Aliens (Widescreen Director's Cut): Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, Bill Paxton, William Hope, Jenette Goldstein, Al Matthews, Mark Rolston, Ricco Ross, Colette Hiller, James Cameron, David Giler, Gale Anne Hurd, Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett, Walter Hill: Amazon.ca: Video

Product Description

From Amazon.co.uk

James Cameron's Aliens digests all the virtues of Alien and regurgitates them bigger, louder and brasher than before. By the simple expedient of turning the singular beast of the original into a plural, Cameron transforms the franchise's focus from horror to all-out action. Sigourney Weaver's Ripley--one of the strongest roles for a female lead in mainstream cinema--is centre-stage throughout, more than able to hold her own either among the butch Marines and insectoid aliens. Although the director later revealed that there were only ever six alien costumes in any one shot, rapid-fire editing makes it seem like hundreds. Aliens is one of the most dynamic, viscerally exciting movies of the decade and, as a bug-fest, remained unsurpassed until the glorious Starship Troopers in 1997.

On the DVD: The Director's Cut reinstates 17 crucial minutes of footage deleted from the theatrical release. It reveals how the colony on LV-426 encountered the aliens, and more importantly why Ripley's maternal bond with Newt is so strong, which adds an extra dimension to the film's climax. Also included is a short, fairly bland interview with James Cameron, recorded at the time of the cinema release, as well as some background explanation on how specific special effects were created. Unlike the Alien disc, there is no directorial commentary. --Mark Walker

Additional Features

The Director's Cut includes 17 minutes of bonus footage and the original theatrical trailer. The tape itself is a new digital master, overseen by James Cameron.

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4.6 out of 5 stars (426 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars This is why Special Edition's are made!, May 19 2000

By

E. D. Garcia "Biggie-E" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Aliens (Special Edition) (DVD)

Aliens is NOT a rehash of Alien. They are completely different films. While Alien used suspence and shock factor to get the audience (I didn't drink milk for weeks after seeing it!), Aliens is an action-packed powerhouse. Heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat cinema at it's finest. My hat is off to James Cameron for directing and re-writing the script.

Quick rundown of the plot of Aliens:

Flight Lt. Ripley (Sigorney Weaver) wakes up after an unusually long hyper-sleep to find out that the horror she left behind in "Alien" has taken on massive proportions.

You'll see a bunch of familar faces in Aliens:

Michael Biehn (Terminator, The Abyss) as Hicks
Paul Reiser (Mad About You, Diner) as Burke
Lance Henrikson (Millennium, The Quick and the Dead) as Bishop
Bill Paxton (Twister, Titanic) as Hudson
...and a few others that will make you do a double-take. -See if you can figure out what other movie "Private Vasquez" was in with Bill Paxton.

The visual effects are astounding. Thanks to DVD, details can be seen that were blurred in the VHS format. (I can finally read what is written on Ferro's helmet!) This film takes clear advantage of the DVD format and its THX re-mastering. I feel sorry for you if you don't have a large screen and full surround-sound at home for this one! Watching it in wide-screen format reveals all of the detail that has been missing for so long in the pan-and-scan format.

The Special Edition goodies include scenes that were cut from the theaters. The "new" footage (previously only available in LaserDisc format) blend seamlessly into the film. They all add value. I kept thinking "I don't remember that" and "HEY! NOW I get it!" If you've never seen the 17 minutes of added footage, you're in for a treat!

You'll also find Behind the Scenes footage and a photo gallery in the Special Edition. All perks that make this purchase worth while. Even the main menu on the DVD is a treat.

Do yourself a favor, buy this action classic and watch it the way it was intended to be seen!

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Original cut of Aliens is infinitely better., Oct 12 2005

By

Sandra Kasturi "kelpqueen" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Aliens (Special Edition) (DVD)

I don't know what the Editorial reviewers above were thinking, but it just makes me want to smack my forehead in disbelief. The original cut of Aliens is MUCH better than the Director's Cut. This was back when Jim Cameron still knew how to make a great movie--long before the bloated and tiresome Titanic. The extra scenes in Aliens: Reloaded add absolutely nothing. We don't need to know EXACTLY how the colony got decimated by the aliens. We just know it has been. The NOT knowing is what is really scary. By adding in that scene at the beginning showing exactly how the alien ship is discovered by the colonists and how the "infection" begins--well, it just completely blows all suspense in the first third of the film. By not showing that, it puts the viewers on the edge of their seats--we KNOW something has gone horribly wrong, but we don't really know anything for certain. That's what tension is all about. That's how Cameron gives you that creeping dread for so long--that's why, when there's the first big (fake) scare on the planet, you practically jump out of your skin--because you've been so tense for so long! Don't shoot your wad by over-explaining. As for establishing how Ripley's daughter grew up and died while Ripley was a frozen popsicle for 60 years? Well, boo-hoo. Total bathos. Frankly, I thought it was much better that she bonded with Newt without any explanation, except the fact that how on earth could ANYONE not bond with and not care for that smart, brave kid? And she goes back for Newt because of their bond, and because it's the Right Thing To Do. Hello? Do we need the melodrama of Ripley's lost daughter for that to be emotionally genuine and satisfying? No, we don't. I was so glad not to have some kind of maudlin back story to explain people's relationships to me. I can fill in the blanks myself, thanks. Audiences are not that stupid. None of the added scenes in the Director's Cut of Aliens are needed. Watch the original. Accept no substitutes. And now that the original is finally available on DVD, which it wasn't for a long time--well, there's just no excuse.

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4.0 out of 5 stars WOA THT WAS A GOOD SEQUAL, Nov 29 2011

By

EPCNESS - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aliens (Widescreen) (DVD)

Aliens is one of the best scfi movies of all time I only gave it 4 on 5 because i ranther watch an action movie but it still is EPIC because it has action suspence people who dont like scfi should still see this movie because it has everything in it.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars The James Cameron Effect
I realize that I may get flak for writing this, but I found Aliens to be ultimately overrated, a commonality I have found with many of James Cameron's films. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Disco Daggett

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Over-rated
Hey everyone, I watched this movie at a friends house a while ago, and he almost put me off watching the rest of the alien series entirely. Read more

Published on Mar 16 2009 by Alex B.