Aliens: 10 Biggest Differences Between The Theatrical & Director’s Cuts

When super-director extraordinaire James Cameron set out to make a sequel to Ridley Scott’s incredible sci-fi horror classic Alien, he didn’t want to rehash the same formula while giving it a new coat of paint. Cameron was keen on building upon Scott’s vision while turning the sequel into a hardcore combat film versus a slasher flick.

The result is one of the most congruent and effective movie sequels ever made, not to mention one of the most entertaining. While the original theatrical cut of Aliens is a thrill-ride, the much-lauded Director’s Cut is the defacto standard way to watch the film if one desires the complete experience. Here are the main differences between the two cuts, and why the Director’s original vision manages to shine through.

10 Ripley’s Daughter

The theatrical edition of Aliens got quick and to the point when it came to establishing what happened during the 57 years Ripley was stuck in cryo-sleep. She moves immediately to the tribunal scene where she’s stripped of her license and relegated to a menial job on the loading docks.

The Director’s Cut takes the proper time to establish that Ripley is in fact a human being who didn’t just waltz several decades into the future without penalty. She’s forced to come to grips with the fact that her daughter Amanda had since passed away in her elderly years before Ripley could make it home for her eleventh birthday.

9 Ripley’s Tribunal

The tribunal sequence is a bit longer and more involved than the theatrical cut, and it’s a good scene that adds more detail into Weyland-Yutani’s interest in the case and the penalties that would follow. For the most part, the tribunal plays out quite professionally and by the books with no real animosity towards Ripley.

After Ripley blows her top and chastises the inquiry board, an extra bit of footage is tacked on that expands on their judgment and rather minor penalties. It isn’t much, but it does show that the company’s lower-ranking members might not be fully aware of the top-secret decisions made at the top.

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8 An Early Colony Reveal

Immediately after Ripley’s case is closed, the scene shifts to the harsh and hostile planet LV-426 which shows the colony Ripley had just learned about. It helps establish a link back to the original Alien film while showing what has changed over the last 20+ years.

Audiences get an early peek at the Hadley’s Hope colony, as well as Newt and her family, including her young brother. Some fans have argued that the big reveal of the derelict spacecraft and the facehugger attack betrays too much of the story, but it’s an Alien film, so these concerns are rather moot. The nods to Ridley Scott’s original are worth it.

7 Ripley’s Suspicions

After taking a garbage job at the loading docks and living in relative squalor, Ripley is visited by Lieutenant Gorman of the Colonial Marine Corps and Carter Burke, a Weyland-Yutani executive. They explain the loss of contact with LV-426 and the possibility that her story might be true.

She’s asked to come along as an advisor, but the Director’s Cut adds another quick bit of footage to the scene showing Ripley clearly suspicious of Burke’s intentions. It’s little more than a passing glance, but it helps establish Burke as a possible antagonist while still leaving enough mystery in the air.

6 Securing The Area

The scene where the Marines land on LV-426 and approach the colony is one of the tensest parts of the film. A lot goes on both outside and within as Marines split into teams and begin combing the wrecked, haunting corridors for survivors.

As more evidence mounts of a terrifying attack on the colony, the Director’s Cut helps cut the tension a bit by tacking on a scene where Hudson and Vasquez’s motion tracker goes off, leading them into a room with a small hamsterĀ in a cage. It’s a tense buildup with a funny climax that gives audiences a bit of comic relief.

5 The Robot Sentries

After losing the second dropship in an explosion caused by an alien attack, the decision is made to hunker down in the colony complex until they can await a rescue. Before leaving the area, they salvage what they can from the wreckage which includes guns, ammo, and explosive grenades.

The Director’s Cut adds in a key scene where Hicks reveals that they also have two robot sentries which automatically track movement and fire at any targets advancing on their position. Many audiences got their first glimpse of this scene on broadcast television on CBS in 1989, and it was magical to behold.

4 Alien Behavior

The original Alien established that the xenomorph creature was a skilled and cunning hunter that would use its environment to its own advantage in preparation for a kill. The second film expanded on it by showing a scene in the original theatrical version where the colony’s power is cut.

The Director’s Cut expands on the xenomorph’s collective intelligence after storming one of the only entry points to the colony. They are met with a barrage of gunfire by the robot sentries on two occasions, the second of which forces them to retreat and pursue another tactic. This is a clear indication that the aliens learn from their mistakes and seek out any chinks in their prey’s defenses, which sets up one of the scariest moments in the film.

3 More Alien Talk

When Bishop dissects the facehugger in the theatrical version, it created an ominous scene that sets up the possibility that the android might as malevolent as Ash from the original Alien. As the movie progressed, little mention was made of the alien biology itself, with Ripley rushing him along in frustration.

The Director’s Cut takes more time to actually sit and talk about the creatures themselves. This gives way to some interesting exposition as to their biology and cellular makeup. It’s also established that a Queen might be a factor in their reproductive cycle, which foreshadows the final act.

2 Ripley’s First Name

After the team is slaughtered and Ripley and Hicks make it back to the dropship, Ripley decides to stock up and go after Newt who has been captured by an alien. As Bishop protests, Ripley keeps gearing up with guns and ammo in order to descend into the hive and locate her.

In the Director’s Cut, see stops shy of the door and says “See you, Hicks,” to which he replies, “Dwayne.” Ripley reciprocates by replying “Ellen,” which is the first time her first name is ever spoken on-screen – just one of many fascinating facts about the character.

1 A Greater Sense Of Dread

James Cameron knew that the secret to crafting a worthy follow-up to Alien was to mimic Ridley Scott’s slow pacing and uncomfortable buildup. He also knew he’d have to do it within the context of an action combat film – no small feat when attempting to bridge two distinct genres.

The Director’s Cut takes very little away from the action, but it does add so much more to the exposition and the bleak future world in question. Audiences get to see, learn and experience much more in between the running and gunning than ever before, and the result is 2 hours and 34 minutes worth of pure sci-fi horror excitement featuring one of the most frightening creatures of 1980s cinema.

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