Worthy successor to an excellent series...

Rating: 9/10 (5 June 1999)

This is a very underrated film. A first time debut by David Fincher. For some reason, people love to hate the film, or haven't seen it but assume it's no good becasue of comments they've heard from others. I loved it from the beginning. Fincher manages to make an art of displaying disturbing images on the screen. And I do mean art. Some of his camera pans and angles are to be savored.
I think many wanted to see another Cameron adaptation. More aliens, bigger guns and big explosions. This film finished the Alien trilogy in style. It refused to become the hollywood shoot 'em up that was the logical extension of Aliens. It instead focused on the original premise. In a few short words 'Aliens are bad, but not necessarily as bad as humans'.
The atmosphere is one of hopelessness. We see Ripley as weary as she should be after so long a journey frought with so much misery. At 'the ass end of space' she finds spirits as worn as her own. Likely the reason a penal colony was chosen as the setting. Fincher has to be commended to have the courage to bring such a stark dreary vision to realization. And, to kill off such a strong and popular character (at least that's what I thought at the time).
This movie is an excellent third installment. Standing alongside the first two as an equal. With yet another talented director taking the reins and adapting to his own vision.
As a final testament, there I was, having seen the first two over and over again, literally sitting on the edge of my seat during the Alien baiting sequence. There was some serious suspense generated there. Who would have thought that could happen after seeing dozens of Aliens running around in the second film and only having one tinier one in this!
Give it a try, and appreciate it for the different, yet true, take on the Alien experience it is.