Good movie that doesn't live up to predecessors

Rating: Null/10 (2 April 2001)

I can't believe how negative reviews have generally been for this movie. I think this is a case of people badmouthing a movie because it doesn't live up to its predecessors.
Is it as scary as the original Alien? No. Not even close.
Is it as awe-inspiring as the first sequel, Aliens? Nope.
Unfortunately for Alien: Resurrection, it's been almost 20 years since the groundbreaking original film Alien. Everything in this movie suffers from the "been there, done that" sydrome.
The most obvious example is the Xenomorph alien itself. When Ridley Scott created the first film, he purposely shot it to show as little of the Xenomorph as possible. It leaves more to the imagination... and hence made it scarier. Thus, even though we saw a lot of the xenomorphs in the sequel Aliens, it still *felt* new. Not so with Alien4. Everybody who hasn't been living under a rock is waaay too (over)familiar with the xenomorph by now. It's become a pop culture icon most movie fans recognize --- like Rambo, Indiana Jones, or Darth Vader. This has taken much of the air out of the "Scary" bit of the movie.
Without the "Alien" prefix to the title "Resurrection" this movie would not have been trashed by fans & critics. It's a fairly enjoyable film, ranking somewhere between "Above Average" and "Good". One thing that separates this film from the other 3 Alien flicks is the occasional tongue-in-cheek humor, mostly via quirps from Ripley. The new Ripley of this movie is a sardonic, witty incarnation of the serious, emotional Ellen Ripley.
In terms of the Alien movie series, "Alien4" is the true sequel to "Aliens" just as "Alien3" was the true sequel to "Alien". The first and third films focused on a dark, brooding storyline. Slow paced, very scary, but little action. The second and fourth films were more about Hollywood action bonanzas, death-defying stunt sequences, with lots of special FX. If you enjoyed all the Marine Gadgets, weapons, and vehicles in "Aliens" you'll love Alien Resurrection.
I'd rate this movie 7.5/10. Good flick, but not great.