On the subject of the rare sequels that equal or excel their predecessors, "Aliens" is surely one of the most popular nominations. James Cameron's 1986 sci-fi action extravaganza comes seven years after Ridley Scott's terrifying slasher-in-space "Alien," though Cameron was tapped to write the sequel years earlier. He already had "The Terminator" and a script for "Rambo: First Blood Part II" under his belt, and would carry the intensity of both into his "Alien" franchise entry.
This time,...