‘Aliens’ drops chilling suspense for visceral horror

Editor’s note: This review was original posted on Feb. 27, 2014.

Well, that escalated quickly.

It doesn’t take long for pure chaos to break out in James Cameron’s “Aliens,” the sequel to the 1979 horror classic “Alien.” It takes even less time for us to forgo the suspense that made the original movie so fantastic in exchange for Sigourney Weaver decked out with advanced weaponry ready to slay everything in her way. You’d think it wouldn’t work. Somehow, it does.

Taking a decidedly different tack than the director of “Alien” (Ridley Scott), Cameron leads us on a Rambo-esque adventure. We have macho Marines going insane with heavy-duty artillery. We have Weaver’s character, the indomitable Warrant Officer Ripley (we still don’t care about her first name) blasting her way onto the planetoid where she her nightmare began.

‘Alien’ (1979) review: They can, in fact, hear you scream in space

You see, Ripley has to return to her hell in an effort to save some colonialists who have had the sad misfortune of finding themselves at the mercy of the same extraterrestrial terror that felled her crew on the Nostromo.

While the visuals may remind you of “Alien,” let it be known “Aliens” is closer to “Rambo” than “2001: A Space Odyssey.” We drop the subtleties and nuances of a horrific science-fiction endeavor for the in-your-face gung-ho action more suited for an action adventure. “Aliens” even has its own Stallone-like character in Marine private Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein), who has a disturbing tendency to sneer at you.

But as with “Alien,” the other characters populating sets don’t hold a candle to our reluctant hero. Ripley returns with a quicker wit and more robust courage. Even though she wasn’t in command of the Marine unit sent in to save the citizens, it doesn’t take long for that to change. Her ability to take control, to be heroic in the face of overwhelming odds without becoming a cliché, is downright engrossing. It easy to sympathize with and root for Ripley.

The story of “Aliens” happens after Ripley, donned in just her bikini underwear and with her tabby cat in hand, escaped the Nostromo, trying to just get home. Well, 57 years after that happened. For one reason or another, Ripley spent a half-century traveling through space in a cryogenic sleep before she was rescued. Upon said saving, she learns that the planet from which the terrifying creature spawned has been colonized.

But, of course, no one believes her crazy story. Why would they? Aliens? Murder? Androids? It’s all a bit wild. Until it’s not anymore, like when the company behind the colonization, Weyland-Yutani, loses communications with the people there.

The plot escalates from there, with Marines and aliens and murder all around us. With most of the first half of the movie being exposition, the latter half mainly focuses on building up dread and terror and the premise of dealing with an orphaned child (Carrie Henn).

In the end, “Aliens” is not “Alien,” and that’s a bit of a mixed blessing. Cameron strips the provocative nature of Ridley’s film and replaces it with well-executed and equally terrifying action sequences. Its theme remains disturbing and unsettling, and the message purposely comes across as muddled.

At least Ripley has a gun this time.

Four gun-toting stars out of five.