Aliens: Still holds up better than most stuff today, tbh

Okay, so I just re-watched Aliens last night (again... I think it's an annual thing at this point), and damn, it still kicks so much ass. Seriously, this movie is a benchmark for action sci-fi. Cameron totally nailed it. The pacing is perfect, the suspense is cranked up to 11, and those Colonial Marines? Bad. Ass. Remember Vasquez with that smartgun, mowing down aliens? Iconic. Pure 80s gold. It's interesting how different it is from the first Alien, too, right? That was pure horror, creeping dread. Aliens is more… war movie with a monster. And Bishop! I know some people find him boring, but the android's arc is actually kinda touching, especially his loyalty to Ripley. The whole mother-daughter thing with Newt gets me every single time, ngl. Reminds me a little of The Terminator (also Cameron, duh!) but with a little more heart. And let's not forget the creature designs. Giger's influence is still there, but Cameron made them even more terrifying, swarming everywhere. The queen alien bursting onto the scene? Chef's kiss. It's a perfect example of how to take something established and make it even more freakin' awesome. Although, I gotta admit, sometimes the dialogue gets a little cheesy, like when Hicks says, "I like to keep this handy...for close encounters," but hey, it's part of the charm, right? I'm telling you, folks, if you haven't seen Aliens (or haven't seen it in a while), do yourself a favor. It's a reminder of when action movies actually had substance and didn't rely on CGI overload. I'd even argue that it's better than the original in some ways... don't @ me! Seriously, it's just that good. I haven't seen action this well done in decades. Still a 5/5 in my book!