Fincher's Troubled Debut and an Inferior Sequel.

Rating: 6/10 (26 January 2010)

"You've been in my life so long, I can't remember anything else." - Ripley
Following the events of James Cameron's "Aliens," "Alien³" virtually nulls the events of the previous film, and instead finds Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) crash landing alone on a prison planet, surrounded by murderers and rapists. When she discovers some unwanted cargo, things only go from bad to worse, in true "Alien" fashion.
"Alien³" is as undoubtedly famous for being director David Fincher's (Fight Club) first film, but also for its troubled production that resulted in a compromised and ultimately messy film. After a gaggle of directors and writers had their way with the material, Fincher was ushered in on the project at the last minute. Without a script in hand, the first-time feature-film director did the best he could with what he was given. Unfortunately, all the talent in the world can't save a film from a lack of structure and too many cooks in the kitchen.
To be fair, Fincher does about as well as anyone could have expected. The film has an undeniably murky tone that clashes with that of the suspenseful "Alien" and action packed "Aliens," making it an entity all its own. The opening of the film sets the mood beautifully, and despite rubbing fans of the franchise the wrong way, is a bold way to go. Fincher's unique eye, while put to much better use in later films, is what ultimately carries the film and helps it rise above its lack of cohesive story. While you may not understand or care about everything going on, you'll certainly be engaged by the visual show at hand.
Unfortunately, though, the film never reaches the greatness of its predecessors, making it an inferior sequel. In the years following its release, Fincher has all but disowned it and it has become a black sheep of sorts in its own franchise -- a franchise which has never truly recovered from this mis-step. Truth be told, there's some juice to this installment, and Fincher fans will be delighted to see his touch put to use in this sci-fi element, but in the end, "Alien³" is what happens when an over-bearing studio and careless producers tamper with the creative process.