The "black sheep" of the series

Rating: 8/10 (8 May 2008)

This film is such a departure from the previous movies that it has been blacklisted by the fans for years. Only in recent years, after a decade of rumors of missing footage & production problems, has a more complete "Assembly Cut" given audiences a closer look at what the film originally would have been.
Alien 3 was the first film by David Fincher, whom brought his own personal style to the series. Giving the film a bleak look and feel, the movie in the first ten minutes tells us that this isn't Aliens 2. While the script should have been given additional drafts & the film itself has several plot holes when viewed against the previous films, none-the-less Alien 3 delivers the scares and terror of the original film. The music is extraordinary, though at times is washed out due to the screams and sound FX. Audiences may have trouble identifying certain characters, as many look similar, and most names are hardly used. While the film may drag out at points, the suspense soon picks us, giving us a modern-day (or futuristic) "ghost-house" type of story similar in style to the original film, leading to a heart-racing final climax.
Sigourney Weaver delivers a great performance of a woman trapped with little options, who has evolved from a common woman in Alien to now a woman with little to lose; willing to directly combat the creature. There are plenty of plot twists in the film, and for fans of the previous two films, the ending is emotional.
As for the Alien itself... Without giving away spoilers, the Alien effects and in terms of how it acts and moves is cranked up a notch; the bar is raised in terms of viciousness and speed.
As part of the two-disk set for the Assembly Cut, there are also extensive features that detail previous story ideas, including the popular "wooden planet" concept, and for the first time delves into the production problems that caused David Fincher to walk off the project and give up the film to the producers.
After viewing both the Theatrical and Assembly Cuts, as well as the extensive making-of features, I personally give the film an 8 out of 10.