ALIEN 3 Fails to Live Up to Franchise Standards

Rating: 5/10 (2 February 2010)

I really wanted to enjoy this movie more than I did. The original ALIEN remains one of my absolute favorite movies and the sequel, ALIENS, is still one of James Cameron's best films in my opinion. It's just a shame that the third installment couldn't continue with the same success. From everything I've read and seen, David Fincher's film was plagued with any and all possible obstacles that could possibly befall it, which contributed to the resulting mundane film. Multiple rewrites, budget issues, and crew changes nearly destroyed the film before it was ever completed, but credit is still due to David Fincher and his editor Terry Rawlings for creating a something cohesive out of all the trouble. The film begins at an undetermined amount of time after the events of ALIENS, in which an electrical fire aboard the Sulaco ejects Ripley's cryotube in an escape pod, stranding her on the planet Fiorina 161 (or Fury 161). The planet is a maximum security men's work correctional facility where the prisoners have accepted religion and are less than thrilled to have a woman wandering amongst them. Their differences are soon forgotten as Ripley discovers that an egg had stowed away aboard the escape pod and there is now an alien picking off the colony population one by one.
I appreciate the fact the Fincher and the writers attempted to get back to the roots of the franchise, relying on suspenseful horror instead of action (not that Cameron's action approach was in any way unsatisfying, because it rocked). For whatever reason, this film just fell flat. The first half kept the pace with Ripley integrating into the prison population and investigating clues that she may have had a stowaway, then the arrival of the alien in it's usual gruesome manner. As soon as the initial attacks are over, the film slows to a crawl while the surviving prisoners frequently huddle together and plan how to capture or destroy the creature. Sadly, the final act suffers just as well when the prisoner's plan to kill the creature comes to fruition in a lengthy chase sequence.
Sigourney Weaver, of course, reprises her role as Ellen Ripley and continues to grow stronger in the role. The best supporting cast are also, sadly, some of the shortest-lived: Charles Dance (as the colony's medical officer Clemens) and Brian Glover (as superintendent Andrews). The deaths of the characters were necessary to place the prisoners in a leader-less situation so I can understand why, but it still would've been nice to get some more of Charles Dance in the film. Unfortunately, with the exception of Charles S. Dutton, the rest of the cast blends together into a sea of shaved heads and it becomes incredibly difficult at points (particularly those of high action) to distinguish who is who. Despite it's flaws, the film has it's moments and the performances manage to keep it afloat. It's just sad that the end to the official Alien "trilogy" had to end on such a flat note.