Flawed, but a worthy addition to the saga

Rating: 8/10 (24 May 2013)

Alien3 marks the point at which the series began to go somewhat downhill. It is a definite love-or-loathe film, but it's a film that has improved over time, and while it's not on the same level as the first two, it remains a decent entry in the series, certainly far better than the depths the series would later sink into.
It sets it's tone right from the start with a neat play on the 20th Century Fox opening, with the familiar theme suddenly segueing into something creepy. The opening sequence alienated - if you pardon the pun - many fans. There's no getting round the fact, the sudden appearance of an alien egg on the Sulaco makes no sense, and no explanation is ever given for it. The callous killing off of Newt and Hicks had fans raging instantly - this callous attitude perhaps reaches a nadir when an autopsy is performed on Newt to determine she has no alien inside.
IF you can get past that downer of an opener, and you can forgive some bad dialogue, and not-all-great performances, Alien 3 provides an intriguing direction coming after the action-fuelled Aliens. This is a dark, brooding film, full of Gothic visuals, and steeped in fatalism, mirroring our heroine's emotional state. Sigourney Weaver is perfect as always, and helps hold the film together. While strong on atmosphere, the gore is taken to higher levels, so that should please gorehounds.
For a richer, alternate experience, check out the Assembly Cut, which helps fill out gaps which resulted from reckless cutting.