The enemy of an enemy is a friend. This seems to the lesson I learned from this entertaining action movie. Via satellite imaging, billionaire industrialist Charles Bishop Weyland (Henriksen) discovers an ancient pyramid buried beneath 2000 feet of ice in Antarctica. Knowing the significance of his discovery, he goes against the better judgement of explorer Alexa Woods (Lathan) and even convinces her to lead his international team of scientists and security experts to investigate the buried pyramid before anyone else does. The perilous journey to the pyramid is successful but, while admiring the fruits of their labour, the humans find to their horror that they are caught in between two hostile extraterrestrial forces whose rivalry dates back to the dawn of human civilisation. Faced with two lethal enemies, one armed with highly sophisticated weaponry and the other a natural born killer, the only way the humans can save themselves is to quickly forge an unlikely friendship with one of them to terminate the other.

Officer Ellen Ripley (Weaver), the only survivor of the events of the first Alien movie, is found in a deep sleep half a century later. When she is brought back to Earth, she learns that a human colony has been sent to the planet where the aliens were found the first time around. When communication with the colony is lost, Ripley is teamed up with a group of Space Marines to put an end to the aliens for good, and to save any survivors who might remain. When they get there Ripley discovers a young, lost girl named Newt, who she protects like a daughter - bringing a more human side to the action-packed movie.

Aliens is one of the all-time classic sci-fi thrillers, and one of the few sequels that matches and possibly surpasses the original. Certainly if you're after horror and suspense, this is the superior film. With special effects, strong characters (Weaver plays Ripley to perfection) and a clever, fast-paced plot, there's not a whole lot that this movie does wrong. From the second it begins right through to the final credits, this intense and highly enjoyable movie will have you in rapt attention.