The Weakest Of The Four

Rating: 5/10 (20 September 2003)

My Rating: ** out of ****.
Alien 3 is a big disappointment. There are many flaws in the film plus one possible plot hole. Many will argue that Alien: Resurrection is worse, but I found many more aspects of that better than Alien 3.
The first problem with this movie is the story is basically a rehash of the first Alien. The only difference is that Alien was much more effective. The story is in no way thrilling at all. Also, the tagline for the film "On Earth everyone can hear you scream". What the hell? This movie doesn't take place anywhere near earth.
Another problem is the characters which are really poor. I know I did complain about some of Alien's characters, but they were ten times more interesting and likable compared to some of these characters. There are basically too many characters, its obvious there just here to get killed. One of the only characters to have a personality is Charles S. Dutton's characters, but when he talks he sounds more like a reverend. We do not need religious people in an Alien film. It doesnt fit at all.

The film does contain good visual effects, one of its strengths. The film also has a dark atmosphere thats suitable. It also has some style by director David Fincher, I liked his point of view shots of the Alien. I also liked the ending, it was the perfect way to end a disappointing film. Unfortunately, these are just about the only strengths Alien 3 has.

The action scenes werent that suspenseful. The scene where The Alien pins Ripley against the wall was the only part I felt that was suspenseful. The other scenes I just didnt feel anything. Something else I found disappointing was the killing of Newt and Hicks. I cared much about those characters and they just kill them off here. Overall, Alien 3 is worth watching just to see all of the films but other than that its really disappointing.