Lot better than expected

Rating: 7/10 (17 August 2005)

Many people give this movie a bad rating, which on one level I can understand and on another I can't. This movie had the right pace of tension and drama to suit this movie. Alien³ was about character build-up, which it did with the first 40-60 minutes, where we learnt history of some of the convicts, doctor and the guys in charge. It's very late in the movie that the alien actually properly appears and starts killing.
The acting was quite good with the likes of Charles S. Dutton and Pete Posthlewaite lending in good support, Sigourney Weaver had the chance to no longer have to act the hard-a**ed bitch and instead act more human, seemingly growing close to the Doctor. These help to make Ripley seem the most human I've seen in the series.
David Fincher shows us his potential for future movies such as Se7en, The Game and especially Fight Club, all movies that I've enjoyed viewing. My favourite scene that showed his potential was early on when Ripley and the convicts are doing a funeral for Newt and Hicks which is beautiful and moving, contrasting to the inter-cuts of the birth of the alien, and Dutton's characters prayer of new life. Brilliant scene.