Writer / Director: James Cameron / 1986 (Theatrical Cut) 1991 (Special Edition) / Runtime: 2 Hours, 17 minutes (Theatrical Cut), 2 Hours, 34 Minutes (Special Edition) / Released by: 20th Century Home Entertainment /
By Paul Dunne
26th April 2024 (Released: 22nd April 2024)
The Pitch: After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the Marines find only one survivor, a nine-year-old girl named Newt (Carrie Henn). But even these battle-hardened marines with all the latest weaponry are no match for the hundreds of aliens that have invaded the colony.
James Cameron’s recut of Aliens, which I first saw on the Facehugger-shaped Alien Trilogy box set in 1991, was one of the early, widely available alternate editions of a popular film I can remember. First released in a 1991 Laser Disc version, the Aliens SE has run the gamut of platforms and releases, now coming full circle with a director-approved transfer that has angered some fans. Why? Cameron approved the use of an AI-driven process that has de-noised the film and smoothed much of the super-35 millimetre film grain. I was nervous about this transfer, not least because the same process has been used on True Lies and The Abyss, two excellent Cameron films that crucially, have never been available on high-definition formats. Cameron is somewhat intractable about his work, as someone with his vast financial success usually is. If these transfers disappointed, there would be little chance that a boutique label would be given the opportunity to remaster them, if not because of Cameron’s control, then because of Disney’s input, since they are now copyright holders on the films after purchasing 20th Century Fox. So, after much online debate, is the transfer as bad as we’d all been led to believe? What should we expect from this release?
First, if you’re expecting a recreation of the 35mm experience, then you’re going to be upset. This isn’t it. Cameron has indeed smoothed out a lot of the skin tones on the film’s characters. Whilst they still look human, Cameron has somehow managed to make them look younger than they were when they made the film. For some, such as Michael Biehn’s grizzled Hicks, this is something of a detriment. The director has always hated the amount of grain on this film, something that was apparently due to the change in the film emulsion in use by Kodak at the time. It’s worth noting that this is not the first time Aliens has gone through a JC-mandated de-noising, although that was last done for the Blu-ray release and with more care and human input. Cameron claims he never wanted a large amount of grain in the movie, so I guess we have to believe him. The distinct blue tint that was present in many Blu-ray releases of the ‘00s and was certainly a feature of earlier Aliens releases is also now gone, replaced with a kind of teal look that’s now more indicative of digitally shot releases.
But there are pluses to this edition. There’s always a small amount of excitement when looking at a film for the first time in a new format, as it gives you a chance to, effectively, view the picture anew and it’s certainly no different here. I’ve seen Aliens in every format over the years, from 70mm prints of the theatrical cut to that VHS Special Edition back in 1991 and I can say, this is probably the most excited I’ve been to the film since then. But why? Well, what we lose in the representation of the big-screen texture, we gain in detail. The 4K release allows long-time viewers to get a fresh look at the film’s impressive set design and creatures, which look every bit as realistic as they did back in ‘86. To be clear, by ‘realistic’, I mean it in the sense of them belonging in the frame and being present on the set, as opposed to being composited into the frame later. Aliens is photochemical film from the photochemical age and although it used a lot of innovative processes in its making, such as the front projection used to give the film scale, some of these aren’t shown in the best light in this release. But there’s a luminosity to the disc that makes the film look brand new. The lack of ageing that the restoration has given the film may be disconcerting to some, but you cannot help but enjoy watching this. What hasn’t changed, or aged is the quality of the storytelling, script and action. Aliens is every bit the exciting, well-constructed movie you remember and worth revisiting in this release, although I would recommend keeping your Blu-ray edition if you own one, which will give you an experience more akin to the one you’re used to. The longer version of the film remains the superior version and continues to prove the validity of the extended cut in home entertainment. If you find yourself wanting to upgrade, this is one you want to buy.
Special Features:
All the features from previous box sets and editions are present on this release, including the excellent documentaries that comprise Superior Fire-Power: The Making of Aliens.
Disc One (4K UHD)
Theatrical Version (2:17:15) and Special Edition Version (2:34:28)
Disc Two (1080p Blu-Ray)
Theatrical Version (2:17:15) and Special Edition (2:34:28)
Direct Access to New / Additional Scenes from Special Edition (HD; 20:03)
2003 Audio Commentary by James Cameron and the Cast and Crew
Final Theatrical Isolated Score: presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is available on the Theatrical Version only.
Composer's Original Isolated Score: presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is available on the Theatrical Version only.
Disc Three (1080p Blu-Ray)
The Inspiration and Design of Aliens (HD; 30:54)
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens (SD; 3:04:59)
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens Enhancement Pods (SD; 58:31)
Pre-Production
Production
Post-Production and Aftermath
Main Title Exploration (SD; 3:01)
Theatrical Trailers
