous alien Queen. Ripley destroys the Queen's nest chamber, enraging the Queen, who escapes the destruction by tearing free from her [[ovipositor]]. Followed by the Queen, Ripley and Newt rendevous with the dropship, escaping moments before the entire area is destroyed by the nuclear meltdown of the processing plant. |
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⚫ | Back on the Sulaco, Ripley and Bishop are surprised by the alien Queen, that had managed to stow itself inside the wheel-well of the dropship's landing gear. After ripping Bishop in half, Ripley distracts the Queen long enough for Newt to hide |
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⚫ | Back on the ''Sulaco'', Ripley and Bishop are surprised by the alien Queen, that had managed to stow itself inside the wheel-well of the dropship's landing gear. After ripping Bishop in half, Ripley distracts the Queen long enough for Newt to hide. Just as the Queen is about to grab Newt from hiding, Ripley arrives wearing a mechanized [[exosuit]]. Ripley battles the Queen, and succeeds in dropping her into a large vertical [[airlock]] and expelling her into space. With all the aliens now killed, Ripley, Newt, Hicks and a badly damaged, but still functional Bishop, enter hypersleep for the return back to Earth. |
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Revision as of 03:33, 21 December 2006
Aliens | |
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Directed by | James Cameron |
Written by | Story: James Cameron David Giler Walter Hill Screenplay: James Cameron |
Produced by | Gale Anne Hurd Gordon Carroll David Giler Walter Hill |
Starring | Sigourney Weaver Michael Biehn Lance Henriksen Carrie Henn Bill Paxton Paul Reiser |
Cinematography | Adrian Biddle |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates | July 18, 1986 |
Running time | Theatrical: 137 min. Special Edition: 154 min. |
Language | English |
Budget | $18,500,000 |
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction movie starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Carrie Henn, Bill Paxton and Paul Reiser. It is a sequel to Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien. Directed by James Cameron from a story written by him, David Giler and Walter Hill, the film is more of a high-paced, action adventure film than the atmospheric sci-fi horror of the first film. It was tremendously successful, following Cameron's The Terminator in helping to establish him as a major action director. The film, like its predecessor, was shot in England, this time at Pinewood Studios, with a budget of about $18 million. The production was somewhat problematic, marred by several disputes between Cameron and the film crew, which eventually led to an all-out strike late in the production.[citation needed]
Plot
Ellen Ripley, the only survivor of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation space freighter Nostromo, is rescued and revived after drifting for 57 years in hypersleep. Ripley has recurring nightmares about the vicious alien that killed her crewmates aboard the Nostromo. Ripley explains her story to a board of skeptical Weyland-Yutani executives. However, all evidence of the alien was lost on board the Nostromo. The board informs her that LV-426, the planet where her crew first encountered the alien, is now home to a terraforming colony.
After Ripley takes a position loading cargo on a space-dock, Burke, a company executive, informs her that contact has been lost with LV-426, and the Company is sending him and a squad of Colonial Marines to investigate. Ripley, asked to accompany the expedition as an advisor, agrees after initial reluctance. The expedition travels to LV-426 aboard the warship Sulaco. Arriving in orbit, Ripley gives a briefing on the aliens to the marines, but her warnings are unheeded.
The marine expedition travels to the planet's surface via a dropship, and finds the colony seemingly abandoned, the only living things are two facehuggers on display in the colony's medical lab, and a traumatized young girl, nicknamed "Newt", who has survived by hiding in the colony's sprawling ventilation system. The marines eventually locate the other colonists by tracking their surgically-implanted transceivers. Traveling to the site in their "APC" combat vehicle, the Marines find a large alien nest, filled with the cocooned corpses of the colonists. The Marines awaken the aliens, that had been lying dormant, when they destroy a chestburster. After most of the squad is wiped out, Ripley uses the APC to infiltrate the nest area, rescuing Lance Corporal Hicks, Private Vasquez, and Private Hudson. Cpl. Hicks assumes command of the mission after it is discovered that Lt. Gorman had been knocked unconscious during the rescue. After brief discussion, Cpl. Hicks orders the dropship to recover the APC, with the purpose of returning to the Sulaco so that the colony can be nuked from orbit. Unfortunately, a stowaway alien kills the dropship pilots causing the vessel to crash into the colony's processing station. The humans barricade themselves inside the main colony complex, where Bishop points out a new problem: the damaged processing station is now unstable and will soon detonate with the force of a nuclear weapon. He volunteers to crawl down a pipe to the colony transmitter array and bring down another dropship by remote control.
A revived Lt. Gorman rejoins the team, while Ripley and Newt try and get some rest. Ripley awakes to find the two live facehuggers released. Hicks, Hudson, and Vasquez arrive just in time, after being alerted to a fire alarm set by Ripley. Ripley accuses Burke of releasing the facehuggers with the intention of using Newt and Ripley as hosts to smuggle the aliens past quarantine. Cpl. Hicks decides to execute Burke, but is interrupted when the aliens attack en masse. During the battle, Hudson is captured by the aliens, and Burke, who flees the group alone, is presumably killed. Newt begins leading the surviving members into the air ducts. While fighting through the ducts, Vasquez is injured. Gorman attempts to retrieve her, but is cut-off by surrounding aliens. With no other resort, Gorman detonates a grenade, killing himself, Vasquez and several aliens. The resulting blast from the grenade causes Newt to fall down a chute, where she is captured by an alien. Hicks and Ripley, failing to rescue Newt in time, manage to reach the incoming dropship, but not before Hicks is badly injured by an alien.
Ripley, unwilling to leave Newt, gears up for a solo, armed rescue and reenters the alien nest. She finds and frees Newt from an alien coccoon, then accidentally stumbles into the nest's main breeding chamber, where both are confronted by the monstrous alien Queen. Ripley destroys the Queen's nest chamber, enraging the Queen, who escapes the destruction by tearing free from her ovipositor. Followed by the Queen, Ripley and Newt rendevous with the dropship, escaping moments before the entire area is destroyed by the nuclear meltdown of the processing plant.
Back on the Sulaco, Ripley and Bishop are surprised by the alien Queen, that had managed to stow itself inside the wheel-well of the dropship's landing gear. After ripping Bishop in half, Ripley distracts the Queen long enough for Newt to hide. Just as the Queen is about to grab Newt from hiding, Ripley arrives wearing a mechanized exosuit. Ripley battles the Queen, and succeeds in dropping her into a large vertical airlock and expelling her into space. With all the aliens now killed, Ripley, Newt, Hicks and a badly damaged, but still functional Bishop, enter hypersleep for the return back to Earth.
Awards
Aliens was nominated for seven Academy Awards and ended up winning two (Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects). Sigourney Weaver received her first Academy Award nomination (Best Actress) for this film. Although Weaver did not actually win, it was considered a landmark for a nomination for Best Actress to even be made for a science fiction / horror film, a genre usually given little recognition by the Academy in those years.[citation needed]
Impact
The depiction of the female characters as fearless warriors made a considerable impression in the North American perception of women in action films, particularly in futuristic science fiction. Females in the film demonstrated a professional competence in their military roles, a diversion from previous films where the heroine lacked such strengths and apparent senses of duty. Since Aliens, it grew to be expected in futuristic stories that the female characters be as ready to bear arms and do battle on an equal basis with the male characters.
Releases
Template:Infobox movie certificates Aliens was released in the US and Canada on 18 July, 1986, and the 26 September in the same year in the UK. It had a running time of 137 minutes. Greatly anticipated by the public after the huge success of the original Alien (film),[citation needed] it took $10,052,042 in its opening weekend in the US[citation needed], and going on to take a total of $85,160,248.[citation needed] Roger Ebert called it "painfully and unremittingly intense" and a "hair-raising carnival ride that never stops"[1]. The film was released with a heavy marketing campaign, which helped boost box office takings.[citation needed]
Special Edition
A Special Edition was released in [[1992] on laserdisc and VHS that restored 17 minutes of previously deleted footage. It was then released on The Alien Legacy in 2001 on DVD. Both versions of the film were released together for the first time in the 2003 Alien Quadrilogy DVD box set. Also there is a HD scan of the movie currently playing on Cinemax HD.
Music
Composer James Horner stated in an interview that he felt that James Cameron had not given him enough time to write a musical score for the film. Because of this he said he was forced to cannibalize previous scores he had done as well as adapt a rendition of "Gayaneh Ballet Suite" for the main and end titles. (This may be misdirection: the music for the opening sequence, where Ripley's lifeboat is discovered, is a fairly literal adaptation of the opening of Shostakovich's Fourteenth Symphony). Horner stated that the tensions with Cameron were so high during post-production that he assumed they would never work together again. Cameron, however, was so impressed with Horner's score from Braveheart that he later asked him to compose the score for Titanic.
Trivia
- The 19-foot queen alien model is currently on display at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, as of 2005. It is on loan from its owner and an advisory board member of the museum, James Cameron.[citation needed]
- The Alien nest set wasn't dismantled after filming. It was unused until several years later when it was used as the Axis Chemicals set for Batman in 1989. When the crew of Batman first entered the set, they found most of the Alien nest still intact.[citation needed]
- "Sulaco" is the name of the town in Joseph Conrad's "Nostromo," which was the name of the ship in Alien. Scott is an admirer of Conrad.[citation needed]
- The weapons used by the marines are all based on real, fully functional weapons. The pulserifle is made from a Thompson SMG with an attached Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun, while the smartguns carried by Vasquez and Drake are based around the MG-42 machinegun, and are maneuvered with the help of a steadicam harness.[citation needed]
Cast and characters
- Sigourney Weaver as Lieutenant Ellen Ripley:
- Carrie Henn as Rebecca "Newt" Jorden:
- Michael Biehn as Corporal Dwayne Hicks:
- Lance Henriksen as L. Bishop:
- Paul Reiser as Carter J. Burke:
- Bill Paxton as Private W. Hudson:
- William Hope as Lieutenant S. Gorman:
- Jenette Goldstein as Private J. Vasquez:
- Al Matthews as Sergeant A. Apone:
- Mark Rolston as Private M. Drake:
- Colette Hiller as Corporal C. Ferro:
- Daniel Kash as Private D. Spunkmeyer:
- Cynthia Scott as Corporal C. Dietrich:
- Ricco Ross as Private R. Frost
- Tip Tipping as Private T. Crowe:
- Trevor Steedman as Private T. Wierzbowski:
- Paul Maxwell as Van Leuwen:
- Barbara Coles as Cocooned Woman (aka Mary):
- Mac McDonald as Colony commander Al Simpson: (deleted scenes)
References
- ^ "Roger Ebert review". SunTimes.com. Retrieved 2006-12-20.
External links
- Aliens at IMDb
- Harry Harris, owner of the largest collection of screen used props as seen in Aliens.
- Aliens first draft script
- Classicscifi.com, in-depth review.
- The USCM Charter, The USCM Costumers Website
- The Aliens Legacy Aliens props and movie discussion