My mother always told me there weren’t any monsters—not real ones—but she was wrong. Ripley has been located in deep space by a recovery vessel and brought aboard a station to be awakened from her fifty-seven year sleep. She is then shocked to discover that the planet where she and the crew of the Nostromo encountered the Alien, LV-426, has been colonized by Weyland-Yutani Company. It shouldn't have surprised her when The Company representative, Burke, informed her that all contact had been lost. No one would listen to what happened to the Nostromo crew, so Ripley is persuaded to return to LV-426 with a group of space marines to search for, destroy or rescue… How does someone create a sequel to such an excellent and beloved film? That must have been something director James Cameron considered when he agreed to make Aliens. The correct approach was to avoid imitating the format Ridley Scott and his team established so effectively in Alien, but instead embrace its atmosphere while adding excitement and thrills. This was only Cameron's third full-length movie, and he was collaborating with the people who had made Scott’s film so special. Also writing as well as directing, things could have easily gone wrong, but Cameron met the challenge and clearly demonstrated how his film would be successful. Keep the story simple and connected to Scott’s film, and add more—not just one dangerous alien that bleeds acid, but a whole army of them, along with their queen! They mostly attack at night - most of the time. While Alien combined science fiction wonder with basic horror, Aliens mixes war movie elements to complement those earlier aspects. This is consistent with Cameron’s philosophy of “more is more.” Another smart decision Cameron made was focusing Aliens on Ripley (Sigorney Weaver is simply outstanding); it's her story. Whether viewed as a maternal narrative or a female hero fighting against phallic symbols, cinema gained one of its most memorable and powerful female characters ever (Weaver received a Best Actress nomination but lost to Marlee Matlin for Children of a Lesser God). There has been much analysis regarding the themes in Aliens—metaphors about Vietnam, foreign policy, and corporate greed at any price. And it’s safe to say that Aliens isn't just an excuse for a lot of shooting. But realistically, and explaining why it was such a huge box office hit, Aliens is most successful with its thrills and terror. The action sequences are well-executed and sometimes breathtaking, and the suspense is often intense. This is especially noticeable around the midpoint of the film, because that’s when we realize we've become invested in these characters. Blood, brains, and brawn—all led by a heroine who is both clever and courageous. 10/10

Source on TMDB