All right, I forgive the writers for killing off Ellen Ripley in "Alien 3" because they did such a splendid job of bringing her back in "Alien: Resurrection." I even forgive them for trying to work a romance into "Aliens" (the second movie), because this film is what makes movie-going fun.

Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the heroine of the previous movies, and she's supposed to have been taking a dirt nap for the past 200 years. However, some brilliant, if twisted, scientists manage to find some of her blood and re-grow her in a lab. Newly revived, she's even spookier - and more darkly humorous - than before. It becomes hard to tell who's creepier - Ripley or the aliens! (The funny thing is, although she's now the exact age as when she died, she seems to have aged - they shouldn't have waited so long to make the fourth movie!)

The plot is more or less the same as the previous movies - Ripley is trying to kick the aliens' butts. If you didn't like the first three, you probably won't like this one. Also, if you didn't see the first three, you're apt to be confused (as my mom and my friend were), so I would recommend renting them before you see this one. You might want to rent them even if you've seen them already, since they bring back some good memories. I just hope we won't have to wait so long for the next movie (hopefully, there will be another one).

My rating: four stars. .