Take My Advice: Watch The Special Edition, You Won't Be Disappointed!

Rating: 9/10 (16 February 2006)

Few movies have gotten the controversy and attention that Alien 3 has gotten. Mixed views on the film have and continue to surface. Some love it for its focus put back towards the horror genre. Others find it disappointing by seeing it as a movie that doesn't do anything new with the series as they see it as a bit of throwback to Alien. Judging from the stars I'm sure you can figure out which camp I'm in.
Let me be clear on one thing though, if you really want to get the best experience out of Alien 3 watch the special edition. While I enjoyed the theatrical release it was just so easy to tell how people didn't like it, as it's the more boring version. The special edition of Alien 3 actually catches your attention and gets you interested in the outcome of the movie. So if you didn't like Alien 3 and are reading my review thinking I'm just another person liking it because it's an Alien film watch the special edition yourself, you'll see why so many love it.
Alien 3 takes place on Florina 161, a planet with an unstable atmosphere. Because of the harsh conditions on Florina 161, the few inhabitants have to stay underground most of the time. They also have to keep their heads shaved due to a lice outbreak on the planet. Ripley's ship crash-lands on this planet and she finds herself among the prisoner inhabitants of Florina 161, who are made up of rapists, serial killers and psychopaths. Conflicts brew upon Ripley's arrival and the arrival of a new, faster and more agile alien.
So, why is Alien 3 such a great film you ask? Well, even though it's not an original twist to the franchise after the first Alien film, I'm actually glad that it's not an action film. While was the real trump card of Aliens, it was mostly because it was a different take for the movies. Alien 3 goes for a grittier and more suspenseful take compared to the in-your-face action and it works surprisingly well. While Alien 3 won't scare it'll still have you interested in what happens throughout the film till the end.
As a master of suspenseful and thematic thrillers, David Fincher's touch to the gritty and dirty tone for Alien 3 shows very nicely. I'll also admit for a movie that didn't have a script when production began, the plot and flow of the movie goes very smoothly. One thing that might surprise you in Alien 3 is that it actually has a sense of humor even though it's a pretty serious and religious film. While the movie won't make you do much more than chuckle a bit in these areas it does help the film escape some moments that may seem a bit too serious.
Alien 3 also has some strong performances to help the movie flow better. Weaver is once again Ripley but even after getting her head shaved you can still easily tell it's her. You've also got actors playing the prisoners of Florina 161 that help to compliment the serious tone. The viewer will even start to grow a connection with these deranged serial killers because of the situation they are in with the alien hunting them down. This effect works very well and makes Alien 3 arguably as good as Aliens, if not better.
Against what seems like impossible odds towards being a good movie, Alien 3 actually comes out as a great movie. Every time I watch Alien 3 I love it even more than before, and the ending (which should've really ended the series) remains as touching as ever. If David Fincher is reading this then he must know that he has nothing to be ashamed of in this movie, it's excellent!