In 1979, director Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) had made a couple of relatively unknown films before being given the reigns of a Sci-Fi horror movie called Alien. The story revolves around a team of scientists and "astronauts" who answer a distress call for a crashed vessel on an uninhabited planet. However, the crew soon discovers they are not alone as some creature attempts to lay their eggs inside the humans as its host and eventually rip the humans apart when the eggs mature and wish to escape their incubator. The film was a box office success, prompting a sequel in 1986, aptly titled Aliens. Almost 40 years later, the 4K Ultimate Collector's edition has been released and is in stores now.
The two-hour-plus movie begins with Ripley (Sigourney Weaver; Avatar) being woken up by a rescue crew after having been floating in space. Once aboard their ship, she recounts the tale and the fate of the crew only to discover 57 years had passed. Meanwhile, the uninhabited planet became a home to settlers, who have seemed to disappeared without a trace. Asked to join the search and rescue team, Ripley initially declines but eventually goes back to the planet that almost got her killed.
Weaver was an excellent casting choice as she has a tough exterior that reveals a soft and vulnerable underside. Paul Reiser (Beverly Hills Cop) portrays the "company man", Burke, who initially seems genuinely concerned about the settlers until he formulates a plan that will hopefully make his company a lot of money. Bill Paxton (Twister) had some great lines as one of the soldiers on the mission and Carrie Henn (a newcomer at the time of filming) was terrific as the only survivor, a young girl named Newt.
The Dolby Vision quality is amazing, which unfortunately makes some of the effects look incredibly cheesy and laughable. Many of the exterior moments are cringy and even though the visuals were state of the art when the movie was filmed, they don't hold up well.
The 2160p audio quality is well suited for the numerous explosions and screeching sounds made by the aliens, as well as the clean dialogue that floats through the air. The UHD and the first Blu-ray discs offer the following extras: Direct Access to New/Additional Scenes from Special Edition, Audio Commentaries, Introduction, Isolated Scores, and Direct Access to New/Additional Scenes from Special Edition.
With the upgraded video and audio, Aliens has never looked or sounded better but even having said that, some of the space scenes are laughable, but not in a good way. However, with a cult-like following, a great cast, and a solid script behind it, Aliens is worth adding to your home entertainment collection.
Grading Summary
Film Itself: A
4K Showing Special Effects' Defects: C
Overall Grade: B
