Epic Sci Fiction

Rating: Null/10 (5 April 2004)

I like David Fincher a lot. I think his films are very original and very tactful. Let's think though of his directorial Debut Alien 3 which I believe is his best work. The original version of it wasn't bad at all, it just left gaps opened without filling them in. Since the Quadrilogy was released the Alien 3 disc has given the fans of the franchise the chance to see a pre release version with an added 30 minutes of footage just what.
It is a bit grubby in parts as far as the sound goes especially in keys parts of the movie but it gives us the look in to what Alien 3 should have really been like.
Like I said I thought the original version was very good but the pre release is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's hard to look past some of the faults with the sound but when you do you see an completely different film. It is a shame that it has taken over 10 years for us to see the real Alien 3 but oh my god it was worth the wait. You just get to see all the characters that miraculously disappeared in the first version turn up in the new version and get a proper send off, if it is by the gushing teeth of the Alien but it adds more spice to the movie and less confusion. We get to see Ripley's relationship with Clemence blossom and become more believable. We see Gollick talking more crazy and see him for the little git that he is. You don't see him die, you only assume what had happened to him so it was good to see what became of him and many other things. I think the biggest change was the beginning in how they found Ripley on the beach after her aircraft crash landed. Even though this is a pre release copy there are scenes which were in the original one and not in this. The scenes I am referring to are when the prisoners open the ship and find all the bodies. One sees Ripley and shouts `she's still alive' which has vanished. The other complaint was that David Fincher had nothing to do with the Quadriloigy. I think if he had said `Yes I would like to get the chance to show this film in it's original form, I'll take it into the edit suite and remaster every bit that needs it and give it back to you for releasing on the box set' but that's exactly what didn't happen and that's where this disappoints. The sound in two major scene's really messes up and starts to become confusing and not to spoil it for whoever hasn't seen it, there is no Alien bursting out of Ripley's chest when she is dropping into the furnace.
However it is great to see what it would have been like and Fox should have said yes to the release of this back in 93 only if they sort out the sound and have an Alien come out of Ripley's chest at the end. I think the critics would have thought it to be better than the first two which is what I think and then they would have been quid's in. If only people would think about what ifs.