ALIENS UHD BD

If you’re looking for a high-quality reinvigoration of a classic, you love film and an Aliens fan like me, get it. Don’t listen to the nitpicking nay-sayers. I had difficulty finding nor accepting (no disrespect) complaints of waxy faces and removal of grain. In some shots, I even saw some very faint, super low, almost ‘fine mist’ grain. E.g. the insides of Hadley’s Hope, some shots and approaches to the Atmosphere Processor. Even the blurry, almost chromatic aberration of Bishop’s face when the second dropship arrives and Ripley asks, “how long?” is still present. Compared to my 2012 blu-ray of SE, there is an uptick in detail. They’re lifelike. You can see pores, sweat, arm hair, armour through to the nylon flare pouch and its’ elastic holders. Even the weaved strands of duct tape when Ripley twins the Pulse Rifle and flame thrower together in the last act. As well as, the shine of the dropship’s stanchions, panel details of the Sulaco AND Narcissus. To the mezzanine flooring of LV-426. The materials, whether brushed, matt, glossy, possibly powder-coated are all discernible. The up-close shots of Ripley at Gateway Station, inquiry and at her room feature so much rich detail. Such as pores, wrinkles, etc. Same when at Hadley’s Hope. And even, the graffiti of ‘Have a nice day’ in red on the colony sign is a LOT clearer than on the blu-ray. With Dolby Vision, the wide gamut, details in the background and former, bleached-out elements are now clearly in shots. Especially, in the Hive. Including single strands of sticky residue through to the busier areas when the Marines stumble across the cocooned colonists. As well as, the semi translucency of the nest resin when Ripley fires-off the flame thrower when clearing corridors. The smoke in the APC after Ripley evacs the Marines are all amazing. The great thing is with this much clarity, I thought I had appreciated all the nuggets of the Alien lore/direction Cameron wanted to take. But it’s other things which are brought to the fore and now add more depth / more distrust with Weyland-Yutani. -E.g. When they find the face huggers in the jars, I never noticed the fact that the room’s door was stenciled ‘Stasis’ from possibly way before the fateful discovery …Why would colonists need a Stasis Room in MedLab if they were just there to establish a colony? I also respectfully don’t accept the argument that it looks as though it’s been filmed on digital or a halfway in-between. If we take Top Gun: Maverick as a reference, the super fine ‘mist’ of grain that I saw or even when it’s not present doesn’t make it feel like a completely different film. The room where Maverick suits-up for the Darkstar has so many levels of black and no grain but in this UHD, some of the blacks/shadows have some visible ‘fine mist’ grain at least in my eyes. It’s still the Aliens movie I loved growing-up. The curved CRT screens at Gateway Station Medbay, APC’s screens of the Marines helmet cams, dropship and on the colony all give that retro, 80s Sci-Fi feel. Heck, even the helmet cam footage has some noise and grain :D The teal filter/colour timing is not that jarring to make the movie feel out of place. -Even, the polo shirts of Dutch and Dillon in Predator’s opening is more time-jarring! Ironically, even the game, ‘Aliens: Dark Descent’ has its’ colony rooms and corridors in teal. Which is what I remember more of when I was a kid. Especially, when Drake leads the team through the locker area of MedLab for the first time. The sound design is spectacular. Speech is a lot more discernible now. From Hudson telling Gorman that he got the computer up with sarcastic “No problem” through to Vasquez’s expletive after being stopped from whacking an unconscious Gorman. I’m still learning heights. …I think they’re not as strong as TG:M, for example. IF I’m hearing it right, when the dropship is making entry onto the planet, landing and taking-off, it sounds like they work well. On a horizontal axis from an immersive experience and soundscape, I’d say it’s fantastic when on the windy planet, the haunting bleeps of the Motion Trackers and throughout. When the Sentry Guns are in action in those echoey corridors, they really ROAR! I’ve no regrets buying this UHD nor recommending it. So glad I’ve got it in my collection and I can imagine watching this a lot more in the future. An amateur, film-lover's review and blu-ray comparison equipment: LG 65” C2 LG SQ95R 9.1.5 Panasonic DP-UB820EB

Aliens is one of the greatest sequels of all time, one of the few that adds something new and fresh to a classic. I've had this film (and Alien) on pretty much every format from VHS (full frame, widescreen and special edition) through Laserdisc to DVD and Blu-ray. Almost everything about it was great... except one. The picture had a grain, lack of sharpness and a blue cast that was similar to crappy NTSC to PAL VHS conversions of 80s TV movies. Compared to the Ridley Scott's original (my favourite film of all time) it always looked low-fi on every format. Many people prefer that because it's how they've always seen it but I've always found it irritating. I wasn't tempted to buy yet another version, especially if UHD made those flaws even more prominent, but then I came across the internet debate about the clean-up and wondered if this version would be what I've always hoped for from every new format. In short, it is. I tend not to test UHD discs on my 48" OLED as they can seem overly detailed, instead I watched as I would normally enjoy movies, with Sony 4K Projector and Cambridge Audio UHD player on a 12ft screen. Initial reactions were that this is the most cinematic that I've ever enjoyed this film. There is an enhanced but natural level of detail across the board, and an absence of the noise/grain that I've always had to endure and try to ignore previously. The most impressive thing though is the colours - these are still muted but no longer seem overly suppressed and monotone. In the extended version when Newt's parents are sent to check out the alien ship there are red lava like cracks in the ground; when Ripley and Newt are chatting in the MedLab the small heater next to Newt has a red glow and this is reflected on the side of Newt's face. Small things like these abound, adding up to a greater sense of realism. I don't have overhead speakers so listened in a standard 7.1 Dolby Atmos arrangement. Clarity was good and it was as immersive as I would expect from an upmixed original from that era. Not a huge amount of subwoofer activity but effective for autoloaders, ships crashing and aliens bashing their way through metal doors. I listened to the end of the credits and the facehugger running was present (it's not on all version). If you like the grainy, muted feel that this film has always had on home formats then stick with the Blu-ray edition. This set has all of the special features and commentary track that previous special editions have had. On the other hand, if you're like me and have always wondered if there's a true cinematic experience under all that low-fi image quality, there most certainly is.

Its a GREAT film, enough said! I'd like to address the 4K release. I have a pretty high end system (2 channel only). Consisting of Panasonic 65" OLED TV and top of thr range Panasonic 4K player taking care of the pictures and Naim nac282 pre and 3x nap250 plus active crossover feeding a pair of Naim NBL's. To be completely honest I didn't really notice the sound quality which is a positive really, because if it had been bad it would have distracted me. The reason I didn't notice any issues with the sound is probably because I was distracted by the stunning picture quality. Every scene is like you've had amnesia before, because while it's familiar there's just so much new detail you've never seen before. Skin textures and scenery detail I've never noticed. I'd always assumed that the aliens were never really clearly seen because they were a bit crap BUT NO! Here you see them clearly for the first time and they are a credit to the costume and sf/x departments. This 4K release is head and shoulders above any of the 4K discs I own and I've got quite a few. If you like the film and you have a 4K system there is absolutely no reason not to but this. BUY ALIENS 4K NOW!

The film is obviously a classic that deserves all the praise it gets. The remaster is phenomenal. It's very clean for an older film. I'm not a fan of grain and this didn't set off my eyes very much. The metadata looks OK to me, 1000 max - if that helps at all - and it can get quite bright if your TV can handle it. Lots of pop. There were many shots that brought out the awesomeness of my new TV, so it was like watching it for the first time all over again. If you get it, make sure you watch the extended version. It adds some depth and should have been what was originally released.

I have been a fan of this movie ever since it came out in 1986, and have watched it countless times since, the theatrical and Special Edition; a real classic, and one of my all-time favourites. What they have done here, with AI technology is amazing, which is to make the picture quality so detailed; it's honestly like watching a movie that was filmed recently; and it has a more subdued colour pallet, that the Director said they had always envisioned (a pallet and tone not unlike Terminator 2, which in my opinion, suits this movie very well), and also the addition of HDR also suits this movie very well. This comes with both the theatrical and Special editions of the movie, which is great, and interestingly, they put different music score options for the theatrical version in the sound options. I have 2 minor criticisms with this version though, which is why i scored it 4 stars instead of 5. The first is the box cover art, which i am not a fan of; and the second is, the option to swith between Theatrical and Special editions is a bit hidden away in the options, when it should be on the main screen and easily accessible). Also, the option to play the Special edition without the Directors introduction would have been nice, but overall, this version, and the picture and sound quality, is amazing.

A 1986 science fiction action film written and directed by James Cameron. It is the sequel to the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien and the second film in the Alien franchise. Set in the far future, it stars Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of an alien attack on her ship. When communications are lost with a human colony on the moon where her crew first encountered the alien creatures, Ripley agrees to return to the site with a unit of Colonial Marines to investigate. Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, and Carrie Henn are featured in supporting roles. Despite the success of Alien, its sequel took years to develop due to lawsuits, a lack of enthusiasm from 20th Century Fox, and repeated management changes. Although relatively inexperienced, Cameron was hired to write a story for Aliens in 1983 on the strength of his scripts for The Terminator (1984) and Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). The project stalled again until new Fox executive Lawrence Gordon pursued a sequel. On an approximately $18.5 million budget, Aliens began principal photography in September 1985 and concluded in January 1986. The film's development was tumultuous and rife with conflicts between Cameron and the British crew at Pinewood Studios. The difficult shoot affected the composer, James Horner, who was given little time to record the music. Aliens was released on July 18, 1986, to critical acclaim. Reviewers praised its action, but some criticized the intensity of some scenes. Weaver's performance garnered consistent praise along with those of Bill Paxton and Jenette Goldstein. The film received several awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for Weaver at a time when the science-fiction genre was generally overlooked. It earned $131.1–183.3 million during its theatrical run, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1986 worldwide. Aliens is now considered among the greatest films of the 1980s, and among the best science fiction, action, and sequel films ever made, considered equal to or better than Alien. It is credited with expanding the franchise's scope with additions to the series' backstory and factions such as the Colonial Marines. This is the second of the Camaron upgrades with the Abyss and True Lies being the other two to receive the treatment, it sparked some controversy with the colour grading changes and the A.I. cleaned leaving a wax look on some faces with True Lies being the worst offender, but Aliens even though going through the same process has come out the least worst, it is a little brighter on some of the model shots and I know this has had some colour grading changes. I own a DVD version and the Blue Ray box set from a few years ago so I have the film in one version or another, as for this 4k issue it is not by any means terrible and I'm no cinephile with expertise on film grade so most would pass me by and I know you will never get the original theatrical version as much as the box set and marketing says there are always changes from Cinema to physical media. So Aliens is and always will be a classic, a masterclass in filmmaking and a top-draw sequel. now I'm off to my mum's basement

Stunning visuals on a big screen, my favourite film just got better. The clarity of this film is absolutely beautiful on my Hisense 65 Uled, and sound through Yamaha amp is perfect . Forget the new Spielberg subliminal programming exercise film, and invest in this epic instead with one of the the most entertaining casts ever. 'Fec**in A'

Great film, one of my favourites

Excellent! I bought several copies of the 4K Aliens from the Canadian Amazon store, that were all damaged with circular scratches due to these copies coming from the Mexican pressing plant, where they stack the 4K disc on top of the standard blu-ray disc, now I finally have a copy that's perfect. I had read that the European discs were manufactured with extra care and the discs had separate trays for all of the discs, and that was correct! Pretty sad that I have to order from Europe to get a good 4K copy of a movie in Canada, but I'm pretty happy that it's here with no issues, and the shipping was very quick!

I've been a fan of Aliens since I first saw it in the cinemas back in the day. I've upgraded with each new release, from VHS to DVD to Blu-ray, always hoping for a better, sharper experience. But this new 4K remaster? It absolutely blew me away. This isn't just a minor upgrade; it's like seeing the film for the first time again. Where previous versions suffered from the limitations of their formats, this 4K transfer truly shines. The level of detail is simply astounding. James Cameron has clearly taken great care with this remaster, and it shows. If you're a longtime fan of Aliens like me, you owe it to yourself to experience this 4K release.

Looks amazing, sounds fantastic. Was blown away. I have watched this movie so many times ( from TV, VHS, DVD, bluray) but with amount of detail and atmosphere in this it was almost like watching for first time and holds up against any recent movie. Blast to experience in home theatre.

un épisode extraordinaire (comme les autres d'ailleurs) Heureusement que j'ai pu l'avoir en DVD, car j'avais fait une erreur en le commandant : je n'ai plus de lecteur VHS.

What an amazing looking film. I've read some complaints, bit far out, everybody I've shown this to has been blown away to see this classic get a new lease on life. It looks brand new! This package includes both the theatrical and extended editions remastered in 4K. This looks so much better on disc than streaming too.