The Watchers' Feelgood Films (Part 3) - Sci-Fi Special

It is Friday, so we are back with another instalment of The Watchers' Feelgood Films, to guide you through the weekend. 

This one is a sci-fi special! We look at a clutch of films featuring aliens, cyborgs and creatures from galaxies far, far, away which help make The Watchers feel a little bit better. 

Matt recommends...

Aliens (1986) and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

Dir: James Cameron
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton; Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong and Robert Patrick

As Sarah Michelle Gellar says in Scream 2, “You got a hard-on for Cameron”. I am pairing these two together because, while they both feature some savagely creative violence (Aliens’ chest bursting scene – just as repulsive as Hurt’s – and the T-1000’s many talents with liquid metal), they both make you feel like punching your fist in the air when the credits roll.

You forget, sadly, with Titanic and Avatar, what a great writer Cameron once was. A master of big budget effects and filmmaking, certainly, but the man could also craft a great story.

Aliens is perfectly written. It is the go-to textbook for any horror film with a cast who will all eventually be killed off: make them likeable, attention-grabbing, relatable (Aliens’ influence is all over Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers). When a marine bites the dust, a tiny lump forms in your throat. Bill Paxton’s Hudson being dragged away, or Vasquez and Gorman blowing themselves up are heartrending scenes.

What makes Aliens stand out as a classic, however, is Ripley’s transformation; she stops running and literally fights her monsters. You are on her side one-hundred-percent, and when Ripley destroys the aliens’ nest and goes toe-to-toe with the Alien Queen, it’s supremely satisfying to watch.

Many directors have tried to imitate Terminator 2, but fall at the first hurdle; they forget that T2 is not just about fighting cyborgs. James Cameron and William Fisher’s script is faultless. Making Schwarzenegger’s T-100 the sequel’s hero was a massive gamble; there must have been many a heated discussion at TriStar. Cameron and Fisher confidently deliver complex and emotional character arcs, with John Connor and the T-100 both complementing each other. The role of father figure frequently swaps between the two characters; Connor teaches the T-100 how there is more to his existence than just killing, while the T-100 becomes a better father and friend than any human.

Linda Hamilton’s impact as Sarah Connor cannot be downplayed. She transforms from a frightened mass of hair in the first film, to a complex mother/soldier who must start from scratch in connecting with her son. When John goes to hug his mother for the first time in years, rather than hug him back, she pats him down to check he has not been wounded.

There is a tension in Terminator 2 that none of the sequels have been able to replicate. This is largely down to Robert Patrick’s T-1000. Patrick might be a matchstick compared to Schwarzenegger, but you watch the film wondering how the hell Sarah, John, and the T-100 are going to terminate this thing! Patrick’s cold stare is frightening, and the liquid metal effects – an 8-bit SNES game compared to the CGI saturated blockbusters of today – still hold up.

Both films have brilliant, quotable dialogue. Most of Aliens’ one-liners are courtesy of the fantastic Bill Paxton (“Game over, man! Game over!” “Stop your grinnin’ and drop your linen!”), while you’re never more than a minute away from a sound bite in T2 (“Say, that’s a nice bike.”).

With Aliens and Terminator 2, Cameron gave us two of the most iconic sequels to ever grace the screen. Dust them down and you will realise just how immaculate they are: films that, tragically, cinema audiences will never see the like of again.

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Rhys recommends...

The Star Wars Saga (1977-2019)

Dir: George Lucas (I-IV), Irvin Kershner (V), Richard Marquand (VI), J.J. Abrams (VII, IX), Rian Johnson (VIII)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac

For me, there is one go to franchise for myself when I want to shut off the outside world and feel good- that, of course, is Star Wars! I grew up watching the original holy trinity and then I was in my 20s when Lucas brought us the prequel trilogy. You can take a look at the old blog items I did on both of these for hints and tips- if you need them! 

My top tip for a feel good escape- go check out or rewatch the Star Wars saga. Lockdown was made for this franchise of films! Once you’ve done that, watch Rogue One, and Solo, and all eight episodes of The Mandalorian! 

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So, these recommendations will keep you busy. This is also a heads up- Rhys has been able to write up his thoughts about the Star Wars sequel trilogy (Episodes VII-IX) so they'll be coming to the blog very very soon!