The Underrated: Alien 3
Well, people, this is rumour control, here are the facts:
Because I’m feeling controversial today, I’m going to do one a real Marmite film. Alien3 is a film that’s pretty universally loathed, and I think unfairly so. This is a review of the workprint on the Quadrilogy, not the original cinema release, as I think that’s the better version.
Alien 3 is a damned good film. I know this is hard for people to get a grip on, but it’s true. It isn’t perfect, and does suffer in comparison with its predecessors (especially the original) but as sequels go, it’s brilliantly written, imaginative, clever and if they had stopped with this film, then this would have been a fitting round off for Ripley as a character. It’s also well acted for the most part (one notable exception), has some great design, is gripping in parts and is also downright frightening in others. This film is damned good.
The negativity surrounding this film invariably seems to be generated by people’s dashed expectations. Comments always seem to be “waaah- they killed Hicks and Newt” or “wouldn’t the Wood Planet have been great”. Regarding the former- fuck off and grow up. Cameron is arguably to blame for a lot of the mess that was Resurrection. People wanted Space Marines and a more action-centric Alien, completely forgetting that Alien is at heart a horror film and a pretty nasty one at that, and so they got it. Cameron’s effort was a superlative action film, but as an Alien film it pales in comparison to the original. Alien3 is an attempt to return to the horror roots of the series, so there’s no gunplay, no space marines, so deal with it. Regarding the Wood Planet (what a shit idea), I for one am ecstatic that they didn’t make it, and anyway lots of the Wood Planet ideas did make it into Alien 3- the monks for example. I know the pedantic out there will point out that they’re not monks but “a bunch of lifers that discovered god at the ass end of space”. They are, however, wrong. They dress like monks, they are deeply religious, and the shaven heads (ostensibly for lice) are also to reinforce the monastic image.So that complaint is bollocks too.
Everyone knows the story behind this film. It was Fincher’s debut and he was on the receiving end of some heinous studio interference. Because of the idiotic wood planet, Fox had gone ahead and ordered a ridiculous amount of sets to be built, and they’d waxed a huge amount of the budget before Fincher was even involved. After that it was one long series of battles on set to get it made, and huge credit must go to Fincher for what he managed to achieve in very difficult circumstances. It’s a shame that he never talks about it, as I’d love to hear his side of the story.
Negativity dealt with, I’m now going to talk about why I think this is a great film. Firstly, the script sparkles. As well as that line I quoted above about lifers, there’s a series of absolute gems such as:
Take off. I gotta “re-educate” some of the brothers!
I’ve taken a vow of celibacy. That also includes women
What part of this plan don’t I like? The part where we’re running around in the dark being chased by the fucking beast
and the absolute classic:
You’re all gonna die. The only question is how you check out. Do you want it on your feet? Or on your fuckin’ knees… begging? I ain’t much for begging! Nobody ever gave me nothing! So I say *fuck* that thing! Let’s fight it!
Seriously, how rousing is that speech of Dillon’s at the end? And Charles Dutton delivers it with real conviction and emphasis. Mel can keep his “Freedom” rallying cry, this is a real call to arms. The whole script is full of touches that give you an insight into character, or moments of wit amongst the carnage. It’s top stuff.
Then there’s the acting, I’ve already mentioned Dutton, but his is one of the great underrated performances in Science-Fiction. Dillon is a hard as nails sociopath, who is probably the only one of them on Fury with genuine religious convictions. Dutton is a big guy, and he gives Dillon both power and gravitas. Weaver, as is to be expected, is excellent as Ripley, Charles Dance is good as Clemens, and Danny Webb is superb as Morse. There’s also good turns from the late Brian Glover and Pete Postlethwaite. the only black mark in the acting stakes (and it is a rotten performance) is Paul McGann as Golic who’s accent fluctuates between cod-yank and verminous scouse.
It’s also damned exciting. The final chase sequence with the convicts running down the corridors shot from the Alien’s perspective is blistering. The camera wheels and climbs round the walls and ceiling and it’s just gripping stuff- especially considering that this is an Alien film, so there’s a very real chance of death for all the characters. Or the moment when Ripley and the beast come face to face.
Finally, I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I didn’t criticise 3 of the oft-mentioned flaws in the film- the first is that there is a gaping plot hole- and it is a monster: How did the face hugger get on board the Sullaco? If you’re like me and can get beyond that, then it’s a great film, but I do understand when people get hung up on it. Secondly, the special effects are aging really badly: they use a lot of nascent CGI and it looks a bit shit now. I keep hoping someone’s going to do a Lucas and fix it. Finally, bringing Bishop back at the end was pointless and unnecessary rubbish.
Alien3 is a fascinating film. The trials and tribulations that went into making it are many and well documented, but I think the end result is worth it, and as I’m starting to get older, I almost think I prefer it to Aliens. All I can suggest is that if you can put aside what you want Alien3 to be and focus on the film we actually have, then it is an enjoyable, albeit flawed, totally valid entry in the series.
Until next time,
Jarv
Barfy
kloipy
Echo the Bunnyman
Judge Droid
Jarv
ThereWolf
Xiphos0311
Werewolves On The Moon 
Here you go Frank- flame away.
I’m in the Alien3 corner as well. I think it’s a great flick. I had no problem with them killing Newt or Hicks because as you say it’s an Alien flick. Anyone can die.
I’ve not really read much about it though (surprisingly). And I don’t know what you’re referring to when you say “the wood planet”.
Anyway, good review. And this is definitely underrated.
The Wood Planet was Ward’s idea to set it on this artificial planet made entirely of wood (I’m not joking) and populated by monks.
The script is online and easily available- just google Alien 3 scripts. Gibson’s is also all over the place.
It’s a shit idea, nonetheless, and they actually got quite far in terms of set building etc and wasted a vast amount of budget. It fucked Fincher.
Ward comes across as a bit of a dick when he’s talking about this film.
A brass door knob?
Whisky?
I like Whiskey.
So do I. It’s man made, brown, smells (good), and is polished off very quickly when I get my hands on it.
No it isn’t. It’s rusty and damp.
I really like the colour scheme of it- it just reeks of decay and degradation.
They had a script- I even quoted from it. If anything they had too many scripts.
You could level the same criticism at apocalypse now- which was been rewritten while they were shooting.
Look at some of the individual lines in it- I picked out a few, but the whole film is full of them, Dillon’s “I’m a murderer and rapist of women” for example. Or some of Ripley’s exchanges with Clemens, or Aaron being described as “a fucking company man” by Morse. It’s good writing.
I do agree about the animal hybrid leading to the Predalien, and wish they’d never done it, but Predator 2 has to take more blame for that. If anything, I think Aliens is more to blame for AvP than Alien3 It’s Fox attempting to suck up to people that want endless rehashes of Cameron’s film. Same as Resurrection (which is 2/3 good with a diabolical last act).
No argument about Special Effects.
I really take issue with that “giving the finger” argument. That’s my point- it never gets judged on it’s own merits (not that you haven’t got valid reasons). So what if they fucked off fans of the second film. I don’t care.
I don’t agree that they “gave the finger” to fans. They’re not making a clone of Aliens. If “fans” can’t handle that and appreciate that they’re not just replicating the success of the previous film then that’s their problem.
Jarv you bastard. Editing your post to address the giving the finger comment.
*hmph*
Sorry. I realised I’d forgot and didn’t want to put in another post on top of the lengthy answer.
Also- fanboys are invariably dickheads as well.
Have you ever seen fanfic? Fanboys are responsible for terrible ideas (AvP in itself).
Nah. Never bothered with that. I’ve read a couple of the “official” star wars universe books back when I was a lad though.
You massive nerd.
I am proud to say I’ve never touched any of them.
You were too busy knocking one out to Viz, I suppose.
Knocking one out to viz? What goes through your mind sometimes?
Viz is not filth, it’s essential vocabulary expanding learning materials for any teennager.
I was referring to your indecent obsession with weighty and rotund women commonly referred to as ‘fat slags’.
I refer you to your Ebert quote yesterday.
I’d pity you if your perversions weren’t so repulsive.
Don’t forget that I grew up in the north. You can go out armed with a pie and nail a fat slag without any bother at all.
There’s no point beefing one out over a cartoon in that case.
You’re just disgruntled that I’ve managed to out you as Supershadow, the saddest, most deluded cretin on the internet:
http://www.supershadow.com/
Anyway,
Chubbies need loving as well.
Better you than me.
As if you’ve never had too much to drink and manned a whale.
haha Supershadow. Never heard of this bloke. Oh, god bless the internets… Giving nerds a reason to live.
Where do you find this shit?
Supershadow? He’s notorious- I thought everyone knew about him.
So, does stalking George Lucas pay well then, Droid?
It’s purely pro bono right now. I might expand my operation in the future and look to gain funding.
I’m on the ‘What the-?!’ side of the fence on this one. It’d boil down to ‘Nice Try’. I agree w/ Noted_Sage Frank_Lemurset there that it was REALLY a lousy way to start off your sequel-kill off two characters (the kid and the marine) from the last one. Nah-uh. No no no no. Not good. Bring back Vazquez and have her be an alien, something instead. Oh well.
As far as the rest of this-how did it work? I saw it once, I remember them running around w/ sparklers, there was the alien point of view running thru the tunnels gimmick that worked great a couple times and never should have seen the light of day afterwards, and that whole Sigourney takes a swan dive and does a Cross right as the alien pops outta her chest and gets fricasseed….well that’s…..peachy, I suppose. Kill off the character until it shows up in Alien IV, in other words.
But Jarv likes it, so that’s in this one’s favor, I suppose. I’ll wanna watch it again and re-visit it as it Has been a few years since I saw it last, but I remember being quite letdown by it. It was the Rocky V of the line (okay maybe Alien IV is that instead? never saw that one-) to me.
Have you changed the amount of replies you can leave in tbs? I mean in one conversation. I think it was set at 3 before, but that fatty convo appears to be about 5 levels of reply.
Haven’t touched it.
Ok, I guess the anti-Aliens sentiment is finally starting to contaminate here as well. I’m sure it’s nostalgia at work here, as I saw Aliens first when I was a kid and it knocked me on my rocker, but Aliens is the one I most return to.
It’s a superlative action film, yes, and that’s what really makes it shine. It’s also the template for more or less every legitimately good thing Cameron has ever done since.
Alien 1 is definitely the best one, but I find Aliens to be my ‘favorite’. Most of the schlock we love is just taking a page from that movie.
All that being said, I think Jarv is mostly right about Aliens 3. It was a disappointment though because it had been designed to kill the franchise. People don’t want to pay for a 2 hour funeral of a franchise that was just getting revved up in their mind. But sci-fi was fading in 1992 and Fox decided to wrap it up.
It was never going to be appreciated in anything but hindsight. Also, the workprint isn’t just marginally better, it actually makes the version they released in theaters a significantly more satisfying movie.
Alien 3 is the last one that takes the science fiction aspects seriously. And I like the monastic angle. The wood planet while sort of ridiculous might have been more visually interesting. This is an intentionally ugly movie and there’s almost too much of it here.
Again, though, I even like the B-movie feel of part 4. The ending is super daft, but if you ask me, they haven’t made a bad Alien movie yet.
And if you try to bring up those abominations called AVP I’m gonna sucker-punch you across the internets.
I like Aliens, don’t get me wrong, but I prefer horror to action movies, so it’s Alien every time that I return to.
I just think that Aliens has a lot to answer for in regards to AvP.
I’d rank it Alien- 4 Changs, Aliens and Alien 3 3 Changs, A:R 2 Changs.
There has never been an actually bad Alien film.
The big difference between the Workprint and Cinema cut is the trapping of the beast sequence- which makes sense in the Workprint but none at all in the Cinema cut. They fix all the continuity errors that seriously mar the cinema version.
I also prefer Aliens. Somewhere deep in the disturbed recesses of my mind I know that Alien is the better film, but Aliens is a lot more entertaining to me. But it’s also that I’m not much of a fan of horror.
Here’s my rankings…
1. Aliens… 4 Changs
2. Alien… 4 Changs
3. Predator… 4 Changs
4. Alien3… 3 Changs
5. Predator 2… 3 Changs (generously. I haven’t seen it in about 10 years so I’d have to rewatch it. I suspect it might dip to 2 1/2)
6. Alien4… 2 Changs
7. AvP (you ask and you shall recieve, Jonah)… 1 Chang (for the goofy t-rex alien queen at the end)
8. AvP:Rectum… -1 billion Changs
AvP -1000 changs. Fuck that.
AvP:Rectum- can’t actually rate it. I’m sure I’ve seen it. but staring at a black screen for 2 hours made me think I was actually watching Sci-Fi version of Jarman’s Blue.
I watched Predator again last year and it’s actually REALLY fucking good. It rattles along at pace, the action is superb and the characters are interesting on a base level (since you never really get any background info about them).
The new one I’m not holding out much hope for. I’ve seen Vacancy and Armoured and both those flicks aren’t very good. So Nimrod Antal doesn’t really fill me with confidence. And Rodriguez makes forgettable entertainment at the best of times.
Haven’t seen Kontroll.
What also worries me is that Rodriguez has said that he called it Predators because you know, the sequel to Alien is Aliens! It looks to me like they’re completely ignoring Predator 2.
And another thing, Topher Grace and The Beak don’t seem like badass Predator hunters to me.
Vacancy is shit.
What’s particularly vile about it, is there’s a whole library of Torture Porn that they shot for the clerk’s private collection and include on the DVD.
Why would you do this?
COUNT ME IN!!!!!
Its for the fans Jarv, come on. Lets face most people who are a fan of Michael Jackson are usually fans of torture porn, its a well established fact.
For fucks sake. Predators has something called “Super Black Predators”.
Is it just me or does that sound like something played by Michael Jai White.
Or Mario Van Peebles.
That could be mint.
Apparently there’s 3 of them so maybe the third could be Wesley Snipes.
Them some badass Super Black Predators right there.
Sweet Sweetback’s badass predators?
How funny.
The budgets only $45m.
Put an Edge of Darkness review, guys.
Surprisingly, it was good.
SURPRISINGLY?????? SURPRISINGLY????? ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING ME BARTLEBY!!!! YOU gotta be.
NO fucking way in hell is it EVER…EVER! a surprise that a Mel Gibson movie is fan fucking tastic. He could’ve stared in Alvin and the Chipmunks and it would’ve been great, he could’ve saved Year One, he could’ve made Transformers 2 awesome, he would’ve made Up in the Air Oscar worthy.
Added with the always great since The Sex Thief Martin Campbell, you’ve got a win win situation. What was there to worry about?
And people call me cynical.
What? Don’t leave me in anticipation!
What do they call your cynical!?
Tell me, damnit!
Well, now you’ve gone and corrected it. BOOB! HISS!
HEY, you should be happy. I was defending one of your national heroes.
As an unabashed drunk, nutbar and anti-semite he should be considered an international hero.
Stabby stabby boxing Aliens.
You know I may watch this today.
Gibson is always good. I’ve never seen him bad. That being said he has some crap on his resume like everyone else.
Conspiracy Theory is watchable but weak.
The Patriot is atrocious.
I don’t care what people say, What Women Want was lame and just a paycheck.
Forever Young is, as Jarv would say, Bollocks.
Million Dollar Hotel is pretty lame.
Air America anyone?
And lets be honest, for Gibson to come back in a 2 hour remake of an already fantastic six part miniseries with a whacked out ending it is a surprise in my book if it’s actually good.
besides, Koutch, has AICN tainted you so badly that you will actually bitch and whine because in my POSITIVE review of a movie I mention that I expressed surprise that it worked out>?
Bitching has evolved into it’s own multi-breasted animal since the invention of the internets.
Oh, and for frank–SFW:
I’m just saying. It’s not a surprise.
Had he come back with a rom com….maybe. But like you said, even the bad shit he’s in he still makes it good.
Plus its not like he hasn’t been at the top of his game directing wise this whole time.
I could totally understand if the dude just went away and did nothing then all of the sudden this. But I think because his public image has changed people are getting all up in arms about him doing something good.
Also had it been an unknown director or something, but this guy did the miniseries and made the best bond of the series and No Escape. And even his crap is watchable.
I think your sarcastic comment is more of a AICN attitude rather then my response. AICN bitching is all about down playing everything, and not actually expecting something to kick ass when it should kick ass. AICN is all about turning on something because its cool to hate it. I stick up for Mel because we all should stick up for Mel, he’s never really let us down.
If this was AICN bitching it would be. OHH boy the drunk anti jewish guy can still make a good movie…which is how you sound.
I suggest you read my review and point out where I suggested he let us down. You really do get worked up something fierce over this stuff.
I don’t understand it. I’m not talking about Mel himself. I’m surprised the movie worked, because I honestly anything he’s done since Payback has been great.
There’s no sarcasm at all in my review. Try reading that one and comment over there, instead of reading into something I say here.
I have no idea where your attitude comes from sometime.
I’m not talking about your review. I’m talking about your comment.
And my attitude comes from the heart. Because I care.
Did you read that stuff about the How To train your dragon guy from yesterday?
I cleared it up. Yes THAT was a AICN fan boy rant, but I didn’t mean it to sound that way. I don’t mind Jay Buhisname but this is going to be his break out year.
then you really are jumping the gun. The use of the word surprise was that a remake of a very dense and extremely weird miniseries was made into a film.
If you want to know why, read the spoilers regarding the original film’s ending.
ORIGINAL FILM’S SPOILERS ******In the original it is suggested that Gaia, the Earth Spirit, is planning an all out extinction of the human race, hence the return of a species of black flower. In the original ending, Bob Peck was supposed to transform into a tree. A freakin’ tree. SPOILERS END******
So, you can see how I went into this apprehensive that a two hour remake was going to work. It had nothing to do with Mel.
Also, you guys here need to lighten up.
I’m just fucking around. I was literally sitting here eating my pizza and was like, hahahahaha. I wasn’t Patton Oswalt from Big Fan spending all day writing my hate rants.
I mean sure sometimes I do that, but not at you guys.
it’s the internet. I can’t see your smiles or hear the jesting in your voice. I just see your Caps lock going overtime while staring at a picture of a bear kneeing someone in the crotch.
Yeah I know I always come off bad in type. Like when I use CAPS its usually not screaming for me, its because I don’t know what else to use to emphasis something to sound coy are sarcastic. I guess italics?
Plus for me really the surprise would’ve been if this movie hadn’t worked. You know more about the mini then I do (i’m watching it after I see the movie). But if the movie just sucked that would’ve been a real surprise.
But a solid actor and solid director making a solid movie, just isn’t surprising.
Though I will full heartily accept a ‘The Beaver is surprisingly good and funny!’ Because I’ve got no idea what to make of that thing.
Plus its a picture of a bear kicking someone in the nuts. Its funny, but it still hurts.
I actually think The Beaver will be good because it’s such a strange bit and will actually have to revolve around Mel. My fear with Edge would just have Gibson in there as ‘action star’ and the plot would dominate. But know, it’s another film built around a character.
I love Martin Campbell and Mel, but if they had even tried to touch the sci-fi stuff on this one, well, it made me nervous. There seemed to be no reason to tackle this one again.
I expected a well directed, well acted movie that was a pale imitation of the original.
What I got was a movie that was the first two but went in a different direction and ended up being it’s own good thing as a result.
Yes, I was basing it off my knowledge of the original but since Campbell did the original too, and Mel has been known to sign onto weird work, I thought it possible they might pull something odd on us.
As it is, it’s another dependable and solid thriller. This year has been giving us alot of though actually. It’s better than Taken easily, which it isn’t as similar to as some would lead you to believe.
Yeah I knew it wasn’t going to be anything like Taken. I’m not that dumb.
With Beaver its just since its Fosters 3rd time directing. And her last one was over a decade ago Home for the Holidays, which is whatever nothing special nor that good. I’m thinking it may just turn into some shmultzy thing rather then a good dark comedy. We’ll see.
Wow! I didn’t know stupidity could be considered an attitude per se…more like a disease or an affliction…
Willfull piss-ignorance, however, is a more serious offence…
Problem solved Koutch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SarcMark
hahaha nice. Now I need to find what fucking button it is on this mac.
Jumping in late but I’m one of those people who think Alien3 is just bad. One thing that always hits me is how forced it is – everything they do and everything that happens doesn’t feel organic or natural, but you can sense the filmmakers hands pushing things to happen.
Two main characters die right from the start…studio couldn’t afford to bring them back, or didn’t want to. Prison planet with no weapons…hey I don’t know how to make this scary, so let’s come up with a forced explanation why everyone is vulnerable…cons letting themselves be killed in an attempt to draw the creature into a trap…shit, I can’t figure out a way to write this that makes sense why they are getting picked apart, but if we do this it will least make it easy to have a bunch of death scenes.
Humbly disagree with you Jarv, this film is rubbish.
The Roc boxing an Alien. Nuff said.
I say just go back, say only the first two films happened, and we make Alien: Apocalypse about Newt coming back to earth as a young woman, following the “yellow brick road” to her adoptive mother who turns out to be dead and just a recording.
Me and you could right it Jarv. $2 million against $3 million, plus 2% of the gross. I think that is fair.
I mean “write it.” We could also right the series.
And with that I’m going to go get a coffee…
Bad Mel. Hamlet. He was a little to old to play the meloncholy Dane in that film.
I also think Braveheart is incredibly overrated.
Anyone ever seen Attack Force Z? It looks pretty cool.
I saw it years go, same night I saw Who Dares Wins. I remember liking both a lot. Should probably revisit them.
I liked Mel as Hamlet just fine, but it’s the director that jacked it up I think. Branaugh was actually two years older than Mel when he made his Hamlet–the one most think of as the definitive cinema version– so I don’t know that Mel was too old. My guess is he’s just too virile and energetic to make a completely convincing Hamlet. For most of the play, Hamlet is a pensive, moody little bitch. I buy Branagh as that guy, but not Mel. He’s a great actor, but festering inaction isn’t exactly something I picture him doing.
Branaugh didn’t work for me either. Best Hamlet was Bart in an episode of the Simpsons.
I liked the Branagh one. Haven’t seen the Mad Mel version.
Attack Force Z is an entertaining movie. Nothing great, but a better than average war film. And it has both mel and sam neil in it.
Gibson–I like the Patriot, Braveheart, most of the Lethal Weapons flicks, Gallipoli. Funny story about Gibson-back about 1992 he was in Brunswick Maine filming ‘the Man w/out a Face’ locally, and there’s a football game scene. So they went and filmed it at Bowdoin College right there in town.
They used local HS kids as extras in the stands. One of my relatives taught there, the class was right on the sidelines, sitting 4 feet from the camera-crew and etc. But where was Mel?
Relative said-right loud-So where is Mr. Big Movie Star?
And as she describes it–there was a weathered, old looking dude chain smoking about 100mph, not that tall, firing off orders at everyone in sight, wearing a turtleneck pacing and forth well within ear-shot of her. He kinda gave her a Not so nice look.
Her students said, pointing–That’s him! that’s the Director-that’s Mel Gibson!
Said she, in reply-who? what–that wrinkled up old bossy jerk—?!!
I assume Mel heard THAT, too-
Certain members of the extras in attendance were asked to move outta Mel’s hearing range soon afterwards.
Anyways. i thought it was funny.
Regarding Fincher never talking about it:
The first rule of Alien Cubed is you dont talk about Alien Cubed.
I havent seen Alien3 since it came out, I remember not liking it much but thinking it was at least better than Aliens. First one was the best, never seen all of Resurrection. I enjoyed both AvPs even tho I recognize they were both pretty damn shitty. Predator tops the list for me.
Looking forward to Edge Of Darkness, but I’ll have to wait next week, my work schedule is a bit wonky this week.
Conti- the no weapons thing was weaver’s fault. The prison thing was the studio.
I like this film and so don’t want to retcon it, so what I’d do is set it after the Auriga crashes, new lead and the yellow brick road story. Film ends with the Aliens closing in on the survivors who’ve thrown back the curtain to reveal an old and busted computer playing the distress call from the Nostromo on perpetual loop.
Cyberpunk survival horror Alien, directed by Marshall written by you and me.
I think we do it for five mill, hot and cold running strippers and enough blow to kill the Gallagher brothers.
Computer update.
It’s fucked. I can’t access the system restore thing and if I turn off the automatic restart I get a blue screen of death. I reset the bios to original defaults and that made no odds
The good news is that I diagnosed the beeping, and the hardware is fine. I now think it’s a virus.
If I can wire up the old busted laptop, I should be able to get on line again, but I can’t find the power cord for it
Alien 3 isn’t underrated; it’s a bad film that, with the work print & the absolute farce that is Resurrection, has been given a second wind.
I’ve not got a problem with the decision to kill off Newt & Hicks. It’s the timing. Had they been killed during the film, rather than the opening credits – say, Hicks trying to protect Newt at some point – I think that would have been a shocking sequence. The opening credit sequence has a lot to answer for as it also sets up not one but TWO facehuggers – one gets Ripley, one gets the dog. So, we’re asked to believe the Queen punched out two eggs in the dropship’s landing gear at the end of Aliens but it’s already too much of a stretch to imagine even the one shown.
Big mistake killing off Charles Dance. For me the film never recovers, it degenerates into a mess of bald folk swearing at each other. I didn’t find the running around corridors at the end exciting. It’s confusing. Yeh, I understand they’re trying to herd it into the lead works but there’s never any sense of location. The sequence exists to have convicts getting picked off randomly, that’s all. The image of Ripley falling into the molten lead is rank bad. Not just the image, but Ripley depicted as some kind of SuperWoman who can hold onto a chestburster coming out of her, a serene expression on her face, when we already know these things rip their way out of you, shredding bone & tissue as they go. It’s violent, it hurts.
I’ve always held the notion that it was Fincher’s intention to bypass Aliens altogether and make a proper sequel to Alien. This is what he did, I’ve no doubt. I think that’s why he ends on the Narcissus shuttle transmission from Alien.
There are two saving graces; the magnificent Goldenthal score and Alex Thomson’s wonderful cinematography.
I also think that the intention was to pretend Aliens doesn’t exist. And I disagree about killing Hicks and Newt in the film. I’ve seen this attempted loads of times, and every time I’ve ended up feeling pissed off, let down and angry that they’ve attempted to manipulate me in such a crass fashion.
I deal with the facehuggers thus- the eggs weren’t on the Sullaco, they were on the drop ship, and it’s taken them that amount of time to gestate. It’s flimsy, but I can deal with it.
This is a real marmite film. Those of us that like it, love it, whereas those that hate it really detest it.
I liked it at the time- when admitting such a thing was akin to admitting that you had 7 nipples.
CAMERON IS A FUCK-NUT!
He’s a polished, quasi-cerebral ‘MICHAEL BAY’… and that’s his only appeal and saving grace. He steals stories from other writers and then jazzes them up so the moronic masses won’t notice or care… Terminator, Avatar, True Lies, need I go on?
ALIEN is the best and ALIEN 3 is a starkly beautiful film, and a rousing return to form in the franchise. Until PROMETHEUS hits theaters any one with a brain can only acknowledge ALIEN and ALIEN 3 as true films in the genre and franchise. All others are douche-bag explode-fests that are only entertaining as background noise while you’re trying to write a calculus paper and only good for selling crappy ‘made in china’ toys to 12 year olds.
GROW THE FUCK UP PEOPLE! CAMERON SUCKs! Even with all the studio bullshit Fincher went through he still produced a superior film to that hack jar-head wannabe.
GROW UP ASSHOLEs!
he’s also mean to old people and kicks puppies.
To be fair Cameron totally rip himself off with that shitty blue man group in Ferngully flick.
The special effects might have been OK on low definition DVD, but they are truly horrible-looking on bluray. Embarrassing. When you make a movie about an alien, the alien needs to be believable, and the CGI stuff looks completely fake on bluray.
I agree they need to go back and fix the CGI scenes. I mean – these days they could model a 3D game-character alien and run it through a game level of the tunnels using a gamepad and it would look 100 times better than the original effects look today on high definition bluray.
Perhaps they just need to create more depth by darkening the areas surrounding the CGI effects so you don’t see the pixelation and flatness of the creature, but honestly when I saw the CGI effects on bluray and a bright LED TV – it was the fakest thing I think I’ve ever seen in a movie aside from the birds in Birdemic (don’t get me started on that one).
Also – for goodness sake, this movie almost rivals The Big Lebowski with the number of F-bombs dropped. They’re supposed to be religious fanatics, but they can’t “deny the flesh” enough to use decent language?
I can tolerate the swearing when it’s used in moderation (or if I’m watching with headphones on), but when my saintly wife walks in the room towards the end of the movie and I have the volume turned up – I can see her cringing because nary a sentence is uttered without an obligatory F-bomb.
Just because a movie has an R rating doesn’t mean it has to strive to offend at every level. Maybe they should tweak the rating system so it includes an F-bomb indicator. For The Big Lebowski the rating would be R-236Fs since they dropped the F-bomb 236 times in a single movie. Alien 3 would be rated R-89Fs (by estimated count). Anyone have the real count?
I read a review on rotten tomatoes that goes like this:
“The advertisements promise ‘3 times the suspense. 3 times the danger. 3 times the terror.’ The only thing Alien3 has triple of is the word ‘f–k.'”
He he, that sums up my argument perfectly.
you can’t be fucking serious about the mother fucking swearing can you?
I think it’s one of the ballsiest endings to a franchise ever (Resurrection doesn’t exist in my eyes) & is actually a great film with an interesting premise. The franchise’s heroine & the scum of the universe sacrifice themselves to save humanity. One of my favourite & most powerful scenes in the entire franchise, is the Hicks & Newt memorial cremation. You’ve got Dillon’s prayer about the promise of new life, juxtaposed with the poor dog ‘Spike’ giving birth to said life & all to a melancholic, yet rousing soundtrack. The chestbursting is also much more “birth-like” than the previous films.
It’s a shame Fincher wasn’t given the same opportunity afforded to Scott & Cameron & been allowed the creative freedom to film his vision. His subsequent career has shown that he was the right choice, so why did the suits choose him & then clip his wings?
I’m sure someone has already mentioned this but there is actually only one true CGI shot in the entire film. That is the scene of the alien’s head cracking when Ripley douses the f**ker after it jumps out of the molten lead. What you think is CGI is actually a rod puppet composited into the scene, however you’re right about it looking like crap.