Theres a progression in each of the Alien movies. In the first film, the conflict was completely impersonal, it was just a matter of survival. But in Aliens, it became slightly more personal. Due to the alien, Ripley was stuck in hyperspace for fifty years. And as a result of this, her daughter grew old and died. So in a way, the alien was indirectly responsible for the death of Ripleys daughter. So the stakes were raised. But even after her life was ruined by the alien, Ripley seemed to be on the path to recovery. She persevered, proved herself to be a survivor, and she even found a new family for herself. Her relationship with Newt was so obviously a mother/daughter one, and the relationship with Hicks was, to a much lesser extent, a husband/wife dynamic. And the mother dynamic was really played out, with the epic showdown between the two mothers of the series Ripley and the Alien Queen. Once the smoke had cleared, Ripley had a new chance for happiness. Just look at the closing scene when Newt asks, can I dream? and Ripley says, yes honey, I think we both can. And what happens? The aliens strike again, taking away Ripleys family for a second time, only now theyve done it directly and given her a third familyand this one is even worse. The personal connection is brought home solidly when Ripley tells the alien, in one of my favorite scenes, youve been in my life for so long, I cant remember anything else.
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
