Of all the classic sci-fi movies that have been released over the years, Alien and its sequel are two of my all-time favorites. Alien and Aliens are legitimately two of the best movies I've ever seen, and the acclaim and success they've achieved over the years have actually caused some people to overlook that there were actually two more sequels in the franchise. One of them, Alien 3, is the movie we're here to discuss today. It's been a long time since I've seen it, but now that I've got the opportunity thanks to Netflix, I'm going to see if I can figure out why it doesn't get the same kind of recognition as its two predecessors.
When we last left Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), she and three others had barely survived the Alien's rampage aboard the Sulaco. But an accident aboard the ship causes the Sulaco to crash, Ripley emerging as the only survivor. She awakens to find that she'd crashed on Fiorina 161, an ore refinery and maximum security prison colony with an all-male population. Many of the prisoners live a monastic lifestyle and have taken a vow of celibacy, and Ripley's status as the sole woman on the planet threatens to disrupt their way of life.
But having a woman around will be the least of their worries. As Ripley begins investigating what caused the Sulaco's crash, she learns that some Alien facehuggers had stowed away on the ship. They've now gotten loose and are running free throughout the prison. Ripley tries rallying the other prisoners into fighting, but finds that Fiorina 161 has no weapons. And things are only compounded when she makes the horrifying discovery that she herself is carrying the embryo of an Alien queen inside her.
While I went into this review wondering why Alien 3 was not cherished as its predecessors were. And having watched it a few times now, I think it's because the movie doesn't really bring anything new to the franchise. Outside of a change in setting and a different supporting cast, Alien 3 feels like more of the same. I ended up with a "been there, done that" feeling by the end of the movie, which is a really sad thing to say.
Believe it or not, Alien 3 was the feature film debut of David Fincher. Yes, the same David Fincher that directed such movies as Seven, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and The Social Network. But while Fincher is a respected and acclaimed filmmaker in 2011, he was just another music video/commercial director in 1992. And for his debut, he was left in an unenviable position. Fincher had the project essentially dropped into his lap at the last minute after it had spent years in developmental hell, leaving him with little prep time and a script that hadn't been finalized. Throw in tons of executive meddling, and it's understandable why he quit before the movie's editing had been finished.
Fincher shows signs of the talented filmmaker he would become, managing to make a watchable movie out of a less-than-stellar script. Fincher puts Alex Thomson's cinematography and Elliot Goldenthal's music to good use, teaming them with the gritty set design to create a tense atmosphere that really sets the mood for the whole movie. Alien 3 doesn't have a lot going for it, but Fincher manages to pull together every element at his disposal to make sure the movie doesn't completely suck.
It doesn't help, however, that Fincher is working from a piss-poor script. Though the script is credited to David Giler, Walter Hill, and Larry Ferguson from a story by Vincent Ward, writing duties were passed around among numerous writers during the movie's development. Fincher himself even contributed to the writing process. With all these cooks in the kitchen, all it gives us is a really mediocre screenplay. The fact that Hicks and Newt from Aliens were killed off (before the movie even started, no less) and Bishop was relegated to a short cameo is bad enough. But the story is so week that it ultimately makes the whole movie boring. Outside of the ending, it adds absolutely nothing to the Alien franchise. The dialogue is forgettable and many of the characters aren't worth the screen time, so it all just feels like a waste. I know it must have been intimidating trying to match the first two Alien movies, but couldn't they have at least tried?
At least the cast tries making the most of it. Among the supporting cast, I really liked Charles S. Dutton and Charles Dance. Dutton plays his character as jaded and hard-edged yet likable too, while Dance is charming and sympathetic. I also thought that Brian Glovers was great as Fiorina 161's warden. The role is basically the stereotypically abrasive "nothing's wrong, everything is A-OK" type of authority figure, a character that's a dime a dozen. But Glovers pulls it off without it ever feeling old or worn out.
But as always with the Alien franchise, the best performance comes from Sigourney Weaver. She plays Ripley as a woman who has been pushed to the end of her rope. Ripley's seen her third Alien massacre with no real reprieve between them, and then she finds out she's carrying an Alien queen's embryo inside her to boot. That would be enough to drive any person crazy. Ripley's awfully close to crazy indeed, but Weaver plays her as so worn out and battered from her wars with the Aliens that she's too tired to be crazy. Weaver is nothing short of awesome as Ripley, and if Fox ever decided to remake or reboot Alien, I doubt that anyone would ever be able to top her.
Alien 3 isn't a bad movie, but it is most certainly a disappointing one. A lot of it is that it was way too hard to live up to the precedents set by Ridley Scott and James Cameron. But then there's the fact that the movie is just plain okay. It's neither a good movie nor a bad movie; it's just kinda there. It's a total let down from start to finish. But I mist confess that it does have its moments of glory. It's definitely worth a watch if you want to see the whole franchise. But I won't fault you if you want to stick with just Alien and Aliens.
Final Rating: ***
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