This resurrection should have been aborted

Rating: 5/10 (25 August 2014)

I'm not certain of why this film came about. Whether it was because of a desire to end the franchise in a better way after the failure of Alien 3 or just cashing in on the name of a popular franchise. Either way Alien Requiem is a weak addition to the Alien franchise and one that does not live up to the legacy that preceded it.
This time it doesn't even feel like a sequel, but rather like a reboot. 200 years after she died, Ripley is resurrected by a mad scientist who wants to use her DNA to create a new form of Xenomorph. But the aliens escape their cage using their acid blood (why they didn't put them in a special jail that wouldn't melt with acid is one of many plot holes) and take over the ship. Thus it's up to Ripley and a group of space bandits to defeat the Xenomorphs before they make it to earth. It's a bizarre story that is alright, but out of place for the tone of the franchise.
The idea of space bandits is a good one (as evidenced by the fact Whedon used the same idea later to make the hit show Firefly). But unfortunately it is not executed particularly well here. Each character does have a memorable feature that will ensure you do remember the different characters, but it seems to lack the usual quick witted charm that makes most of Whedon's work so memorable. Whedon states the reason for this is a weak execution of the source material and some script changes after his draft. Possibly this comes from the fact that the director Jean Pierre Jeunet's style does not blend well with Whedon's with his melancholy, dramatic approach not being best suited for the script.
Unfortunately just like Alien 3, Resurrection screws up the most important thing in the franchise. The Xenomorphs. Once again we see too much of them. What made them so iconic in the first two is that we hardly saw them. It was the fear of the unknown that made them so memorable. Here they appear a no better than some run of the mill monsters. They never feel as if they're too much of a threat and even their designs are different.
On top of this they do some incredibly strange plot points with the Xenomorphs, the strangest coming within the final act. Out of nowhere a Xenomorph/human hybrid is born merging Ripleys DNA with the alien. That sentence alone felt strange to write They even attempt to add some drama in to it with the alien viewing Ripley as its mother, even trying to make us feel sorry for it. But when they constantly switch between sympathetic child and murdering monster the whole thing just loses its impact.
Ultimately there's nothing in this film that is particularly memorable. There's little reason to watch the film since it doesn't add anything interesting to the franchise. But if you do watch it then don't enter with any expectations.