Many people hated Alien3. And with good reason; after the action-packed Aliens, moviegoers were looking for more of the same. They wanted alien guts splattering on walls and guys kicking ass while using every dirty word in the book. They wanted it to be all out. However, director David Fincher took a different approach to the movie. He set the action on one location: a prison. A maximum security prison out of all things, where weapons are not allowed. The action that ensues is somewhat subtle but the perspectives and the locales are excellent making this my favorite of the four.
Ripley is back, and surprise! She has a first name! I won't give it away because it really adds to the suspense (note the sarcasm). The pod that jettisoned off into space crash lands on Fiornia 161, a prison planet devoid of all life except rapist, murderers, and child molestors. The scum to end all scum. Little does anyone know, she has harbored another alien on board. This time it chooses a dog as its host. This leads to an alien we've never seen before. One that's fast. Incredibly fast, and smaller than the previous ones. The dog alien makes its rounds through the prison while the inmates figure out a way to stop the thing. And they must do so without any artillery. They have some fire and that's about it. The action remains slow and methodical up until the final 30 minutes when the viewer is put into the driver's seat of the alien. Sigourney Weaver returns as Lt. Ripley and is joined by a superb cast including Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, and Lance Henriksen.
Alien3 is a much slower paced movie than the rest. It doesn't have extravagant fight scenes or blaring weapons. It just has fear. And the fear is represented in the faces and words of the inmates. Weaver is again brilliant in her starring role as is Charles S. Dutton as the prison preacher and overall good guy. The first person scenes when the viewer is inside the alien is breathtaking. We see what the alien sees and that includes scaling walls and moving at break-neck speeds. The music is provided by Elliot Goldenthal and really adds to the darkness of the movie. It has haunting themes and moments where the hair on your neck stands at end. Fincher does a great job of getting the shot he wants. The story by Vincent Ward really adds depth to the movies and throws in a horrifying twist. This is my favorite of the four simply because it has such great visuals and in my opinion a great storyline. Let it be known however that most people will not agree with me. In many cases, Alien3 was the least favorite. I suggest you see it for yourself and you make the call. Indeed my rating is lower than the others, but only because it doesn't have quite the intensity. It may seem odd but just trust me. It's my favorite.
My rating: 7 stars
For more information on Alien3 go to The Alien Legacy.