Aliens (1986)
Directed by: James Cameron
Written by: James Cameron, Walter Hill, David Giler
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, Carrie Henn, Bill Paxton, William Hope, Ricco Ross, Al Matthews, Jenette Goldstein, Colette Hiller, Mark Rolston, Daniel Kash, Cynthia Dale Scott, Tip Tipping, Trevor Steedman, Paul Maxwell
Significant characters introduced: Bishop; the Xenomorph Queen; Corporal Hicks; Newt.
Notable universe developments: Plans for the weaponizing of the Xenomorph are introduced to a new generation of Weyland-Yutani executives.
Ripley wakes up to learn that she has drifted through space in stasis for 57 years. This means that, while the events that befell the crew of the Nostromo seem very recent to her, they’re historical claims for the current generation of Weyland-Yutani executives that seek to debrief her. During her conversations about developments on Earth during her time away, she learns that LV-426 – the name given to the planetoid on which her crew first encountered the alien hive – is now home to a human colony named Hadley’s Hope, and Ripley becomes highly distressed at this news.
Contact with the Hadley’s Hope colony has been lost, however, and Weyland-Yutani executive Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) suspects a link to Ripley’s claims of a bloodthirsty alien. The Corporation, and Colonial Marines, enlist the help of a reluctant Ripley as they set out to investigate why Hadley’s Hope has fallen silent. Ripley agrees, subject to assurances from Weyland-Yutani that the mission is to kill, not capture, the Xenomorph.
Ripley boards the USS Sulaco with Colonial Marine Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope), the Colonial Marines, and an android named Bishop (Lance Henriksen) – of whom Ripley is highly suspicious. They arrive on LV-426 to find a deserted colony, in which there are clear signs of violence, and two of the ‘face-hugger’ creatures (previously seen attached to Kane in Alien) contained in a lab. They also find a traumatized, initially non-verbal young girl (Carrie Henn) who has survived by hiding in ventilation shafts – whom Ripley names Newt.
Using the site computer, Ripley and the marines discover that the colonists are all located together underneath an atmosphere processing station, and set out to find them in the assumption that this is where they’re sheltering. Instead, they find a Xenomorph nest, in which the colonists are cocooned and being used as incubators for alien reproduction. When an alien hatches in their presence, the Marines kill it, which causes the surrounding aliens to wake and attack. Lieutenant Gorman freezes in fear, so Ripley seizes a vehicle and crashes it into the area, retrieving Gorman and Marines Hudson (Bill Paxton), Hicks (Michael Biehn) and Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein). An attempted rescue by a Sulaco dropship is rendered futile when an alien kills the pilots – crashing it into the colony.
Barricading themselves inside a secure building, Ripley, Newt, Burke, Gorman, Hudson, Hicks and Vasquez bunker down, and Ripley finds that Burke is behind the demise of the colony. Aiming for the great wealth that would come from turning the Xenomorph into a biological weapon, Burke purposefully directed the colonists to investigate the abandoned alien ship that the Nostromo crew previously encountered. Ripley’s confrontation with Burke is interrupted, however, by the news that the dropship crash has damaged the power station and it’s set to explode. Bishop volunteers to head into the damaged area to remotely pilot a ship in to rescue the survivors.
While waiting, Ripley and Newt fall asleep in the lab and wake to discover that the face-huggers have been released into the room with them and that the doors are locked. Ripley triggers the fire alarm, which alerts the marines to their plight, and they’re rescued – but she accuses Burke of orchestrating the situation to enable him to smuggle aliens back to Earth inside Ripley and Newt. As they argue, aliens attack from the ceiling – killing all but Ripley, Hicks and Newt. The latter is captured though and dragged away.
Bishop has successfully brought in the dropship and is on board, and Ripley helps Hicks – injured in the alien attack – to the ship, but insists on rescuing Newt. Heading into the alien hive, a heavily-armed Ripley grabs Newt and begins to leave the area, but encounters the Alien Queen, who’s sitting on a nest, producing eggs. Ripley and the Queen share a moment of mutual understanding, in which both are focused on the survival of their younger generation – but Ripley delivers a parting shot by setting fire to the Queen’s eggs and escaping to the Sulaco. Enraged, the Queen pursues them, damaging Bishop – even as the colony explodes behind them.
With the alien Queen on board and approaching Newt, Ripley climbs into an exo-suit cargo-loader and fights her off – jettisoning her into space. Ripley, Newt, Hicks and the remains of Bishop then plot a course for home, and settle down into stasis.
