Aliens
Metascore
87 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 9 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
view
per page
  1. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    100
    Tautly paced and expertly directed, this roller coaster ride of a motion picture offers a little bit of everything, all wrapped up in a tidy science fiction/action package.
  2. Empire
    Reviewed by: Ian Nathan
    100
    Truly great cinema- manages to dodge that 'dodgy sequel' curse with ease.
  3. Time
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    100
    For this movie stands to be something its predecessor was not, a megahit. And it deserves to be, for it is a remarkable accomplishment: a sequel that exceeds its predecessor in the reach of its appeal while giving Weaver new emotional dimensions to explore.
  4. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    90
    There is always an interesting tension in Cameron's work between masculine and feminine qualities. When it finally hits the fan here, we're in for the mother of all battles.
  5. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    I'm giving the movie a high rating for its skill and professionalism and because it does the job it says it will do. I am also advising you not to eat before you go to see it.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.9 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 186 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 42
  3. Negative: 1 out of 42
  1. rdavies
    10
    I saw this for the first time like 10 years a go and even then as a small child I still knew it was a good movie. The whole cast were brilliant, the directing ; well forget about Titanic and Avatar and James Cameron is one hell of a director/writer. He wrote the initial script and brought this whole thing to life in fantastic shape, his best film by a mile. Taking the idea of one Alien and having a whole army of them is one thing, but making it as horrifying and more action packed is a truly magnificent achievement. The Aliens themselves look absolutely terrifying and the way some of the shots were filmed were absolute genius. Alien was 10 and so is this. I don't think this is better than Alien, but this, Alien and 2001 are equally the best sci-fi films ever made. Watch this film.… Full Review »
  2. grandpajoe6191
    8
    "Aliens" is nevertheless a amazing film that beats its prequel. It has the same tense moments, but director James Cameron even skillfully added blockbuster components, making "Aliens" a more braver and bolder film then its prequel.… Full Review »
  3. ERG1008
    10
    Ripley wakes up 57 years after the original film, bad nightmares, colonies now on LV-426, lose contact, marines go in, action-a-go-go!!
    Sequel     to Ridley Scott's masterpiece. It's not as creepy & maybe not as dark but the larger than life Marines, number of Aliens & fast dialogue make it big, loud & a lot of fun to watch.
    After watching it again recently it's interesting to see how many video games have used this film as an influence.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »