2. Aliens (1986)
Ask people what some of the best sequels in film history have been and you're more than likely to hear Aliens pop up again and again. Knowing that attempting to capture the horror and effectiveness of the Alien in the first film for an entire runtime would be near impossible given that the mystery around the creature was gone for the audience, James Cameron shifted gears for the sequel, crafting an excellent end product of science fiction and action-adventure in the process. Sigourney Weaver's return as Ellen Ripley feels natural rather than forced and watching her blossom out of her post-traumatic shell into a maternal warrior is entertaining. Toss in all the other popular elements -- from characters like Hudson, Hicks, Newt and Bishop to the introduction of the Queen Alien into the series' mythology -- and the recipe concocted for Aliens ends up being a perfect second round for the series that goes hand-in-hand with its predecessor. Not much can be said about the film that hasnt been said time in and time out over the years since its release and its rare that a sequel can legitimately give an original film a run for its money in the argument about which one is better, but Aliens continues to stand the test of time for what it did to reshape and redefine the franchise.
Geoff Cox
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Writer, film enthusiast, part-time gamer and watcher of (mostly) good television located on the fringe of Los Angeles, who now has his own website at www.highdefgeoff.com!
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