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IMDbPro

Aliens

  • 19861986
  • RR
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
704K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
300
29
Aliens (1986)
Trailer 5 for Aliens
Play trailer0:31
11 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Sci-Fi
Fifty-seven years after surviving an apocalyptic attack aboard her space vessel by merciless space creatures, Officer Ripley awakens from hyper-sleep and tries to warn anyone who will listen... Read allFifty-seven years after surviving an apocalyptic attack aboard her space vessel by merciless space creatures, Officer Ripley awakens from hyper-sleep and tries to warn anyone who will listen about the predators.Fifty-seven years after surviving an apocalyptic attack aboard her space vessel by merciless space creatures, Officer Ripley awakens from hyper-sleep and tries to warn anyone who will listen about the predators.
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
704K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
300
29
  • Director
    • James Cameron
  • Writers
    • James Cameron(story by)
    • David Giler(story by)
    • Walter Hill(story by)
  • Stars
    • Sigourney Weaver
    • Michael Biehn
    • Carrie Henn
Top credits
  • Director
    • James Cameron
  • Writers
    • James Cameron(story by)
    • David Giler(story by)
    • Walter Hill(story by)
  • Stars
    • Sigourney Weaver
    • Michael Biehn
    • Carrie Henn
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.4KUser reviews
    • 225Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #66
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 20 wins & 23 nominations total

    Videos11

    Aliens
    Trailer 0:31
    Aliens
    Aliens
    Trailer 0:32
    Aliens
    Aliens
    Trailer 1:58
    Aliens
    Aliens
    Trailer 1:51
    Aliens
    Aliens | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:37
    Aliens | Anniversary Mashup
    'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
    Clip 4:04
    'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
    A Guide to the Films of James Cameron
    Clip 1:27
    A Guide to the Films of James Cameron
    Aliens: 30th Anniversary Edition
    Clip 1:25
    Aliens: 30th Anniversary Edition
    Aliens: 30th Anniversary Edition
    Clip 1:55
    Aliens: 30th Anniversary Edition
    'Overlord' Cast on How to Survive a Nazi Zombie Apocalypse
    Video 2:15
    'Overlord' Cast on How to Survive a Nazi Zombie Apocalypse
    Our Evil Game Almost Breaks Jimmi Simpson
    Video 2:23
    Our Evil Game Almost Breaks Jimmi Simpson

    Photos451

    Sigourney Weaver in Aliens (1986)
    James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver in Aliens (1986)
    James Cameron, Sigourney Weaver, and Michael Biehn in Aliens (1986)
    Sigourney Weaver in Aliens (1986)
    Bill Paxton, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Jenette Goldstein, and Paul Reiser in Aliens (1986)
    Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn in Aliens (1986)
    James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver in Aliens (1986)
    Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn in Aliens (1986)
    Barbara Coles in Aliens (1986)
    Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn in Aliens (1986)
    Aliens (1986)
    Aliens (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sigourney Weaver
    Sigourney Weaver
    • Ripley
    Michael Biehn
    Michael Biehn
    • Corporal Hicks
    Carrie Henn
    Carrie Henn
    • Newt
    Paul Reiser
    Paul Reiser
    • Burke
    Lance Henriksen
    Lance Henriksen
    • Bishop
    Bill Paxton
    Bill Paxton
    • Private Hudson
    William Hope
    William Hope
    • Lieutenant Gorman
    Jenette Goldstein
    Jenette Goldstein
    • Private Vasquez
    Al Matthews
    Al Matthews
    • Sergeant Apone
    Mark Rolston
    Mark Rolston
    • Private Drake
    Ricco Ross
    Ricco Ross
    • Private Frost
    Colette Hiller
    Colette Hiller
    • Corporal Ferro
    Daniel Kash
    Daniel Kash
    • Private Spunkmeyer
    Cynthia Dale Scott
    Cynthia Dale Scott
    • Corporal Dietrich
    • (as Cynthia Scott)
    Tip Tipping
    • Private Crowe
    Trevor Steedman
    • Private Wierzbowski
    Paul Maxwell
    Paul Maxwell
    • Van Leuwen
    Valerie Colgan
    Valerie Colgan
    • ECA Rep
    • Director
      • James Cameron
    • Writers
      • James Cameron(story by) (screenplay by)
      • David Giler(story by)
      • Walter Hill(story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    8.3
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    8.5
    Back to the Future

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Like most films, the movie wasn't shot in sequence. But for added realism, James Cameron filmed the scene where we first meet the Colonial Marines (one of the earliest scenes) last. This was so that the camaraderie of the Marines was realistic because the actors had spent months filming together.
    • Goofs
      (at around 21 mins) When Bishop is "doing the thing with knife" the scene is sped up to give the impression that Bishop is lightning fast. Apone can be seen rocking his head back and forth, also at a ridiculous speed.
    • Quotes

      Private Hudson: Hey Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man?

      Private Vasquez: No. Have you?

    • Crazy credits
      As the final credits fade, there is the sound of a facehugger scurrying across from left to right.
    • Alternate versions
      The Finnish VHS version rated K16 is cut with 3 minutes and 42 seconds. Some gory murders done by the aliens, some acid-to-the-face scenes, and pretty oddly the entire "fingers and knife"-game between the soldier and Bishop, and just a shot of Newt in the water and couple of aliens rising up to the surface, are cut out. The scene in the movie's ending, where the alien queen rips Bishop in half is heavily cut too. The Finnish video version re-release is still heavily cut (3 minutes and 3 seconds), although it's a little more complete (at least the "fingers and knife"-game is intact). The cuts on both versions were applied by the distributor.
    • Connections
      Edited into Attack of the 50 Foot Monster Mania (1999)

    User reviews1.4K

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    James Cameron and Bill Paxton at their finest
    There are really good movies and then there's that select few that change your life. For me movies like Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, JFK, Titanic and Star Wars did that. By viewing a movie you see life in a different light. Aliens also did that to me. I didn't think a movie could scare me as much as Halloween did but this one certainly did that and more. The atmosphere in this movie, and the lighting and cinematography and of course the direction are top notch, and some of the scenes are some of the scariest I've seen in my life time. But what puts this movie over the top as one of the all time greatest films ever made is the casting.

    Sigourney Weaver is terrific but it is her supporting cast that shines and makes you feel like you know the crew that is heading to that desolate planet.

    Paul Reiser is perfect as Burke,the slimy corporate kiss ass that cares about profit before human lives. Lance Henriksen shines as Bishop, the cyborg with a heart. Jeanette Goldstein is the rough around the edges female marine that more than holds her own with all the testosterone floating around and Michael Biehn ( another Cameron favourite )is the perfect quiet leader that leads by example and not so much a loud demonstrative voice. But the show stopper in this flick ( just as he always is in any movie that he is in ) is Bill Paxton.

    Paxton and Cameron have worked on Terminator 1, True Lies, Titanic and Aliens and Bill is one of those actors that steals scenes from every actor and was always a recognizable face even before Titanic. Here, his Hudson character is the comic relief but he is also perhaps one of the true characters that we can all identify with. His tough exterior is nothing more than camouflage for his frightened fragile interior. He realizes the dire situation that they are all in and he can't hide his fear. When he finds out that they won't be rescued for at least seventeen days, his response is " Hey man, we're not going to survive 17 hours man! Those things are going to come in here and they're going to get us and..... " ( Ripley ) This little girl survived longer than that with no weapons and no military training. " ( Hudson ) " Why don't ya put her in charge!!! "

    Paxton is a gift to any and every movie that he is in and this is his finest work. He should have won a best supporting actor that year. And if you haven't seen this movie, rush to see it if only for Bill Paxton. He steals the show. But if a tightly wound, brilliantly technical and unbelievably scary movie is your thing, then you can't go wrong here. This is easily a ten out of ten, and one of the best ever made. If Spielberg is the king is Hollywood, then Cameron is his heir apparent. Oh, and one more thing, Paxton will win an Oscar one day.
    helpful•245
    65
    • baumer
    • Jun 15, 1999

    FAQ41

    • Why was Newt afraid of Ripley & the Marines? They were human.
    • How long could Ripley have survived in her stasis pod while drifting through space if she hadn't been found after 57 years?
    • Since there's no gravity in outer space why does the dropship fall away from the main ship so fast? Does it have engines on top of it pushing it down and away from the main ship?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 18, 1986 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Disney+ Hotstar (id)
      • HBOMAX
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Alien 2
    • Filming locations
      • Acton Lane Power Station, Acton Lane, Acton, London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Twentieth Century Fox
      • Brandywine Productions
      • Pinewood Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $18,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $85,160,248
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $10,052,042
      • Jul 20, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $131,060,248
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 17 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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