Exciting ’80s Sci-Fi Action Movies for 40 years of Aliens

Posted on July 18, 2026

by Eric S

Aliens is a movie that to me is extremely difficult to discuss with any sense of objectivity or critical distance. Part of the reason for that is just how absurdly influential it has been. I mean, space marines fighting creatures? Aliens influence. Tough, smart female protagonist in a bleak sci-fi environment? Aliens influence. Pick 10 first person shooter (FPS) video games—I’m willing to bet at least half of them were influenced by Aliens (did you know DOOM, the most imitated FPS of all time, was originally conceived as an Aliens game before switching from xenomorphs to demons?). I mean, Aliens writer and director James Cameron even ripped off his own movie when he put a giant mech suit in Avatar over 20 years later. Referencing, homaging, remixing, deconstructing, and/or just plain stealing from Aliens is simply what you do if you’re in this line of work.

The other reason Aliens is difficult to discuss is, well…it’s very clearly a masterpiece, and, perhaps more importantly, it still holds up 40 years later. Sigourney Weaver is putting on a clinic as Ellen Ripley, setting the standard for grounded, relatable action heroines. She was even able to get a Best Actress Oscar nomination for an a) sequel about b) fighting scary space monsters (if you have not paid attention to the last 100 years of the film industry’s most prestigious institution, well…that simply doesn’t happen). And before you Google it, yes, she was unjustly robbed. Weaver is so mesmerizing one could almost forget how strong the supporting cast is, from Paul Reiser’s performance as weaselly Carter Burke, to Michael Biehn’s iconic depiction of Corporal Hicks—a character who manages to embody endless coolness while somehow also being the least problematic action dude of the ‘80s.

Today, traces of Aliens are apparent in nearly every facet of popular culture, from games to films to comics—basically anywhere you find awesome, inspiring action heroines and/or space marines fighting monsters. There is a reason that in an era of constant reboots, you never, ever hear anyone even entertain the notion of redoing Aliens (or Alien, for that matter). Aliens is, in the admittedly biased estimation of this humble librarian, about as close to cinematic perfection as any movie can achieve. So, to celebrate 40 years of this sci-fi horror institution, let’s go back to the ‘80s, when violent, R-rated films dominated the cinematic landscape and nobody questioned why they led to so much merchandise for children. Lots and lots and lots and lots of merchandise.