Aliens (1986)
I don’t know when exactly I last time saw this, but it was likely back in the VHS days. Cameron definitely upped the action here and it is easy to see how the characterization of Ripley put in some groundwork for Sarah Connor in Terminator 2.
I liked the second half much better than the first, starting when Ripley and Newt are stuck in the room with the facehugger. That was were the claustrophobic horror that the first film did so exceptionally well came back. The first half lays some important foundation for what happens later, and while I know it is a point that the soldiers are so abhorrently macho sexists, it was a bit too much. Though there is some fun with their ridiculously large guns that looked like something from an Unreal Tournament game.
The last hour is absolutely insane in terms of keeping the action going, with one insurmountable life threatening situation after the other without any breaks. intense and exciting.
Rating: 3.5