Watch the assembly cut

Rating: 6/10 (15 May 2008)

This isn't a bad movie, but it is an unexpected and unneeded twist to a stable storyline. Its important to differentiate an alien movie like this one from one like Alien: Resurrection, which is mediocre verging on bad. At least in this movie Ripley is still an actual character as opposed to a superwoman. She has fears and hope, but she is also beat down and resigned to her fate, which creates tension.
Its interesting to note that in Ripley time its only been a few months since she was on the Nostromo in the first film. She keeps getting frozen for a hundred years...
My advice is to track down and view the 'assembly cut'. There is a great deal more dialog and additional scenes, and as a result you can actually develop a connection with the characters - unlike the theatrical release where its just a bunch of anonymous guys getting slaughtered.
After aliens, I look at the other sequels as if they were "what if" comics - (for example 'what if' hicks and newt died and Ripley crash landed on a prison planet).
I hope that someday someone will make a movie that picks up where aliens left off, instead of letting that storyline die. However, if you like the alien series and mythology the 'assembly cut' is the way to go. Although the sound isn't perfect, it is more true to the directors original vision and a fun 'what if' storyline. The theatrical version may be enough for you, or you could just plain not like it.