"Is that all you got? is that all you can fight for sucker?"

Rating: Null/10 (15 November 2001)

That one line alone, uttered by Dillon near the climax of the film blows ALIEN RESURRECTION out of the water.
Greatly underestimated and misunderstood film (even by me intitally). The problem with ALIEN 3 is that it IS so different from the first two movies, not worse....just different! Dark, sombre, even gothic. It places Ripley in a prison colony on an isolated planet at the ass-end of the universe, her ship having crash-landed following its long journey at the conclusion of ALIENS.
Audiences were understandably ill at ease from the outset, having Corporal Hicks, the Bishop Droid and little Newt killed off before the film even got going, but Ripley's performance is the key to the movie here. She is an awesome figure of resolve and stoic bravery.
The plethora of English accents didn't help either (it WAS a British production, backed by Murdoch's NEWS Limited corporation). Extremely good script, just talky and with few action sequences. Problem was that following Cameron's huge adrenalin-rush with ALIENS, audiences were expecting more of the same and it wasn't to be. Many were disappointed also that there was only one alien, as in the original.
Charles Dance as the colony's doctor and Charles Dutton as the prisoner's leader and unofficial spokesman ("You're all gonna die, the question is - do you want it on your knees or on your bellies?") are superb. Many top characterizations littered throughout the movie. Picks up the pace towards the end and the "herding" of the alien into the leadworks is excellent.
Few movies have ended with such poignancy, emotional resolve and beautifully choreographed deliberation. Absolutely great musical score here too. If you WERE one of those bitterly disappointed by ALIEN 3, give it another go. With a different mind-set you may see it differently, after all, ALIENS was totally left field of the original. The three are a great trilogy. ALIEN RESURRECTION was simply an aberration....forget it, don't even THINK about watching it! It doesn't BELONG!
I once gave Alien 3 a rating of 5/10. I was wrong, it is a 7.5!