1986 Hit Film Ranked the 'Greatest Sci-Fi Action Movie Masterpiece' Ever Made

The second installment in the Alien film franchise, 1986's Aliens, has been continuously acclaimed by critics and praised by audiences.

Despite premiering 40 years ago, Aliens recently received recognition by the publication Collider. In February 2026, the publication ranked the "10 greatest sci-fiaction movie masterpieces of all time," with Aliens, directed and written byJames Cameron, taking home the top spot. Some of the other sci-fi movies spotlighted in the list included Terminator 2: Judgment Day from 1991, 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, 1987's RoboCop, andThe Fifth Element, released in 1997.

Aliens has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93 percent and an 84 on Metacritic.

The Cast & Crew of 'Aliens' Shared Behind-the-Scenes Facts

Aliens sees Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her crewmates facing off the horrifying Xenomorphs and their queen. In a 2016 interview on the TODAY show, members of Aliens' cast and crew shared some behind-the-scenes insight into the celebrated sci-fi film. Cameron noted that they used practical effects for the Xenomorphs to come alive on film.

"It was all hydraulics and puppetry. There were two guys inside the alien queen, in the body operating the arms," said the director in the 2016 interview.

Weaver also shared that she purposefully avoided the Xenomorph queen when it was stagnant, so she could convince herself that the animatronic puppet was a genuine threat.

"I believed in the queen. I thought it was better for me to, you know, really deal with her as a completely realistic entity. For all we know, there is a queen someday," said Weaver.

During the TODAY show, Weaver also revealed her favorite moment filming as Ripley for Aliens.

"My favorite day was when I was holding the flamethrower," said Weaver.

Weaver's castmate, Michael Biehn, who played Corporal Dwayne Hicks, said he also appreciated the iconic Ripley scene.

"I love the look that Sigourney gave in that moment. You know, there's some look, and she has that look of like, 'Should I do this? Should I do that? Screw it!'" said the actor in the TODAY interview.

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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 9:09 AM.