Watch the Assembly Cut instead

Rating: Null/10 (13 April 2017)

The assembly cut of Alien 3 is considered by most to be the definitive version of the film. Available on the DVD and Blu-Ray versions of the Alien Quadrilogy sets, it adds several cut scenes to the film that clear up continuity and character errors present in the theatrical cut of the film and as such becomes a much clearer and enjoyable experience. One must also take into account what was happening behind the scenes -- as the award-winning director David Fincher's first feature film, he was met with constant resistance; no finished script was available for most of the shooting and 20th Century Fox intervened with notes and demands that went against Fincher's vision for the film. Regardless, both versions of the film boast a stunningly bleak color palette, an unforgettable score by Elliot Goldenthal and a sleek, almost beautiful Alien design and terrific performances by Dutton, Dance and Weaver, all of which contribute to Alien 3 being a worthy finale to the Alien trilogy. It is bleak, brutal, and beautiful.
Ignore the theatrical cut. Watch the Assembly cut to have the "real" Alien 3 experience.