Aliens
Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.
Directed by James Cameron · Action · Adventure · Horror · 137 min · 1986
Trailer
Director
James Cameron
Studio
N/A
Release
18 Jul 1986
Runtime
137 min
Genres
Action, Adventure, Horror
Full Plot
57 years after Ellen Ripley had a close encounter with the reptilian alien creature from the first movie, she is called back, this time, to help a group of highly trained colonial marines fight off against the sinister extraterrestrials. But this time, the aliens have taken over a space colony on the moon LV-426. When the colonial marines are called upon to search the deserted space colony, they later find out that they are up against more than what they bargained for. Using specially modified machine guns and enough firepower, it's either fight or die as the space marines battle against the aliens.
Cast & Characters
Ellen Ripley: the survivor of an alien attack on her ship, the Nostromo
Sigourney Weaver
Dwayne Hicks: a corporal in the Colonial Marines
Michael Biehn
Rebecca "Newt" Jorden: a young girl in the colony on LV-426
Carrie Henn
Carter J. Burke: a Weyland-Yutani Corporation representative
Paul Reiser
Bishop: an android aboard the Sulaco
Lance Henriksen
Hudson: a boastful but panicky Colonial Marine private
Bill Paxton
Gorman: the Marines' inexperienced commanding officer
William Hope
Frost: a private in the Colonial Marines
Ricco Ross
Apone: the Marines' cool-headed sergeant
Al Matthews
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $18.5M, Aliens has grossed $183.3M worldwide — about 9.9x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Aliens is part of TMDb's "Alien Collection."
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
James Cameron has directed 4 films in our catalog, including Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Terminator.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Principal photography began in September 1985 at Pinewood Studios in England.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
James Cameron was known for being aggressive and hands-on, which caused tension with the crew.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The crew was initially dismissive of Cameron's abilities, but eventually supported him after he explained his vision.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The cast included Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Michael Biehn (Hicks), Paul Reiser (Burke), Carrie Henn (Newt), and Bill Paxton (Hudson).
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Aliens holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (839,261 votes), 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 84/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.4/10 on IMDb (839,261 votes), 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 84/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Aliens's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Aliens holds a 93% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Aliens's IMDb rating?+
Aliens has a 8.4/10 rating on IMDb from 839,261 votes.
What is Aliens's Metacritic score?+
Aliens has a Metascore of 84/100 on Metacritic.
Is Aliens good? What are critics saying?+
Aliens holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (839,261 votes), 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 84/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Aliens?+
Aliens has a runtime of 137 min.
Who directed Aliens?+
Aliens was directed by James Cameron.
Where can I watch Aliens?+
Aliens is available to stream, rent, or buy on fuboTV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Disney Plus, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to the movie "Aliens" is overwhelmingly positive, with many praising its action-packed storyline, character development, and James Cameron's direction. The film holds up well even after being released in 1986, with its realistic effects and memorable scenes remaining iconic. Reviewers note that the movie surpasses Ridley Scott's original film, particularly in terms of character relationships and emotional depth.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
One of my all time favorites. It still contains some of the drama and suspense of the first but with far more action leading to what I find a far more appealing storyline. As with Cameron's movies he makes you feel for the core characters from the start rather than just a bunch o…
Rob · 8.5/10"Ripley and the Soldiers" can be found in two versions: the short version that cuts from Midway station directly to the Weyland-Yutani hearing, and the "director's cut" which cuts to a waiting room with a wall size "scenery channel" display. When I first saw the short version, I…
Patrick E. Abe · 8/10**The Disney film of the franchise** A basic shoot 'em up that comes complete with soldiers greasing up and watching each others muscles and also added an annoying kid straight out of Oliver Twist. Cameron took everything Ridley Scott slowly built up and tossed it in the trash ca…
Charles Dance · 4/10My mommy always said there were no monsters - no real ones - but there are. Ripley has been found in deep space by a salvage ship and brought back to a space station to be awoken from her 57 year sleep. Here she is mortified to find that the planet on which herself and her now de…
John Chard · 10/10How Disappointing ! This movie, Aliens (1986) is a real fiasco. Especially compared to Alien (1979). James Cameron ruined the spirit and soul of Alien for several reasons. The first one, according to me, is that, unlike Alien, he is using too many characters. Almost all of the ac…
AmazoniaNOTAmazon · 4/10How do you do a followup to a classic like Alien? GIve it to James Cameron to amp it up to 10 with a bazillion aliens and a fantastic performance by Sigourney Reaver.
Repo Jack · 10/10A better sequel to <em>'Alien'</em> than I was expecting. <em>'Aliens'</em> - love the creativity, guys! - is a minute jot off the original but it remains a thoroughly enjoyable film - despite a slightly longer run time, which pleasantly doesn't hamper events. Sigourney Weaver is…
r96sk · 8/10**Overall : Aliens is an unparalleled essential that any sci-fi or horror fan needs to see.** The original Alien (1979) set a new standard for sci-fi horror due to the fantastic vision and directing of the legendary director Ridley Scott. How could a green rookie director with ju…
The Movie Mob · 10/10**_One of the best monster movies_** I prefer James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986) to its predecessor, Ridley Scott's "Alien" (1979), mainly because the story is more compelling. People often say "Aliens" is more of an action film than "Alien," but it's not a mindless action film and,…
Wuchak · 9/10**Even BETTER Than The First!** I LOVED this movie! The intense action, the gripping horror, the characters, the aliens, the ascetic...everything. And it takes its time to give us all the little hints and clues from the first film as we venture into this thrilling ride. Though I…
BryceSpencer · 10/10I LOVED this movie! I honestly rank this movie even higher than the first. The intense action, the gripping horror, the characters, the aliens, the ascetic...everything. And it takes its time to give us all the little hints and clues from the first film as we venture into this th…
BryceSpencer · 10/10I have a simple policy: if the movie entertains like it's supposed to, I give it 10 stars... ...That being said: I'm going to give you two words: "Space Marines" That's right, "space marines" I can almost see the pitch for this. We are going to take the Alien movie, the classic h…
GenerationofSwine · 10/10**A sequel on par with the first film, and one that helped cement the Alien franchise.** I really liked the movie Alien, the first of this franchise. There is no doubt that it is one of the best and most remarkable horror films ever made, and one of the “fathers” of contemporary…
Filipe Manuel Neto · 9/10While Cameron masterfully balances tension and action, he also deepens the film by focusing on character development. Watching Ripley's transformation is a testament to his impressive direction. Additionally, the creature designs and military costumes bring a sense of realism tha…
emre · 8/10
From the trailer's comments
This movie still holds up perfectly, even the effects look mostly fine. Can't imagine how great it must have been seeing this in a theater in 1986. Ahead of its time
@shredd5705 · 421 likesFor 1986 it was very realistic. James Cameron always makes a masterpiece. My favorite movie of all time.
@Miatomemphis · 492 likes- " _Hey Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man?_ " - " _No. Have you?_ "
@rogerkincaid931 · 514 likesOne of the greatest sequels of all time ,,Game over man Game over!" Rest in Peace Bill Paxton
@PrimalElf · 169 likesI can't imagine how amazing this would look like in 86.
@g1llifer · 659 likesJames Cameron is absoluetly incredible. He made this and Terminator 2, arguably the best sequels ever made
@joeyjerry1586 · 862 likesThey can bill me. The best line in the classic picture
@jamesko220 · 67 likesThe greatest movie sequel of all time in my opinion
@Rko13 · 445 likes
