10 Best Examples Of Movies With A ‘Chekhov’s Gun’
4. Aliens - Power Loader
After Ripley is rescued following her escape in the stasis pod, she demonstrates her ability to competently use the wearable forklift power loader to move crates on the Gateway Station. This scene appears to be a show of feminist empowerment that Ripley is just as capable as her male co-crew members.
She is challenged with ‘I don’t know, is there anything you can do?’ when offering to help, and uses it to show the cynical men exactly what she can do. It is the moment that they realise that she is not just a damsel in distress and sets her up as the heroine of the film.
The Power Loader doesn’t initially appear to be any more than a simple, but futuristic tool, until the final showdown with the Alien Queen when Ripley iconically steps out wearing it and warning her to get away from Newt. It is the perfect machine to equalise the playing field and allows her to be victorious in a seemingly unwinnable battle.