MovieChat Forums > Aliens (1986) Discussion > Vasquez doesn't start shooting and they ...

Vasquez doesn't start shooting and they bug out before getting attacked

posted 5 years ago by mobocracy (902)
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In the movie, Vasquez has her own ammo and basically creates the conditions that blow the reactor and get most of her squad killed.

What if this doesn't happen -- they see the first cocooned colonist and then bug back to the APC.

Does this give them enough scare to tell Burke to fuck off and just nuke the station? Do the Xenomorphs still try to invade the control building? Do they just decide the colonists are all dead, call up the drop ship (or the reserve) and go back to the main ship?

It would be kind of cool if the evidence they have is enough to send for way more troops and equipment, and the bulk of the movie is some months later when hundreds of marines show up and engage in larger battles.

[–] Betamax66 (588) 5 years ago

I think the conspiratorial aspect of the film is interesting. Clearly they send this team, with Burke overseeing them (what rank did he hold over the team?), to be infected and 'smuggle' the alien inside them (if they don't burst out en route home first?) for their weapons division.

Would a second team have thus been despatched?

[–] mobocracy (902) 5 years ago

My guess is this film engages in a kind of dystopian corporate future, where things like space mining and terraforming are run by giant corporations and basically act as a government, even if there is a nominal civilian government in control of the military. This is also kind of historically true of something like the British East India Company, which was both business and government in one.

So Burke probably has some kind of quasi-authority over what the military can do, especially to Weyland-Yutani property.

Burke's whole plan is ridiculously overcomplicated. It rests on finding a xenomorph and smuggling it back, but without anyone else finding anything out? I don't see this happening.

Pretty much once they discover the xenomorphs, there's another, much larger military mission coming and ultimately they will just glass the planet, whether its after taking big losses fighting on the ground or just pre-emptively.

I'd just like to see a situation where they discover the xenomorph infestation, but are able to bug out to orbit and call in reinforcements. This would probably even work out better for Burke, especially if it involves a heavy ground presence of more troops with more guns fighting to hold ground. There would probably be enough defense interest in the xenomorphs to get one captured for study.

[–] aavfreak (3396) 5 years ago

They were already surrounded by the time she opened fire. They wouldn't have been able to "bug back" to the APC.

[–] Goliard (1454) 5 years ago

??? Not sure I understand you. They *did* bug back to the APC. . .just with less people, *because* she opened fire.

[–] aavfreak (3396) 5 years ago

They could not just "bug back" to the APC before she opened fire. They were already surrounded. There was a huge buildup with Hudson and his motion tracker, to illustrate this exact thing.

Does any of this ring a bell?
Movement!
seems to be in front and behind.
Multiple signals. All round.
Closing.

Then Dietrich got snatched and Vasquez opened fire.

There was no opportunity to retreat. They were surrounded already. Without Vasquez, they would have all likely been captured and cocooned.