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'''''Aliens''''' is a 1986 [[science fiction film|science fiction]] [[action film]] written and directed by [[James Cameron]]. It is the sequel to the 1979 science fiction horror film ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'', and the second film in the [[Alien (franchise)|''Alien'' franchise]]. Set in the far future, it stars [[Sigourney Weaver]] as [[Ellen Ripley]], the sole survivor of [[
Despite the success of ''Alien'', its sequel took years to develop due to lawsuits, a lack of enthusiasm from [[20th Century Fox]], and repeated management changes. Although relatively inexperienced, Cameron was hired to write a story for ''Aliens'' in 1983 on the strength of his scripts for ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984) and ''[[Rambo: First Blood Part II]]'' (1985). The project stalled again until new Fox executive [[Lawrence Gordon (producer)|Lawrence Gordon]] pursued a sequel. On an approximately $18.5{{nbsp}}million budget, ''Aliens'' began [[principal photography]] in September 1985 and concluded in January 1986. Like its development, filming was tumultuous and rife with conflicts between Cameron and the British crew at [[Pinewood Studios]]. The difficult shoot affected the composer, [[James Horner]], who was given little time to record the music.
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==Plot==
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In 2179, [[Ellen Ripley]] has been in [[Stasis (fiction)|stasis]] for 57 years aboard an escape shuttle after destroying her ship, the ''Nostromo'', to escape an [[
After contact is lost with the colony, Weyland-Yutani representative Carter Burke and Colonial Marine Lieutenant Gorman ask Ripley to accompany them to investigate. Still traumatized by her alien encounter, she agrees on the condition that they exterminate the creatures. Ripley is introduced to the Colonial Marines on the spaceship ''Sulaco'' but is distrustful of their [[android (robot)|android]], [[Bishop (Aliens)|Bishop]], because the [[Ash (Alien)|android aboard the ''Nostromo'']] betrayed its crew to protect the alien on company orders.
A [[Shuttlecraft|dropship]] delivers the expedition to the surface of LV-426, where they find the battle-ravaged colony and two live [[
Ripley discovers that Burke ordered the colonists to investigate the derelict spaceship containing the alien eggs, intending to profit by recovering them for [[biological weapon]] research. Before she can expose him, Bishop informs the group that the dropship crash damaged the power-plant cooling system and the plant will soon overheat and explode, destroying the colony. He volunteers to travel to the colony transmitter and remotely pilot the ''Sulaco''{{'}}s remaining dropship to the surface.
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===Creature effects===
{{see also|Xenomorph}}
[[H. R. Giger]], who designed the
▲[[H. R. Giger]], who designed the ''Alien'' creature, was reportedly disappointed that he could not be involved in ''Aliens''.<ref name="SyFyMakingOfBook"/> According to Hurd, Giger was contractually obligated to ''[[Poltergeist II: The Other Side]]'' (1986) and Fox was not allowed to negotiate with him.{{sfn|Pirani|1986|p=11}} Giger was replaced by special-effects creator [[Stan Winston]]. Cameron also contributed to designs but was not as concerned with the warrior aliens because they were on screen only briefly.<ref name="SyFyMakingOfBook"/> In redesigning the alien warriors, Cameron remained faithful to Giger's work while building on it. Conscious that the creatures would be seen by audiences as people in costumes, he enhanced the designs by extending their arms and often filmed them hung from wires or from atypical positions to make them appear more inhuman.{{sfn|Shay|1986|p=9}} The aliens were played by dancers and stuntmen in lightweight costumes that allowed them to move quickly. Several {{convert|8|ft|m|adj=on}} mannequins were used for aliens that were contorted into inhuman poses.<ref name="ABCNews30Things"/> Although hordes of alien creatures appear to be in the film, there were only 12 alien suits: simple black leotards covered in molded foam were used for faster-moving shots, and [[Theatrical property#Hero props|detailed models]] with articulated upper bodies and mouths for closeups.<ref name="StanWinstonAlienWarriors"/> When the aliens were shot and destroyed, puppets were hung up and detonated. The aliens' acidic blood was a combination of [[titanium tetrachloride]], [[cyclohexylamine]], [[acetic acid]] and yellow dye.<ref name="ABCNews30Things"/>
The facehugger design remained faithful to the original ''Alien'' design, but the overall appearance was made to appear more organic, and its eight legs were made more finger-like, enhancing the detail on the knuckles and adding fingernails.{{sfn|Shay|1986|p=28}} Unlike in ''Alien'', which only involved one substantial jumping scene, the facehugger models used in ''Aliens'' featured full articulation for their tongue, legs, and tail, allowing for more action set pieces. The tail was also lengthened about {{cvt|6|in|cm}} to give it more functions such as a whip-like action.{{sfn|Shay|1986|p=28}} Nine operators were required for the fully articulated facehugger; other less-detailed variants were used for simple actions such as scurrying across the floor. The design team struggled with making it scuttle believably while moving the appendages; they eventually developing a control wire along the floor that activated a gear inside it, causing the appendages to move as it was pulled along. Several rubber facehuggers were made to be thrown or blown up.{{sfn|Shay|1986|pp=28–29}} Manipulating the facehugger inside a water tank was also difficult as the tank had to be watertight, limiting the use of control cables. A method was developed that required fewer cables to move the facehugger around the tank; the tail was fitted with a spring that caused it to snap back and forth.{{sfn|Shay|1986|p=28}} Winston added arms to the chestburster alien form (since the adult form had arms), explaining how it could drag itself out of a host's chest. Two chestburster puppets were used: a reinforced one, and an articulated one for movement. A puppeteer punched the former through a fabricated latex-foam chest; the scene took several takes to film because it could not pierce the clothing.<ref name="StanWinstonColes"/><ref name="StanWinston"/>
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[[Category:Films scored by James Horner]]
[[Category:Films set in the future]]
[[Category:Films set in the 2170s]]
[[Category:Films set on fictional moons]]
[[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]]
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