Been there, done that

Rating: Null/10 (6 February 2000)

* * (2 out of 5)
Alien3
Directed by : David Fincher, 1992

If you liked Aliens, it is probably best you don't see Alien3. It, for some reason, turns the triumph of Aliens and the conclusion herein into a depression deeper than the vastness of a hundred black holes.
First off, the characters of Hicks, Newt and Bishop - who went through such a terrible ordeal in Aliens - are mysteriously dead as this one opens and obviously not due to anything terribly story related.
Other than that, director Fincher (of former MTV fame) dishes up a stylized alien universe and his camera style  more close-ups and more zoom shots  is easily different from both Ridley Scott (Alien) and James Cameron (Aliens).
Where Fincher is an original artiste this also quickly becomes annoying when any real suspense is missing (there is a lone alien running around again), the story is a no-story and when no characters (other than Ripley) are even vaguely interesting. Ellen Ripley is joined by one, big, faceless mob.
Alien3 has moments; yet everything ultimately seems like a huge deja-vu. Charles Dance and Sigourney Weaver even share some interesting chemistry (that should have been further built on) - that too fizzles.

Weaver co-produced this time, she also shaved her head (literally) and if nothing else Alien3 has a magnificent scene where Ripley - at last - comes face to face with an alien. We are talking inches.
Note : The ending was one move that Warner wish they had never done. See Alien : Resurrection.