James Cameron originally only signed on to the sequel of one of his best and most memorable movies.
In following up an action movie instead of a horror movie. But there are still plenty of incredibly scary moments in the sequel. So, here are the five most terrifying — and five most action-packed — moments from Aliens.
Most Terrifying: Xenomorphs In The Ceiling
James Cameron raised the stakes in the second Alien movie by taking the haunting monster from the original and multiplying it drastically, so that the heroes had to fend off dozens of xenomorphs as opposed to just one.
In one chilling moment, they notice that the aliens have infiltrated the compound and take an ominous peek in the ceiling where, lo and behold, a swarm of aliens is headed towards them.
Most Action-Packed: The Hive Shootout
When the Colonial Marines first enter the xenomorphs’ hive and find themselves hopelessly outmatched, James Cameron does a great job of escalating the stakes.
During the ensuing melee, the Marines lose their grenades and also drop a bunch of heavy-duty artillery, which suddenly made the dire situation they were in even direr than it previously seemed.
Most Terrifying: The First Appearance Of The Alien Queen
After the first Alien movie introduced fans to just one xenomorph of thousands, the second one upped the ante by introducing them to the xenomorphs’ queen.
The first time the audience gets to see the queen is one of the scariest moments in the movie, especially on the first viewing when it’s completely unexpected.
Most Action-Packed: Bishop’s Knife Trick
On the way to their mission, the Colonial Marines are entertained by “the knife game,” also known by various other names (including “five finger fillet” in the Red Dead Redemption universe).
Hudson’s knife trick is pretty fast for a human, but it’s nothing compared to the rapid pace of Bishop, an A.I. with limitless capabilities, whose hand is a blur.
Most Terrifying: Ripley And Newt Wake Up In A Room With A Facehugger
One morning, Ripley and Newt wake up and find that they’ve been locked in a room with a facehugger in an attempt to get one of them impregnated by it, so that the Colonial Marines can bring a xenomorph back to Earth.
Fortunately, Ripley is a badass and she figures out the ploy just in time to save both herself and her new surrogate daughter from the facehugger’s wrath.
Most Action-Packed: The Dropship Attack
After the xenomorphs’ first attack on the team, a dropship is sent down to rescue them. Unfortunately, the crew on the dropship finds a mysterious substance on board, which, of course, means they’re screwed.
Before the dropship can make it to the ground, it’s attacked by the aliens aboard and crashes and burns in a spectacular blaze of glory, leading to Bill Paxton’s iconic line: “Game over, man! Game over!”
Most Terrifying: Ripley’s Nightmare
Early on in Aliens, the PTSD that Ripley got from her nightmarish experiences on board the Nostromo manifests itself as an actual nightmare. In the nightmare, she wakes up, only to be told that she’s been in cryosleep for 57 years.
Then, a xenomorph baby starts trying to rip its way through her chest. It’s not quite as petrifying and iconic as the chestburster scene from the original movie, but it is pretty terrifying.
Most Action-Packed: Ripley Goes Into The Aliens’ Nest Alone
When the Colonial Marines first went into the aliens’ nest, they found themselves hopelessly overpowered by the xenomorphs and fled in terror.
But when the aliens abducted Newt, Ripley didn’t hesitate to go back into the nest by herself, packing heat, to figure out where they’d taken her and liberate her from their slimy grasp.
Most Terrifying: An Alien Rises Up Behind Newt
Just when Ripley, Hicks, and Newt have almost made it back to their ship, Newt falls off a rotating gear and plunges into a canal of water below. As Ripley and Hicks attempt to save her, Newt fears for her life, having narrowly avoided the xenomorphs up to this point.
Before her saviors can get to Newt, a xenomorph ominously rises from the water behind her. And just as she lets out a scream, the alien snatches her up and takes her away.
Most Action-Packed: “Get Away From Her, You B****!”
Ultimately, Aliens is a story about motherhood. Ripley finds out her own daughter has died, then finds a surrogate child in the form of orphaned Newt. Meanwhile, Ripley and the Colonial Marines wipe out the xenomorphs, leaving their queen similarly heartbroken.
At the climax of the movie, the queen abducts Newt, and Ripley dons an exoskeleton suit to confronts her. Before their intense final battle, Ripley yells out the iconic line, “Get away from her, you b*tch!”
