It manages to deviate a bit from the proved formula, and the cast is very good

Rating: 5/10 (14 August 2007)

Reprising her role as Lt. Ellen Ripley from the previous two "Alien" installments, Sigourney Weaver continues to excel as a forceful female presence on the screen. Weaver is quite regal with her head shaved, wearing combat clothes and demanding that people listen to her; once again, she's the main reason to see an "Alien" movie apart from the special effects. Here, Ripley hunts down a killer creature on an all-male prison planet, and director David Fincher goes crazy with his camera swooping around barren corridors. Charles Dance is added as a very credible love-interest for Ripley, but there aren't many other surprises in this script, and Fincher doesn't seem to know how to bring it to a coherent, satisfying finish. The art direction and cinematography are curious but ultimately off-putting, and Ripley's final moment is a bummer. ** from ****