Excellent

Rating: 10/10 (25 February 1999)

Starting at the begining... I saw the movie "Alien" for the first time ever in 1997. Slowly the viewer approaches a ship that looks almost like a city. We are taken inside. Breezes and small sounds fill the inside of the ship. We are taken on a silent tour, and then watch as the computer wakes the few passengers up and the movie begins. After watching the movement and feeling that Ridley Scott (the director) put forth for all us "movie goers" my curiosity was stirred. Honestly, as a woman myself who lives a complicated human life I could relate to Ellen Ripley. Whether it was her struggle to keep alive even while all those around her are destroyed, or just a struggle to stay in her status position or responsible position. All of us feel all that way at some time. So, after Alien, I saw Aliens. The sequel was well written and believable. That is something one doesn't see very often at the theater. Ellen wakes up after 57 years and seems just as human as before. The journey in that sequel is filled with suspense, drama and even laughter. The ending is once again filled with sorrow yet hope remains. For most, Aliens is their favorite movie of all 4. The child and the new and complex characters sparked many other viewers interests. Alien 3 was of course the movie I saw next. I believe the 3rd sequel and last journey for Ellen is misunderstood. Many great fans of the saga do not like Alien 3. Many say it must have been Ripley's dream and could have never really happened in her life story. I loved it. I appreciate the introduction we all get into reality. Because in real life, (just as Number 8 (the cloned Ripley) says in this new film Alien Resurrection), we die. I
When Alien Ressurection first came to the theaters I was amoung the very first to get in line to see it. Suddenly the lights go out. A very recognisable type of music begins. Skin is pushed around the screen, something is being made. Space surrounds you. Things are strangely quiet once again. Another ship is in the distance. We enter the ship, the "Usm Auriga" space craft and walk through the door to see the same men we remember from Alien 3. Men in white lab coats. Inside a embryonic tube we see a child. Quietly she says to herself, "My mommy always said there were no monsters.. no real ones.. but there are." Any fan knows this child is quoting another child named Newt. Yet this time the words take on new meaning. This journey of Ripley no.8 is a new one. I think it is a very important addition to the saga.
In conclution, after seeing all of these 4 segments of Ellen Ripleys' story in a row, I think that the meaning behind it all is more than feminism or heroism. I really believe it is all about being human. I have really found a treasure in these 4 films and I hope that the future generations to come find her story just as interesting. After all, the year this movie came out we cloned an animal successfully for the first time. What do we clone next?........