Retro Review: Aliens (1986)

Writing about James Cameron's masterpiece some 34 years later almost seems like a waste of time. Almost.

Everything that's been said about his follow up to Ridley Scott's Alien has been said. The quality of the acting, the near perfection of the filmmaking and pacing, the fact this is one of the best "rides" ever put on film... it's all been talked about.

Then my wife said something to me I hadn't considered before: watching Aliens is like coming home.

If you're a fan, Aliens is one of those rare things that can bring you comfort. You've seen it a thousand times, you know what's coming, but you're invested in it anyway. It ceases to be a movie. You know it so well, it's almost like you're there... and you enjoy that feeling.

The world could be going to shit around you but, for these 137 minutes, that's OK. Because you're watching Aliens, and life is good.

You know the scares are coming, but you jump anyway. You pump your fist -- with a slight tear at the corner of your eye -- when Gorman and Vasquez sacrifice themselves so the others can escape. And you cheer when Ripley says her classic line, "get away from here you... BITCH!"

Few films -- heck, few anythings -- have that kind of impact on someone. And that's one of the reasons we're still talking about this movie today. No kidding, it's a Good. But it's also one of the few greats!

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