Ambient horror

Rating: Null/10 (27 August 2011)

The two previous films in the Alien paradigm set a very high bar for any sequels that may have followed them. It is true, to a certain extent, that Alien 3 is the weakest of the four films in the canon. It lacks weaponry, it's visually bleak, some of the visual effects are a little dated now (although no more than Aliens - that film was just edited a lot better)....... but it gets around these difficulties by creating a huge, chilling, cathedral-like atmosphere in the remote prison complex. The Alien is as terrifying as ever, with some new neat touches not seen in any of the other films, the cast are superb and suitably horrible, and the way they get around having no weaponry is ingenious and very thrilling to watch. This is the only film in the whole canon where you get to see through the Alien's "eyes", it's worth seeing for that alone. And Sigourney Weaver is superb, just like in the other three films. Her performance and delivery is memorable and admirable. I suspect most of the ill-feeling for this film comes from American viewers, and I can understand that. Most of the cast are British, and the film even feels British - there's something very Victorian and more-tea-anyone about this film which is surprising and rather hard to get used to, when you've seen the others. Considering the total chaos that went on during the making of the film, it's frankly amazing that it's even watchable. A very good film that only suffers from being the black sheep of its family, as it is so different to them all.