Franchise is out of steam

Rating: 4/10 (14 July 1999)

Eh. I've seen A:R twice, and really wasn't able to get into it much either time.
One of the biggest weaknesses in my opinion is that I never had much sympathy for the group of 'protagonists'. Unlike the crew of the Nostromo in A1 who were basically a bunch of innocents considered 'expendable' by the greedy Company; unlike the confident Marines in A2 who find themselves in over their heads and looking to Ripley for help; unlike the inmates in A3 who've found God and, for all their flaws and foul language, see a spiritual side to the battle...this new group is basically a bunch of scumbag mercenaries. Charles Dutton's character in A3 frankly admitted his crimes, but at least he had scruples. This group seemingly has none. They're just unpleasant.
Another problem is a lack of suspense. Maybe it's the effect of three movies, but the 'in-between' sequences - when the aliens are off-screen - seem too empty to build much suspense. I watched "Aliens" on cable the other day, and even having seen it probably more than any other film in the series, I still got a feeling of dread when they showed the exoskeleton-looking stuff when the Marines were looking for the colonists. With A:R, I simply got *impatient* waiting for the alien to jump out from somewhere. And what is with that funky-looking hybrid alien at the end? It looked like Odo (from Star Trek: Deep Space 9) after getting splashed with acid. It didn't look menacing...just ugly.
Good points: Sigourney Weaver is excellent as usual, and she saves A:R from being a complete waste. The scene where she finds the failed clones is chilling.
But overall, the series ended for me at Alien 3. Though I'll still probably see A5 if it is made.