One Of My Favorite Alien Movies

Rating: Null/10 (9 March 2008)

I saw 'Alien³' 10 years ago and remember having really enjoyed it. Recently, I found the special edition DVD at a reasonable price, so I grabbed the opportunity. It was also the first movie from the Aliens series that I had watched. I saw the other three movies afterwards and didn't like them so much. However, 'Alien³' takes off pretty much from where 'Aliens' ended and this might make the understanding of the going ons a bit fuzzy in the beginning.
What makes this movie better than other alien movies is that it's not only the alien that is scary but the whole atmosphere. Fincher is quite successful at this as has been evident in his other films. The setting is very claustrophobic, dirty and isolated. It's shot in a very neo-Gothic style. It's set in a rusty tone. Visuals are outstanding. Of course, there is the fight-the-alien-with-weapons but the film does manage to sustain the entertainement factor without putting off the viewer.
Weaver is back again as Ripley and does very well. She isn't the typical action heroine. Her character is very layered as Ripley's very strong and brave but at the same time vulnerable too. She gives a nuanced performance. Charles Dance and Charles S. Dutton are good too as are the rest of the cast.
While the current screenplay isn't bad, I wonder how the film would have turned out had they used Vincent Ward's original script where the film was to be set in the monastery (watch a special edition DVD) as I liked that idea and perhaps it would have made a great film too. 'Hope they use it for the next one. While I generally do not like most alien movies, there are a few like 'Alien³' which provide the kick-ass entertainment while staying a clever film.