Not as bad as some say it is

Rating: 6/10 (22 September 2013)

Alien 3 is obviously the most divisive entry in the sacred Alien series, some people love it, some hate it. I lean more towards the first one, I think its a good movie, but not a great one like it should've been. Alien 3 picks up some time after where Aliens left off. An alien egg has somehow managed to get on board the Sulaco (How it got there, I don't have a goddamn clue.) A fire breaks out and all the cryopods are ejected into space and crash land on the barren desert prison planet Fiorina 161. Ripley is once again the only survivor... the only human survivor that is, if you know what I mean. Alien 3 has its problems, chief among them being the killing of Hicks and Newt. It is so cheap and overall stupid it makes you angry that they killed them in THAT way. There are way too many characters, like 50 inmates I think, and most of them look alike. Ripley acts out of character several times, and it makes her seem... off. Also I don't like the part where they kill the dog, it just seemed pointless to me.. they could have done that off screen. However, Alien 3's pros help outweigh its cons. While the killing of Newt and Hicks is a slap in the face, it does help set the dark mood of the film. The cinematography looks so dark, bleak... and gorgeous. It is truly creative in its set design and also memorable. While most of the characters don't get enough screen time and development, those that do are actually fascinating. Like that guy who is a former rapist, well now in the prison he is a preacher for the prison's religion. Alien 3 is also very psychology ambitious, themes like religion, forgiveness, hate, and revenge are all brought to the forefront here and are handled very well. The acting in Alien 3 is really good, especially from Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, as is the script and most of the dialogue (several cheesy lines aside). The alien (yes, there is only one this time again) is a hit or miss. It is a hit in that it is a new fascinating variant of the xenomorph that we haven't seen before and I find that scary. It's a miss in that it looks really bad in some parts, like it looks cgi though it actually isn't. Alien 3 is a good movie in my eyes, while it has its flaws I still view it as a worthy entry into the Alien saga, and this is where the series should've ended. But no... Hollywood had to milk it with the next installment... and oh boy is it a doozy.