Aliens

In some scenes the 1.85:1 anamorphic picture seems grainy, but it is never too apparent to be bothersome. Other than this, the quality is very good for a film that is over 15 years old. Fleshtones are accurate, but the dark blue colours used throughout are a bit dull. This is probably Cameron's intention, as he used the same gritty, grainy style in The Terminator.

Remastered in Dolby 5.1 from the original theatrical 4.0 prints, this soundtrack adds immensely to the chills of the movie. Screeching aliens come at you from every corner and you'll be ducking for cover as their pointed tails whoosh right over your head. The dynamic musical score is well recorded and, on the whole, the listening space is very deep and wide.

Behind The Scenes shows the model work, with aliens being built and the scale model of a vehicle buzzing around a miniature set. Most of these clips are silent, but some have off-camera directions from Cameron.

There is a 12-minute interview with Cameron, filmed in 1986, that reveals how he feels about the characters and what he tried to do differently with the sequel. It is interesting, but not in-depth enough.

About 120 pictures linger in the Photo Gallery and they are quite cool. But to sit through them one by one is a bore. Photo Galleries should play at their own speed, with music to back them up.

The insert card also contains info on the cast and crew and is better than the simple chapter lists you find in most other DVDs.