"You've been in my life so long, I can't remember anything else!"

Rating: 8/10 (9 July 2009)

Alien 3 would be a daunting prospect to any filmmaker. Ridley Scott and James Cameron left such an indelible mark on the Alien series, you almost pity the poor person who should follow in they're footsteps.
Add to that the hellish problems that plagued the film behind the scenes all before it got to the screen. Directors came and went. Scripts were written and rejected. Constant studio interference. Sigourney Weaver had ideas of her own. She even takes a producing credit for the first time in the series.
All things that add up to a disaster in the making. And not surprisingly when the film debuted, fans savagely ravaged it, finding fault with everything. Although not a flop, it was seen as one because the box-office returns were muted by comparison.
Although I'll admit it's a step down in quality from the first two, I actually quite liked Alien 3. Its not the classic the others were, but its not a failure either. It was after all caught in the unenviable position of appeasing the fans while establishing its own identity at the same time. The fact it manages to do that at all makes it a success in my book.
After many directors hung they're heads in shame failing to make a film out of this mess, the man chosen to helm it was the then unknown David Fincher, one of my favourite filmmakers. He's gone on to make some excellent genre classics like the superb Se7en, the fantastic Fight Club, and fine thrillers like Panic Room and Zodiac.
David Fincher must have been intimidated when given the reins to Alien 3, helming the third part of such a well-respected franchise. And he had no experience as a filmmaker outside of music videos, unlike James Cameron who came from the huge success of The Terminator, and Ridley Scott was no amateur either. But Fincher does surprisingly well in his feature debut. He may have publicly disowned it afterwards, but he more than holds his own.
One of the things I like about the Alien series is how each new director brought something new to it. From a haunted house in space adventure to an all out action extravaganza, one wondered what the novice Fincher would bring to this one? The novelty this time is that its set in a prison. And the whole idea of Alien evil in a place of pure human evil was one that appealed to me a great deal.
The film does an excellent job of keeping continuity with Aliens, when Ripley's ship crashlands on Fury 161, an all-male prison planet. No sooner has she woken up and shaved her head like one of the inmates, her fight with the Alien is far from over. Her constant companion has crashed with her, and its loose. But even worse is that after all the times she's battled the Alien and won, the cruellest irony of all has finally happened. She's got one inside her. And what's worse, its a Queen.
By now, Ellen Ripley is a role Sigourney Weaver could play in her sleep, but she thankfully doesn't. In fact, perhaps because of Weaver's need to take an active role behind the scenes, we get to see some complex new dimensions to Ripley this time around. Ripley is now a tragic figure. She's become resigned to the fact she'll never be free of the Alien. Her epiphany is more haunting than a dozen Aliens.
Ripley has always been the unifying drive of the series. Without her, it wouldn't be an Alien picture. And its her battle that lends the film its impetus. She throws herself into it not with a fanatical zeal, but more of a weary resignation. She only hopes to kill the Alien before the one inside kills her.
What with the run down, grimy, lived-in look of the prison, it seems David Fincher has taken a cue from Ridley Scott rather than James Cameron when coming up with the design scheme for Fury 161. He makes use of some excellent lighting effects that illuminates the mood of the picture. It goes from a brazen, golden hue to a harsh, dangerous red as the film nears its climax.
Alien 3 is the first of the series made during the time of CGI. But using it to create the Alien is one of the few things about the film that disappoints. Whenever it moves, it looks false and cartoonish. An effect that never connects with its surroundings. The prior films relied on good old-fashioned body-suits and that was all they needed. The 1979 Alien looked more real than this does.
Another criticism is the cast. Aside from the excellent Weaver, there are too few noteworthy performers. There are fine turns from the great Charles Dance as a disgraced former doctor and the late Brian Glover as the prison warden. But they're killed off disappointingly early into the action. The rest of the cast are filled up by a lot of faceless extras which takes some of the urgency out of it.
But the film builds to a powerful climax. Just as the Company comes to claim the Alien Queen inside of Ripley, she sacrifices herself as it bursts out of her. It would have been a terrific, triumphal end to the series. It wasn't necessary to continue, but alas they did with Alien: Resurrection, which if truthfully, is a far more disappointing film.
Alien 3 is more successful then people know. Even now, its a neglected work. And even if David Fincher joined the chorus of ardent haters, Alien 3 is a never less then fascinating, gut-wrenching addition to the Alien series.