Disturbingly Interesting

Rating: 6/10 (2 May 1999)

Alien Resurrection bridges the gap brought about by Alien 3 which was too detached from the primal fears that the Alien series explores. The aliens of the Alien movies are more than routine scary monsters. Alien R. brings back our disgust of the alien's parasitic nature and our fear of bodily violation.
I did not see this movie in a theater because I believed that the Alien franchise had run out of steam. I was wrong. This movie scared me. It left me with an upset stomach. So why do I watch?
I come back to this series first because I am fascinated by good movies based on the ideas from a short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr. which include The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Alien. Alien R. has all of the horror of birth defects and bodily infection with a new twist of genetic engineering gone very wrong. As with the first two alien films, it is a ballet dealing with true horror.
My second reason for sticking with the alien movies and liking this one is Sigourney Weaver. In her role of Ripley she is at least the equal of any action star period. Her more hopeless attitude about the aliens in Resurrection is absolutely natural considering what she has been through and this obvious fact; these things will not die! It is not due just to the aliens but to the stupidity of human beings who cannot leave well enough alone.
The other aspects of these films; the deluded scientists, the power mad bureaucrats, the tough crew members, the gloomy sets are all secondary to me. Frankly, I believe all of these elements are above average in quality for a film of this type. Even the peek a boo attacks by the aliens are not what really holds my interest.
It is the fear of what abomination can get inside and emerge from us that brings me to these films and Resurrection has this in spades.