Just like with the review of Child's Play 2, Siskel gets a little too hung up on children in peril. When a movie plot point disturbs you that much or it really gets to you, then I think you're taking a movie like Aliens or Child's Play 2 a little too seriously. Granted, maybe it had more effect when the movies came out, since what happens in movies now makes older movies look tame. But still, they're movies - plain and simple. Many child actors have fun with them and dont grow up disturbed.
i dont like in monster movies when people die from something other than the monster. In this movie its when the ammo blows up and kills a bunch of guys. What a waste of a good monster kill.
It is really unfair what fox did to this movie. In the extended edition of the film you discover that Ripley had a daughter that died while she was in stasis floating around space. That is practically the only reason why newt was in the film because of how Ripley would feel towards her, not as a scapegoat.
@gibbi8 I saw this in the theater when it first came out - it was friggin awesome!!!! I saw the first one in the theater too, and it scared the crap out of me. The first 2 Alien movies are my favourite Sci-Fi movies and I still throw the blue ray in and watch them a few times a year.
Yeah Gene, children are never put in peril in real life. They never get hurt or killed. To put it in a movie is just gratuitous. I hope you're warm down there in hell.
I Remember my friend and i would be driving in my car, we was going to see this movie when it was in theaters, when we arrived at the movie theater, I chickened out, and i told my friend to see this movie without me, so my friend got out of the car, and went inside to see this movie, about an hour later my friend came out of the movie theater and got into my car, while I was driving back to my house, my friend told me that she didn't like this movie.
Wow. These two Nancy-boys got upset by a movie. I thought it rocked. Furthermore, I think it stands the test of time. I may even have it on VHS somewhere. Think I'll look for it!
Aliens is not better than the original - IMO, they're both equally good, but Aliens took the franchise in a totally different direction. Aliens played out like an action film. Alien was a genuine horror movie with a foreboding since of dread, isolation, and paranioa.
ChameleonHead, well, my biggest gripe with reality-based films about supernatural or science-fiction characters and stories is that it's trying to force a lie. Whether its done with great effects or not, that alien or super human or whatever is still NOT REAL. It is very fake. So, when the filmmakers are trying to say that these cockroach aliens are real by filming them as if they were there, it's kind of insulting to the viewer for being intuitive, knowing that its fake. So, that sabotages it.
@LukeLovesRose I know where your coming from but the film makers didn't do that just to force realism, although I personally thought District 9's gritty realism made it very interesting and unique . The reason that there were scenes in the movie that resembled documentaries and news footage of slums was to reflect on how people are segregated and discriminated in the real world, like how Avatar used the Pocahantus type story to refelct on explotation and imperilism.
Reality-based films are nothing new, the POV horror genre actually began in 1980 with the most controversial and shocking cult horror film of all time called "Cannibal Holocaust" which started it all and many films followed in it's pattern like Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity, REC and so much more.
ChameleonHead, Inception was good for a few times, but eventually Nolan's complex story starts to unravel painfully. I still care about Cobb and the rest of the mind-rapiing thieves. But, the top thing at the end doesn't do anything for me anymore.
That's what Cameron does best. He weaves a great quilt together and leaves no thread out to unravel the experience of watching his films. People think they have a loose thread with plot holes or whatever, but... they don't. Cameron is a step ahead
ChameleonHead, I think that Inception and District 9 were very well made movies. Nolan actually showed that he is growing as visualist with Inception. The alien cockroaches in District 9 were very effective and compelling CGI characters.
I don't like the mockumentary style of filmmaking that they partly used for District 9. It's like Slumdog Millionaire meets Invaders from Mars. You know? It was kind of an insult to my intelligence. The fact that they took it all so seriously.
Inception kind of reminded me of that Batman the animated series episode called "Perchance to a Dream" where Bruce Wayne is in a dreamstate yet unknowingly doesn't think it is as he is about to marry his sweetheart Selina and his parents are still alive and someone else is playing Batman as it turned out to be Mad Hatter. I think Nolan borrowed heavily from that great episode and made it as a film, don't you think?
Brilliant sequel, just as equal to the 1979 masterpiece. I saw this in theaters as a kid as it was one of the first R-rated films i saw in theaters when i lived in St. Louis and it rocked me and my bigger brother's world including my dad's, this and The Thing were the best movies about killer aliens in the 80s. I like how Cameron was influenced by Starship Troopers (the novel) when he did this film. I even played the arcade game and had the action figures as a kid, the comics were neat too.
ChameleonHead, I know what you're going to say. Story is everything. Well, that's true. But, what I'm talking about as far as raising the bar with the execution of a film (the direction, the writing, the composition, etc), you have to take everything into consideration, before committing to every shot. How does this relate to the character, the story, the setting, the atmosphere, etc. After you've done that, you can get away with a lot, as long as it serves the characters, story, setting, etc.
@LukeLovesRose Your right! execution is extremely important to the quality of a film and if I said Cameron couldn't execute well I'd be kidding myself. I just don't always enjoy his scripts or characters a whole lot and I feel like thats a legitimate reason to not enjoy a film as much. Please do keep in mind, I agree with what you say about the execution of shots and composition, its more Camerons scripts I don't enjoy
Since Titanic, filmmakers have been embracing easier, less costly filmmaking like The Blair Witch Project. With Avatar, Cameron proved that was a mistake. Obviously, the biggest possible exception to this were the Lord of the Rings and possibly the superhero movies. HOWEVER, the Indie filmmakers have been desperate to make something actually worth something. Yeah, the critics kiss their asses, but that doesn't help their movies age worth a damn.
ChameleonHead, well, for starters, Cameron was making 3D films with his earlier masterpieces, long before Avatar. The 3D effect was made by 2D gimmicks. He added more value to every shot, visually. He's made it abundantly clear that you can't get power of a line if the visual image is not up to par. And I'm not talking about the effects. I'm talking about what goes into every shot, the composition, where and why. It wasn't until Avatar that people started to actually pay attention to this.
ChameleonHead, I'm sorry. But, you're ignorant, because you don't want to at least try and understand why Cameron uses such characters. You've clearly made your goddamn decision and you probably will never deviate. Just like all of the other childish assholes on the internet, bitching about every crack in every Cameron film.
No other film by any other film gets as scrutinized as a James Cameron film. You all should be ashamed. You want to stop the future of film.
@LukeLovesRose How can u say that I haven't tried when I said I like the characters in some of his films? Like I said, T2 and The Abyss had great characters that I enjoyed alot. And even though I wasn't a huge fan of Avatars characters, there were things about the movie that I did like, adore even. I also was willing to deviate because I didn't expect much from T2 but I ended up liking it more than the first in a lot of ways. You really shouldnt write people off as "childish assholes" just
@LukeLovesRose because they don't share all of your opinions and are willingly to state that they would do some things differently than Cameron. And how do I want to stop the future of film? lol Because I don't agree with all of one particualr visionaries approaches? Its actually kind of childish to automatically label and attack people for having different opinions, especiallt when they are willing to have an intelligent conversation about it. :D
@LukeLovesRose besides, I don't even see how hating Cameron (which I don't) would be wanting to "stop the future of film". I don't really see how Avatar revolutionized anything besides 3D movie going. I think where Cameron really did something revolutionary was with the CGI effects in The Abyss and T2 and those were decades ago.
ChameleonHead, I thought you might be stubborn and hard-headed before, but you're just ignorant.
Cameron did everything he could to honor the original, Alien, while also embelling the character of Ellen Ripley... as only James Cameron can do. He made Alien better, because Ripley was no longer a one-dimensional slasher-film survivor like she was in Alien. Because of his sequel, Cameron brought Ellen Ripley to life just effectively as Citizen Kane brought Charles Foster Kane to life.
@LukeLovesRose How am I ignorant? I actually fully acknowledge that Ripley is further explored and improved upon in Aliens. actually shes the only character that I liked.
that being said, I'm not a big fan of James Camerons characters with the exception of T2 and The Abyss. I don't really know why but in both Aliens and Avatar, the only characters I liked were Sigourneys. The others were etheir unbelivable or unlikable. Am I still a moron for having my own taste/opinion?
I love how neither of these guys notice that the whole fucking theme of the movie is motherhood, with Ripley regretting her lost real daughter, protecting Newt from the aliens, while the Queen is essentially trying to protect her children as well. Or that it's a big play on Beowulf and Grendel's mother, where Grendel was Alien.
laughing at how fucking wrong both these idiots are. overkill? are you kidding me? siskel in particular is a loathsome cunt. he writes the whole movie off because it shows a kid in peril(who gets rescued in the most amazing action sequence of all time) and because "there are too many monsters". what a complete fucking douche.
ChameleonHead, what the hell was wrong with the quote, "Mommy"? That was the point of their relationship. The film basically becomes a wonderful euphemism for adopting children. But, I think that went over your head or you wouldn't be bitching about the "Mommy" quote.
By the way, "Get away from her, you bitch!" is regarded as one of the greatest moments in film history. And the ensuing fight, which is not scored at all, which is wonderful by itself, is one of the best of its kind.
@LukeLovesRose I actually liked "Get away from her you bitch", gives me shivers everytime. And yeah, I got the whole adopting the child euphemism, I just didnt dig it lol. Newt saying "Mommy" was irritatingingly "cute", something thrown in to make the audience go "Awwwee"
I suppose one of the biggest reasons I dont like Aliens as much as the original is that I don't like the characters much. Even Alien Ressurection had characters I liked more.
ChameleonHead, I have no idea how you think a sequel would better honor the original. Cameron isn't taking Ridley's visual style and trying to make a perfect copy of Alien. He tried to make it his own. So, according to you, another filmmaker would have to copy the original in order to best honor it, is that what you're saying?
All Cameron did was continue the story of Ripley and change the alien creature to serve HIS MOVIE, his vision. I don't understand why that's a problem.
@LukeLovesRose I'm saying that Cameron didnt do a very good job at honouring the originals visual style yes. And no, I'm not saying he should have copied the originals style completley a director could have added new elements, I just don't think he was a very good match for the universe. Its still a fantasticallly well crafted movie, just sort of a let down of a sequel. hardly canon though seeing as it wasn't written, designed or directed by those who made the orginal :)
@LukeLovesRose I suppose it isn't a problem seeing as if its Camerons movie its hardly canon to the original anyway. Alien was written by Dan O'Bannon, designed by H.R. Giger and directed by Ridley Scott. Aliens was all Camerons creation so really its just high-quality fan-fiction. Its about as canon to the original as all of those direct to video Disney sequels are to their predicessors. Not that I think Aliens is a bad movie, I think its great but it should have been a whole new story.
ChameleonHead, you don't seem to understand. We're still quoting the dialogue from Aliens. We're still quoting Citizen Kane, Gone With The Wind and Casablanca, 70 years on. That's what makes great dialogue. Now, I honestly don't know why you people have something against memorable dialogue. If the dialogue is fun, then, it's supposed to be in a movie like Aliens. Hudson is supposed to be entertaining. I don't understand why that hurts the film in your limited mind.
@LukeLovesRose I actually hate it when people quote Hudson. And it just made the film less enjoyable for me because A) it really dated the movie, B) the marines in the film really bugged the crap out of me. I think thats one of the ways I enjoy Aliens less than the original. Its loud and a little over the top. I like the originals more subtle eerie atmosphere. Jusy my opinion though, I guess I have a "limited mind"... I did enjoy watching the aliens destroy them though. that was fun.
I think they gave Alien a thumbs down, for it's archetype "monster in house" plot. I disagree with their opinions on Aliens, and despite their negative review, Cameron should have a sense of accomplishment with their reaction to the film. Cameron should have directed Jurassic Park as well, the realism of the dinosaurs is related to how many people did not survive at the end of the film.
@maggietorro They just had different taste's than the other, that's all. Ebert's (this is just my opinion) taste in films are more in the mainstream of public perception, whereas Siskel's seemed to be more routed in how he perceived a film intellectually. They both loved movies. Ebert still does.
Put me down as conservative, loose-tight, and a movie buff. The fact that I have over 3,000 films in my video collection (VHS, LaserDisc, CED, VCD, DVD) proves that. :)
paul riser needs a john travolta-esque comeback. he s one of the most annoying human beings i ve witnessed on film and i m sure he could still do the job.
@mnugget44 IIRC 'Mad about you' is 'that' sitcom your referring to, and didn't start airing til the 90's and this was made in 86, iirc, so he didn't have the money you are referring to... Unless i am not understanding you, or i am wrong... which i doubt, but maybe...
You know, whenever I've watched the movie "Aliens," not once did the thought cross my mind that one of the aliens could have been inside Newt, waiting to burst out and attack everyone. And now I wish that had happened...
@robaquarian But not as ugly as you and your look alike suck buddy pictured here. Enjoy being up all night alone seeking old show advice. Yes, your epitome of good taste, fatso now cancerous Ebert can advise you!
They were upset at the end of the movie?... that's exactly the way you are suppose to feel... It's a freakin horror/sci-fi/action movie for cryin out loud!
I general like most of their reviews, but epic failure here.
Fatso was second fiddle on a show after midnight. Fatso couldn't write movies, all were laughable, but trashes others work. His ugly fans- like the 14 year old lonely oy bothing people here- are the defination of "loser". Now fatso was on the cancer diet and had body parts removed so it is slim. Still cheap and low down, but no longer fat.
@gottfriedthegod you and all your other accounts are the definition of the word insanity you are the repetitive and a loser how much time of your life do you waste trolling
@daveybaby131 I agree. When someone is so distasteful looking and out of style, how can he tell others which movie to see? She (Roger Ebert) has no taste. Of course, we can't see his fans who need her direction.
@TheBitchinbabs so now you went to aliens with this shit fuck you you ain,t nothin but a sweet ass bitch i guess thats were you get your name fuck you
@TheBitchinbabs yea yea we all know what you've said hundreds of times hell i cant go to an ebert review with out you trolling the same comment but a wise man once said that the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over so writing the same thing over and over again is stupid and ebert wont respond to you,HA HA how does it feel to know that someone who you hate doesn't know you exist
@CoolerKing38 wow didn't I block you, your just go to every comment I post and annoy me.your just gonna let me know your stalking me I thought I heard something outside my window
@CoolerKing38 stop anoying me or ill go to your moms house start dating her and make your bedtime three hours earlier then I'll drop you off at your uncles with enough lube to fill a turkey afterwards I'll let you joe jackson teach you how to dance,next i'll let a fat bitch with a fetish tuck you in at night for Halloween you get to be dressed up in all white with a pointy hat in the ghetto and when you wake up you'll notice that all your stuff is in one bag at the door
@TheDeeFormed The answer is the losers who are alone all night tolling old show sites. As ugly as Ebert is and as tasteless, they must be worse to seek his opinion
Oh please fatso now deformed Roger tell us which shows to see! Oh, what did you think of it? Oh, Roger, your work of "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" filled about two movie seats, the same as your ass!
Ok, I'm not that big an Alien movies, I stopped watching these movies, when that Alien Vs Predator: Requium was released on dvd. and that was it for me. oh btw I would have to agree with Gene Siskel, because i don't like movies that put kid's in peril.
he's kind of right!!!!!! children DON'T die in movies, especially back then, so there is no suspense if you check your head. but i know when i saw this as a kid i LOVED this movie.
You can tell from their reviews that this movie was definitely ahead of its time. Siskel says it was too much monsters on the attack, but compared to movies that have come out recently it is definitely pretty tame. I would love to see a revisited review 5-10 years or even later from these guys.
I wonder what they would think if they saw Inception that year, which is about 75% intense action.
THIS is your idol who you seek advice on movies from? THIS THING? What does that say about YOU? Ebert was not only a drunkard but failed even at writing cheap smut screen plays. A total hypocrite. And the "retards" are the ones up all night seeking to debate the merits of old shows
@nikosvault yeah these retards are upset that ebert had no sympathy for an idiot who got plastered drunk, could of killed an innocent person but instead killed himself by going 120mph off a 40 foot cliff.
maaaannn...i'm glad to learn how unenthusiastic these two well known critics felt about ALIENS, one of the all-time best sequels ever...and one of MY personal favorite movies of all time.
actually i'm kinda glad to find em NOT really too crazy bout what now is considered one of the modern classics. it shows how movies can evolve from just another new movie to one of THE movies of its era.
I love these guys but Siskel couldn't be more wrong. Weaver doesn't hold up as the lead? She got nominated as Best Actress! In a sci-f movie too which is pretty rare.
I have a problem with Siskel's interpretation. I don't think they put Newt in danger for the sake of suspense. As far as I'm concerned, they did it to show Ripley's affinity for Newt and the lengths she would go to to save her. It was a plot device for Ripley's character, not Newt's.
@MB4493 No doubt his review his review is based on a personal knee jerk and doesn't see the character for its arc and its contribution to theme and central conflict (motherly instinct). Which is sad because this is the sort of thing a film critic is supposed to digest and highlight for avid film goers
@MB4493 Yes, and to show were protective motherly nature.. a contrast to the Queen Alien and since she missed being there to see her daughter grow up on earth.
Not only that but Ripley's maternal love of Newt helps us better understand the Queen and her love for her offspring.
Siskel totally misunderstood this masterpiece. He got too emotionally involved. Like Ebert and his tummy cramps, Siskel lost his professionalism and attacked the film from a personal, bias and BS point of view... IMO.
Exactly. Aliens, unlike its B-movie predecessor, is more about Ellen Ripley and her relationship with everyone and everything in the film. That makes Aliens the Citizen Kane of alien monster movies, like It! The Terror From Beyond Space and This Island Earth or any given alien monster of the 1950s.
@LukeLovesRose lol better a stylish atmospheric "B-movie" as you'd put it than an 80s action movie featuring a bunch of annoying cliche 80s characters, silly quotes ("game over man!", "eat this!", "Mommy!" and a screaming child. Now, I'll be honest I like Aliens as a stand alone, its very well made and a good movie but its a horrible sequel that doesn't honour the original at all. Cameron should have just made a Starship troopers style sci-fi film with Sigourney in it.
Just like with the review of Child's Play 2, Siskel gets a little too hung up on children in peril. When a movie plot point disturbs you that much or it really gets to you, then I think you're taking a movie like Aliens or Child's Play 2 a little too seriously. Granted, maybe it had more effect when the movies came out, since what happens in movies now makes older movies look tame. But still, they're movies - plain and simple. Many child actors have fun with them and dont grow up disturbed.
happydragonpics 2 days ago
i dont like in monster movies when people die from something other than the monster. In this movie its when the ammo blows up and kills a bunch of guys. What a waste of a good monster kill.
fosponomot 5 days ago
I saw this movie when I was a child in 1987. Now I'm an adult and an alcoholic.
BipolarBowler 1 week ago
It is really unfair what fox did to this movie. In the extended edition of the film you discover that Ripley had a daughter that died while she was in stasis floating around space. That is practically the only reason why newt was in the film because of how Ripley would feel towards her, not as a scapegoat.
Shadow18275 1 week ago
I honestly don't know how you could shrug off Aliens like Siskel did.Watching Aliens on the big screen back in 1986 would have blown me away.
gibbi8 2 weeks ago
@gibbi8 I saw this in the theater when it first came out - it was friggin awesome!!!! I saw the first one in the theater too, and it scared the crap out of me. The first 2 Alien movies are my favourite Sci-Fi movies and I still throw the blue ray in and watch them a few times a year.
6StringCrunch 2 days ago
Here's my review, Ass kickin name takin thriller. 7 Academy Awards, the best SciFi flic I've ever seen.
400hpmustang 2 weeks ago
What's with those freaking giant glasses?
Charlenefabulous 3 weeks ago 4
look at this fuck! LOL
bloboshitful 3 weeks ago 2
Yeah Gene, children are never put in peril in real life. They never get hurt or killed. To put it in a movie is just gratuitous. I hope you're warm down there in hell.
stuntmanmike37 1 month ago
EBERT=UGLY
FANS=LOSERS
TheBitchinbabs 1 month ago
Oh Btw, I'm still looking for a Siskel & Ebert Clip that has them reviewing the movie, "The Lawnmower Man" that had Peirce Bronson in it.
DimeraFan28 1 month ago
I Remember my friend and i would be driving in my car, we was going to see this movie when it was in theaters, when we arrived at the movie theater, I chickened out, and i told my friend to see this movie without me, so my friend got out of the car, and went inside to see this movie, about an hour later my friend came out of the movie theater and got into my car, while I was driving back to my house, my friend told me that she didn't like this movie.
DimeraFan28 1 month ago
Wow. These two Nancy-boys got upset by a movie. I thought it rocked. Furthermore, I think it stands the test of time. I may even have it on VHS somewhere. Think I'll look for it!
localcrew 1 month ago
Thinking on it they have a point, it does goes from sci-fi to more of a survival movie. But it is a good film.
RageOfTheTiger 1 month ago
Aliens is not better than the original - IMO, they're both equally good, but Aliens took the franchise in a totally different direction. Aliens played out like an action film. Alien was a genuine horror movie with a foreboding since of dread, isolation, and paranioa.
Diskoboy1974 2 months ago
God is Ebert ugly
TheDeeFormed 2 months ago
@TheDeeFormed I'll mark that under who gives a shit. Stupidity>Criticism.
lfaldrummer12 2 months ago
@lfaldrummer12 Like who gives a shit about you and your tired fat drunk "critic" of old films
TheDeeFormed 2 months ago
ChameleonHead, well, my biggest gripe with reality-based films about supernatural or science-fiction characters and stories is that it's trying to force a lie. Whether its done with great effects or not, that alien or super human or whatever is still NOT REAL. It is very fake. So, when the filmmakers are trying to say that these cockroach aliens are real by filming them as if they were there, it's kind of insulting to the viewer for being intuitive, knowing that its fake. So, that sabotages it.
LukeLovesRose 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose I know where your coming from but the film makers didn't do that just to force realism, although I personally thought District 9's gritty realism made it very interesting and unique . The reason that there were scenes in the movie that resembled documentaries and news footage of slums was to reflect on how people are segregated and discriminated in the real world, like how Avatar used the Pocahantus type story to refelct on explotation and imperilism.
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose
Reality-based films are nothing new, the POV horror genre actually began in 1980 with the most controversial and shocking cult horror film of all time called "Cannibal Holocaust" which started it all and many films followed in it's pattern like Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity, REC and so much more.
Johnlindsey289 1 month ago
ChameleonHead, Inception was good for a few times, but eventually Nolan's complex story starts to unravel painfully. I still care about Cobb and the rest of the mind-rapiing thieves. But, the top thing at the end doesn't do anything for me anymore.
That's what Cameron does best. He weaves a great quilt together and leaves no thread out to unravel the experience of watching his films. People think they have a loose thread with plot holes or whatever, but... they don't. Cameron is a step ahead
LukeLovesRose 2 months ago
ChameleonHead, I think that Inception and District 9 were very well made movies. Nolan actually showed that he is growing as visualist with Inception. The alien cockroaches in District 9 were very effective and compelling CGI characters.
I don't like the mockumentary style of filmmaking that they partly used for District 9. It's like Slumdog Millionaire meets Invaders from Mars. You know? It was kind of an insult to my intelligence. The fact that they took it all so seriously.
LukeLovesRose 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose I understand what you mean I think. How did u feel it was an insult to your intelligence?
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
@ChameleonHead
Inception and District 9 were great films, Inception i saw 5 times and blew me away as it's my fave Sci-fi film of 2010
Johnlindsey289 2 months ago
@Johnlindsey289 I wouldn't call it sci-fi at all. Psychological thriller is more like it.
lfaldrummer12 2 months ago
@lfaldrummer12
There are some Sci-fi elements to it
Johnlindsey289 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose
Inception kind of reminded me of that Batman the animated series episode called "Perchance to a Dream" where Bruce Wayne is in a dreamstate yet unknowingly doesn't think it is as he is about to marry his sweetheart Selina and his parents are still alive and someone else is playing Batman as it turned out to be Mad Hatter. I think Nolan borrowed heavily from that great episode and made it as a film, don't you think?
Johnlindsey289 2 months ago
Brilliant sequel, just as equal to the 1979 masterpiece. I saw this in theaters as a kid as it was one of the first R-rated films i saw in theaters when i lived in St. Louis and it rocked me and my bigger brother's world including my dad's, this and The Thing were the best movies about killer aliens in the 80s. I like how Cameron was influenced by Starship Troopers (the novel) when he did this film. I even played the arcade game and had the action figures as a kid, the comics were neat too.
Johnlindsey289 2 months ago
ChameleonHead, I know what you're going to say. Story is everything. Well, that's true. But, what I'm talking about as far as raising the bar with the execution of a film (the direction, the writing, the composition, etc), you have to take everything into consideration, before committing to every shot. How does this relate to the character, the story, the setting, the atmosphere, etc. After you've done that, you can get away with a lot, as long as it serves the characters, story, setting, etc.
LukeLovesRose 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose Your right! execution is extremely important to the quality of a film and if I said Cameron couldn't execute well I'd be kidding myself. I just don't always enjoy his scripts or characters a whole lot and I feel like thats a legitimate reason to not enjoy a film as much. Please do keep in mind, I agree with what you say about the execution of shots and composition, its more Camerons scripts I don't enjoy
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
Since Titanic, filmmakers have been embracing easier, less costly filmmaking like The Blair Witch Project. With Avatar, Cameron proved that was a mistake. Obviously, the biggest possible exception to this were the Lord of the Rings and possibly the superhero movies. HOWEVER, the Indie filmmakers have been desperate to make something actually worth something. Yeah, the critics kiss their asses, but that doesn't help their movies age worth a damn.
It's all in the execution. Not story now.
LukeLovesRose 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose I'm also curious, just completley out of interest, what did you think of District 9 or Inception?
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
ChameleonHead, well, for starters, Cameron was making 3D films with his earlier masterpieces, long before Avatar. The 3D effect was made by 2D gimmicks. He added more value to every shot, visually. He's made it abundantly clear that you can't get power of a line if the visual image is not up to par. And I'm not talking about the effects. I'm talking about what goes into every shot, the composition, where and why. It wasn't until Avatar that people started to actually pay attention to this.
LukeLovesRose 2 months ago
ChameleonHead, I'm sorry. But, you're ignorant, because you don't want to at least try and understand why Cameron uses such characters. You've clearly made your goddamn decision and you probably will never deviate. Just like all of the other childish assholes on the internet, bitching about every crack in every Cameron film.
No other film by any other film gets as scrutinized as a James Cameron film. You all should be ashamed. You want to stop the future of film.
LukeLovesRose 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose How can u say that I haven't tried when I said I like the characters in some of his films? Like I said, T2 and The Abyss had great characters that I enjoyed alot. And even though I wasn't a huge fan of Avatars characters, there were things about the movie that I did like, adore even. I also was willing to deviate because I didn't expect much from T2 but I ended up liking it more than the first in a lot of ways. You really shouldnt write people off as "childish assholes" just
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose because they don't share all of your opinions and are willingly to state that they would do some things differently than Cameron. And how do I want to stop the future of film? lol Because I don't agree with all of one particualr visionaries approaches? Its actually kind of childish to automatically label and attack people for having different opinions, especiallt when they are willing to have an intelligent conversation about it. :D
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose besides, I don't even see how hating Cameron (which I don't) would be wanting to "stop the future of film". I don't really see how Avatar revolutionized anything besides 3D movie going. I think where Cameron really did something revolutionary was with the CGI effects in The Abyss and T2 and those were decades ago.
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
ChameleonHead, I thought you might be stubborn and hard-headed before, but you're just ignorant.
Cameron did everything he could to honor the original, Alien, while also embelling the character of Ellen Ripley... as only James Cameron can do. He made Alien better, because Ripley was no longer a one-dimensional slasher-film survivor like she was in Alien. Because of his sequel, Cameron brought Ellen Ripley to life just effectively as Citizen Kane brought Charles Foster Kane to life.
MORON
LukeLovesRose 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose How am I ignorant? I actually fully acknowledge that Ripley is further explored and improved upon in Aliens. actually shes the only character that I liked.
that being said, I'm not a big fan of James Camerons characters with the exception of T2 and The Abyss. I don't really know why but in both Aliens and Avatar, the only characters I liked were Sigourneys. The others were etheir unbelivable or unlikable. Am I still a moron for having my own taste/opinion?
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
I love how neither of these guys notice that the whole fucking theme of the movie is motherhood, with Ripley regretting her lost real daughter, protecting Newt from the aliens, while the Queen is essentially trying to protect her children as well. Or that it's a big play on Beowulf and Grendel's mother, where Grendel was Alien.
cigansky 2 months ago
one of the greatest movies of all time. period!
kdavis06601 2 months ago
Aliens...great movie...Sissy and Egghead...two loveless out of touch dickheads.
March6371 3 months ago
Comment removed
CoolerKing37 2 months ago
@March6371 Ebert recommended the movie, you idiot.
CoolerKing37 2 months ago
laughing at how fucking wrong both these idiots are. overkill? are you kidding me? siskel in particular is a loathsome cunt. he writes the whole movie off because it shows a kid in peril(who gets rescued in the most amazing action sequence of all time) and because "there are too many monsters". what a complete fucking douche.
gaozhi2007 3 months ago
ChameleonHead, what the hell was wrong with the quote, "Mommy"? That was the point of their relationship. The film basically becomes a wonderful euphemism for adopting children. But, I think that went over your head or you wouldn't be bitching about the "Mommy" quote.
By the way, "Get away from her, you bitch!" is regarded as one of the greatest moments in film history. And the ensuing fight, which is not scored at all, which is wonderful by itself, is one of the best of its kind.
LukeLovesRose 3 months ago
@LukeLovesRose I actually liked "Get away from her you bitch", gives me shivers everytime. And yeah, I got the whole adopting the child euphemism, I just didnt dig it lol. Newt saying "Mommy" was irritatingingly "cute", something thrown in to make the audience go "Awwwee"
I suppose one of the biggest reasons I dont like Aliens as much as the original is that I don't like the characters much. Even Alien Ressurection had characters I liked more.
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
ChameleonHead, I have no idea how you think a sequel would better honor the original. Cameron isn't taking Ridley's visual style and trying to make a perfect copy of Alien. He tried to make it his own. So, according to you, another filmmaker would have to copy the original in order to best honor it, is that what you're saying?
All Cameron did was continue the story of Ripley and change the alien creature to serve HIS MOVIE, his vision. I don't understand why that's a problem.
And "Mommy"?
LukeLovesRose 3 months ago
@LukeLovesRose I'm saying that Cameron didnt do a very good job at honouring the originals visual style yes. And no, I'm not saying he should have copied the originals style completley a director could have added new elements, I just don't think he was a very good match for the universe. Its still a fantasticallly well crafted movie, just sort of a let down of a sequel. hardly canon though seeing as it wasn't written, designed or directed by those who made the orginal :)
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
@LukeLovesRose I suppose it isn't a problem seeing as if its Camerons movie its hardly canon to the original anyway. Alien was written by Dan O'Bannon, designed by H.R. Giger and directed by Ridley Scott. Aliens was all Camerons creation so really its just high-quality fan-fiction. Its about as canon to the original as all of those direct to video Disney sequels are to their predicessors. Not that I think Aliens is a bad movie, I think its great but it should have been a whole new story.
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
ChameleonHead, you don't seem to understand. We're still quoting the dialogue from Aliens. We're still quoting Citizen Kane, Gone With The Wind and Casablanca, 70 years on. That's what makes great dialogue. Now, I honestly don't know why you people have something against memorable dialogue. If the dialogue is fun, then, it's supposed to be in a movie like Aliens. Hudson is supposed to be entertaining. I don't understand why that hurts the film in your limited mind.
LukeLovesRose 3 months ago
@LukeLovesRose I actually hate it when people quote Hudson. And it just made the film less enjoyable for me because A) it really dated the movie, B) the marines in the film really bugged the crap out of me. I think thats one of the ways I enjoy Aliens less than the original. Its loud and a little over the top. I like the originals more subtle eerie atmosphere. Jusy my opinion though, I guess I have a "limited mind"... I did enjoy watching the aliens destroy them though. that was fun.
ChameleonHead 2 months ago
I think they gave Alien a thumbs down, for it's archetype "monster in house" plot. I disagree with their opinions on Aliens, and despite their negative review, Cameron should have a sense of accomplishment with their reaction to the film. Cameron should have directed Jurassic Park as well, the realism of the dinosaurs is related to how many people did not survive at the end of the film.
acloakwithahood 3 months ago
Siskel was far too conservative and uptight. He should have chosen a different profession - I didn't ever feel that he even enjoyed movies at all.
maggietorro 3 months ago
@maggietorro They just had different taste's than the other, that's all. Ebert's (this is just my opinion) taste in films are more in the mainstream of public perception, whereas Siskel's seemed to be more routed in how he perceived a film intellectually. They both loved movies. Ebert still does.
Put me down as conservative, loose-tight, and a movie buff. The fact that I have over 3,000 films in my video collection (VHS, LaserDisc, CED, VCD, DVD) proves that. :)
STAY AWESOME! :)
cessnaace 3 months ago
recorded on a potato
MrFunnyEd 3 months ago
are they like hardcore christian or what? fucking lame ass reviewers lol they suck balls
slothboy79 3 months ago
"This movie is too thrilling!"
tonythetyger99 3 months ago
WTF!! they're spoiling the whole plot!!! I was waiting for the special edition VHS release!
treydestepheno 3 months ago
Can't believe they find this movie 'overkill.' If they only knew the horror that Michael Bay would bring 20 years later!
geonerd 4 months ago 4
Nobody sported the sweater-vest quite as elegantly as a middle-aged Ebert.
hdtwoodsman 4 months ago
paul riser needs a john travolta-esque comeback. he s one of the most annoying human beings i ve witnessed on film and i m sure he could still do the job.
devilxhlywood 4 months ago
He sure doesn't need the money. He's worth about $150 million from that sitcom.
mnugget44 4 months ago
@mnugget44 IIRC 'Mad about you' is 'that' sitcom your referring to, and didn't start airing til the 90's and this was made in 86, iirc, so he didn't have the money you are referring to... Unless i am not understanding you, or i am wrong... which i doubt, but maybe...
Jshaw71 4 months ago
You know, whenever I've watched the movie "Aliens," not once did the thought cross my mind that one of the aliens could have been inside Newt, waiting to burst out and attack everyone. And now I wish that had happened...
thirdimpact 4 months ago
its important they put the girl in peril cause it shows ripleys maternal instincts. and its not constantly monsters on attack. siskel's being a wimp
robaquarian 4 months ago
i think alien 3 should be called aliens's
bundleization 4 months ago
EBERT=UGLY
FANS=LOSERS
TheBitchinbabs 5 months ago
@TheBitchinbabs YOUR MOTHER=UGLY KIDS=TRASH
robaquarian 4 months ago
@robaquarian But not as ugly as you and your look alike suck buddy pictured here. Enjoy being up all night alone seeking old show advice. Yes, your epitome of good taste, fatso now cancerous Ebert can advise you!
TheBitchinbabs 4 months ago
How HOW can someone be so ugly and tasteless as Roger Ebert, so lacking in style and expect his opinion of a movie will matter?
gottfriedthegod 5 months ago
This is the perfect sequel. Absolutely flawless.
thelupoistheman1 5 months ago
That's the thing i love about this movie, Sigourney Weaver is awesome! Her performnace was nominated for an oscar!!!
captainjjb84 5 months ago
Look at this gross elephant . Is it male or female?
kellygreen5556 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
look at this fat pig
BradleyKeiferRoss 5 months ago
I got syphilisfrom Ebert in 1965
UglyoldFranny 5 months ago
They were upset at the end of the movie?... that's exactly the way you are suppose to feel... It's a freakin horror/sci-fi/action movie for cryin out loud!
I general like most of their reviews, but epic failure here.
JP5466 5 months ago
wow, fatso is so totally hip, she knows which movies you should see! LOL
bloboshitful 5 months ago
I'm laughing at Ebert and his fans
TheDeeFormed 5 months ago
@TheDeeFormed and im laughing at how you made a channel to troll >XD
KaijuKingGojira 3 months ago
EBERT=UGLY DRUNKARD
FANS=LOSERS
TheBitchinbabs 5 months ago
Fatso was second fiddle on a show after midnight. Fatso couldn't write movies, all were laughable, but trashes others work. His ugly fans- like the 14 year old lonely oy bothing people here- are the defination of "loser". Now fatso was on the cancer diet and had body parts removed so it is slim. Still cheap and low down, but no longer fat.
gottfriedthegod 5 months ago
@gottfriedthegod you and all your other accounts are the definition of the word insanity you are the repetitive and a loser how much time of your life do you waste trolling
KaijuKingGojira 1 month ago
yes, ebert is an ugly loser like his fans
gottfriedthegod 5 months ago
@gottfriedthegod yeah ebert is a loser, thats why hes very respected and has a show right?
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
OH GOD WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED EBERT!!!!!!!!
daveybaby131 5 months ago
@daveybaby131 I agree. When someone is so distasteful looking and out of style, how can he tell others which movie to see? She (Roger Ebert) has no taste. Of course, we can't see his fans who need her direction.
gottfriedthegod 5 months ago
EBERT=UGLY
FANS=LOSERS
TheBitchinbabs 5 months ago
@TheBitchinbabs so now you went to aliens with this shit fuck you you ain,t nothin but a sweet ass bitch i guess thats were you get your name fuck you
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
@KaijuKingGojira But I don't go with monkies so you will never know.
EBERT=UGLY
FANS=LOSERS
TheBitchinbabs 5 months ago
@TheBitchinbabs yea yea we all know what you've said hundreds of times hell i cant go to an ebert review with out you trolling the same comment but a wise man once said that the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over so writing the same thing over and over again is stupid and ebert wont respond to you,HA HA how does it feel to know that someone who you hate doesn't know you exist
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
I'm ready for my close up Mr. DeMIlle!
RottenJaws 5 months ago 2
The girl Newt was the key to the film i thought
5eurocups2005 5 months ago
oh what on God's earth is that THING called Ebert?
daveybaby131 5 months ago 2
@daveybaby131 you're just jelly..
toxicitzi 5 months ago
i gagged when all 300lbsof blubber came in my mouth
CertifiedGooner728 5 months ago 2
Go watch fucking bambi ya dickhead
chinahands100 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Ebert is even more ugly than I am
UglyoldFranny 6 months ago
people get overwrought about these clips, this show was never a big deal, it aired at 12:30am or something
farneyblakeley 6 months ago
Look at this blob of shit!!!!!!
Jorrietheman 6 months ago
@Jorrietheman where is the photo of you
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
@KaijuKingGojira He took your photo. It is the dark black spot with its brillo head bobbing up and down near Ebert's zipper
CoolerKing38 5 months ago 2
@CoolerKing38 wow didn't I block you, your just go to every comment I post and annoy me.your just gonna let me know your stalking me I thought I heard something outside my window
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
@CoolerKing38 stop anoying me or ill go to your moms house start dating her and make your bedtime three hours earlier then I'll drop you off at your uncles with enough lube to fill a turkey afterwards I'll let you joe jackson teach you how to dance,next i'll let a fat bitch with a fetish tuck you in at night for Halloween you get to be dressed up in all white with a pointy hat in the ghetto and when you wake up you'll notice that all your stuff is in one bag at the door
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
Ebert isn't human
Charlenefabulous 6 months ago
can anyone get more ugly? tasteless? oh wait...ebert did top itself
ZarahLean 6 months ago
@ZarahLean why do you hate him again
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
How can a film, a work of moving art... be so effective, so perfectly made that it is "overkill"??
Jesus Christ. What a PUSSY statement!!
LukeLovesRose 6 months ago
@LukeLovesRose stop actin like a fucking jock just sit down watch the video and no one cares about hill billy logic
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
Comment removed
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
OMG ...wow
im frankly amazed at just how wrong Siskel was about Aliens,dear god the film is one of the top three greatest sequels of all time
wildfire160 6 months ago
oh my god, who would take movie or any advice form ebert?
TheDeeFormed 6 months ago
@TheDeeFormed The answer is the losers who are alone all night tolling old show sites. As ugly as Ebert is and as tasteless, they must be worse to seek his opinion
daveybaby131 6 months ago
EBERT: WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS UGLY THING
bloboshitful 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
LOL. look at this shit ebert!
kellygreen5556 6 months ago
GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER!!
AllWalksofLife 6 months ago 2
Whats wrong with this ugly blob Ebert?
Dottiecurran 6 months ago
Is this thing Roger Ebert dead or alive? Paul looks hot here
kellygreen5556 6 months ago
Oh please fatso now deformed Roger tell us which shows to see! Oh, what did you think of it? Oh, Roger, your work of "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" filled about two movie seats, the same as your ass!
daveybaby131 6 months ago
God, can anyone get more ugly and out of style than Ebert? Wait, have you seen his fans?
Dottiecurran 6 months ago
Ok, I'm not that big an Alien movies, I stopped watching these movies, when that Alien Vs Predator: Requium was released on dvd. and that was it for me. oh btw I would have to agree with Gene Siskel, because i don't like movies that put kid's in peril.
DimeraFan28 6 months ago
Ebert, that is how you're supposed to feel!!! Movies that make you sick and upset are the best movies!
Pwells1 6 months ago
he's kind of right!!!!!! children DON'T die in movies, especially back then, so there is no suspense if you check your head. but i know when i saw this as a kid i LOVED this movie.
Liteboyiam 7 months ago
i love Bill Paxton in this movie. he's awesome and funny.
Liteboyiam 7 months ago 2
@Liteboyiam Game over man, Game over!
Pwells1 6 months ago
A perfect example of why to ignore critics. Thirty years later this movie is still getting attention.
Nepthu 7 months ago 2
God...Gene, how many good movies that you didn't like? Gene was a hard guy to please in the movie business.
UrielEternal 7 months ago 2
You can tell from their reviews that this movie was definitely ahead of its time. Siskel says it was too much monsters on the attack, but compared to movies that have come out recently it is definitely pretty tame. I would love to see a revisited review 5-10 years or even later from these guys.
I wonder what they would think if they saw Inception that year, which is about 75% intense action.
hrstar24 7 months ago 2
i still perfer the original alien 1979
KaijuKingGojira 7 months ago
Man... These guys sound like little old ladies in this review...
GhostyFilms 7 months ago
@GhostyFilms two middle-age jews watching real men in action, of course they're gonna act like old ladies
skinwalkerxxx 7 months ago
EBERT=UGLY FREAK DRUNKARD
FANS= LOSERS FROM ANOTHER CENTURY
-Fran Chalomiro
TheBitchinbabs 7 months ago
ebert looks like a giant cunt and his wife like cedric the entertainer
daveybaby131 7 months ago
@daveybaby131 - Shut the fuck up. Nobody cares about your STUPID
Ryan Dunn.
Grooveraider 7 months ago
@Grooveraider Who is Ryan Dunn? I'm sure you are about as "groovey" as fatso, the idol you suck
daveybaby131 6 months ago
@daveybaby131 - Don't be jealous :)
Grooveraider 6 months ago
@Grooveraider Yeah, I can see your picture. As ugly as you you, Ebert is worse. No talent either.
daveybaby131 6 months ago
@daveybaby131 - You're just angry because you can't get paid to review films.
You'll never be a professional film critic . So keep flipping those burgers, boy.
Grooveraider 6 months ago
@Grooveraider I don't need to. You are about as 'groovey" as old roger here. Maybe you can suck his dick before cancer claims it
daveybaby131 6 months ago
@Grooveraider thats what im thinkin fuck ryan dumbass
KaijuKingGojira 5 months ago
THIS is your idol who you seek advice on movies from? THIS THING? What does that say about YOU? Ebert was not only a drunkard but failed even at writing cheap smut screen plays. A total hypocrite. And the "retards" are the ones up all night seeking to debate the merits of old shows
ZarahLean 7 months ago
Who could be so uncool to need the opinion of Roger Ebert?
Dottiecurran 8 months ago
@Dottiecurran Jackass fans?
nikosvault 7 months ago
@nikosvault yeah these retards are upset that ebert had no sympathy for an idiot who got plastered drunk, could of killed an innocent person but instead killed himself by going 120mph off a 40 foot cliff.
nmcvicker03 7 months ago
@nmcvicker03 EBERT=UGLY DRUNK
FANS=NERDS
TheBitchinbabs 7 months ago
@TheBitchinbabs the nerd is the one who goes on several different vids to post the same comment
bojanks15 7 months ago
@bojanks15 Then it must be you. Look at your idol advising you on which old movie to see!
TheBitchinbabs 7 months ago
@TheBitchinbabs my idol LOL What are you talking about? I just happened to watch a few movie reviews. You are one crazy little youtuber.
bojanks15 7 months ago
@TheBitchinbabs yes i am a hick and totally stalking you LOL i forgot about you once I left that last message
bojanks15 7 months ago
maaaannn...i'm glad to learn how unenthusiastic these two well known critics felt about ALIENS, one of the all-time best sequels ever...and one of MY personal favorite movies of all time.
actually i'm kinda glad to find em NOT really too crazy bout what now is considered one of the modern classics. it shows how movies can evolve from just another new movie to one of THE movies of its era.
isuriadireja91 8 months ago
I've said it before and I'll say it again... these two idiots were PUSSIES back then.
LukeLovesRose 8 months ago
@LukeLovesRose Well, you are a pussy now. So, who are you to talk?
trevio3000 8 months ago
I love these guys but Siskel couldn't be more wrong. Weaver doesn't hold up as the lead? She got nominated as Best Actress! In a sci-f movie too which is pretty rare.
Libraloco73 8 months ago
Siskel has some of the most crap taste in movies I've ever seen.
Slang4Art 8 months ago
Can ebert get more ugly? Wait.....
ZarahLean 8 months ago
Um, Ebert, that's what a movie is SUPPOSED to do! It UPSET you, which means emotionally stimulated.
WJValente 8 months ago
After I saw Ebert here, I need to puke
TheBitchinbabs 8 months ago
Better than the original? Oh dear, you two were/are (respectivley) a couple of fucktards.
loveallthepeople1000 8 months ago
Ebert looks like something from a horror movie
ZarahLean 8 months ago
these two were such a couple of sissies, if they can't stand "scary" movies they shouldn't bother.
TanukiCoast 8 months ago
I have a problem with Siskel's interpretation. I don't think they put Newt in danger for the sake of suspense. As far as I'm concerned, they did it to show Ripley's affinity for Newt and the lengths she would go to to save her. It was a plot device for Ripley's character, not Newt's.
MB4493 8 months ago 23
@MB4493 you're right.
bierbuik 8 months ago
@MB4493 No doubt his review his review is based on a personal knee jerk and doesn't see the character for its arc and its contribution to theme and central conflict (motherly instinct). Which is sad because this is the sort of thing a film critic is supposed to digest and highlight for avid film goers
greymatterstome 7 months ago
@MB4493 Yes, and to show were protective motherly nature.. a contrast to the Queen Alien and since she missed being there to see her daughter grow up on earth.
MaddMegaDawg 6 months ago
@MB4493
Not only that but Ripley's maternal love of Newt helps us better understand the Queen and her love for her offspring.
Siskel totally misunderstood this masterpiece. He got too emotionally involved. Like Ebert and his tummy cramps, Siskel lost his professionalism and attacked the film from a personal, bias and BS point of view... IMO.
LukeLovesRose 6 months ago
@MB4493
Exactly. Aliens, unlike its B-movie predecessor, is more about Ellen Ripley and her relationship with everyone and everything in the film. That makes Aliens the Citizen Kane of alien monster movies, like It! The Terror From Beyond Space and This Island Earth or any given alien monster of the 1950s.
LukeLovesRose 4 months ago
@LukeLovesRose lol better a stylish atmospheric "B-movie" as you'd put it than an 80s action movie featuring a bunch of annoying cliche 80s characters, silly quotes ("game over man!", "eat this!", "Mommy!" and a screaming child. Now, I'll be honest I like Aliens as a stand alone, its very well made and a good movie but its a horrible sequel that doesn't honour the original at all. Cameron should have just made a Starship troopers style sci-fi film with Sigourney in it.
ChameleonHead