Aliens

Ripley's so fucking badass dude holy shit A whole different beast from the original but an absolute monster in its own right. Sacrifices some of the claustrophobic tension for some high-stake action but still keeps to the real horror roots. Still gets you with that freaky-ass thing. I think my favorite part is the set design and attention to detail; this is an 80s sci-fi movie in all the best ways. Looks beyond stunning (4K on Disney+ is great). Best in the first two acts as it gets a little bit silly by the the end as the action gets ever-larger, but mostly sticks the landing and is just so much beautiful fun. Of course, we have some typically cartoonish James Cameron dialogue, but that's mixed in with some just awesome quotes so I guess it's fine. Take the good with the bad, honestly, I think they just come together. Keeps on the same general thematic through-lines, if just a bit less coherent and viscerally expressive. Good as it is, though, you're actually a fed if you like this more than the first. James Cameron Ranked