It has a 97% approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator from 76 reviews, with an average rating of nine out of 10. According to the website's consensus, "While "Alien" was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, "Aliens" packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver." The film has a score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Despite her character's popularity, the casting of Jenette Goldstein (a white, Jewish actress of Russian, Moroccan, and Brazilian descent) as the Latina Vasquez has been considered odd. Goldstein has said she considers herself unrecognizable as Vasquez on film, but a muscular actress was required and the filmmakers could not find anyone else with her physique.