Tags
1990's, Alien 3, Brian Glover, Charles Dance, Charles S. Dutton, Danny Webb, David Fincher, Holt McCallany, Horror, Lance Henriksen, Paul McGann, Pete Postlethwaite, Peter Guinness, Ralph Brown, Science Fiction, Sigourney Weaver
Film Title
Alien 3
Director
David Fincher
Starring
- Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley
- Charles S. Dutton as Dillon
- Charles Dance as Clemens
- Brian Glover as Superintendent Andrews
- Ralph Brown as Aaron
- Paul McGann as Golic
- Danny Webb as Morse
- Lance Henriksen as Bishop
- Pete Postlethwaite as David
- Holt McCallany as Junior
- Peter Guinness as Gregor
Coming after the effective Alien and action-packed Aliens, Alien 3 didn’t really stand much of a chance. Add to that studio interference and a troubled production that later saw debut director David Fincher express his dislike of the film, Alien 3 wasn’t received warmly upon release. But with the emergence of The Assembly Cut that restores crucial parts to the story, Alien 3 does still have its effective moments. It may still be flawed, but The Assembly Cut is well worth seeing as an improvement upon the version that hit cinemas.
After surviving the events of Aliens, Ripley is in orbit while in hyper sleep with Hicks, Newt and what is left of the android Bishop. A fire on board the spaceship causes their escape pods to be released, resulting in them crash landing on Fury 161. The planet is a bleak place for male prisoners who have now taken on religion in the hopes of repenting for their sins. The Facility is run by Superintendent Andrews, who is helped by his lap dog Aaron. Unfortunately for Ripley, Hicks and Newt perish in the landing which devastates her. Her already grim outlook on things is not helped when she finds evidence that an Alien was in fact on board their ship. Stranded on this hostile planet, Ripley, her hair shorn as a precaution against lice, gains the trust of medical officer Clemens, who has a mysterious past. Andrews however is not too happy about Ripley’s presence among the dangerous prisoners. Matters later become shocking as brutal deaths involving inmates are committed. Ripley soon sees that her old nemesis is back and on another killing spree. At first alienated from the inmates, she later gets assistance from Dillon, the wise leader of the prisoners who believes her story. As bodies continue to mount, it’s only a matter of time before the Alien gets to Ripley. But a shocking revelation that links Ripley with the savage creature casts a different light on the subject and Ripley must decide her ultimate fate.
I think I’ll get the flaws of Alien 3 out of the way first. For starters, it gets a little confusing identifying certain characters because they all look very similar with shaved heads and bar code tattoos at the base of their necks. There is also the matter of the design this time around for the Alien. It is still terrifying to look at, but some dodgy CGI involved with it really detracts from some of the effective scenes of horror. Some of the film does feel disjointed and occasionally Alien 3 leaps from scene to scene without a thought. With those negatives out the way, here are the positives, of which many will be surprised that there are quite a lot in this film. David Fincher, although later disappointed with the film, actually makes a good stab at it. He creates a gloomy and hopeless atmosphere of dread among the prison, with roving camerawork capturing every dark corner and dimly lit corridor to Gothic perfection. He also directs some very creepy scenes of horror, including the Alien cornering an unarmed Ripley and the prisoners using themselves as bait in a terrifying chase. The killing of Hicks and Newt may have detracted many and I was very sad that they died, but I have to say it was a really ballsy idea. The deaths of the characters further contributes to the feeling of a grim future and outcome as the traumatized Ripley must contend with the loss of those closest while trying to remain alive. Out of all the Alien films, Alien 3 is the one that feels most like a requiem for the characters, most of all Ripley who has endured so much suffering at the hands of the Alien but has managed to fight back every time. Elliot Goldenthal contributes a gloomy score of Latin chanting and doom heavy synths to capture the religious beliefs of the inmates and the savagery that will soon befall many of them.
Sigourney Weaver is once again on powerful form as battle-scarred and hard-edged survivor Ripley, filling her with pain, strength and emotional depth. Ripley has become such a rounded character over the course of the last two films and much of this is down to the incomparable work of the talented Sigourney Weaver, who brings so much to the role and delivers an outstanding performance. Charles S. Dutton is supremely effective as the leader of the prisoners, who inspires them with his speeches but will stand for no one stepping out of line and disobeying orders. Charles Dance is used very well as the informative but slightly mysterious doctor who takes a liking to Ripley, while Brian Glover brings gruff and blustering actions to his role as the superintendent of the prison. Ralph Brown is suitably cast as the assistant to the superintendent, who seems to repeat everything he says and doesn’t know what to do when confronted with a mounting crisis. Paul McGann is frightening as the disturbed prisoner Golic, who develops a fascination with the Alien, while Danny Webb is droll and sarcastic as prisoner Morse. Lance Henriksen is unfortunately underused this time as the battered Bishop and this is a real shame. The same goes for Pete Postlethwaite, Holt McCallany and Peter Guinness who are given barely anything to do as other inmates of the facility.
Flawed it may be, but Alien 3, primarily the Assembly Cut, certainly has its merits in terms of atmosphere and main performance from Sigourney Weaver.
TheMarckoguy said:
Did you know that David Fincher disowned this movie?
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vinnieh said:
Yeah, I watched the documentary about the making of this and from what I saw, he really doesn’t care for this movie.
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TheMarckoguy said:
“A lot of people hated Alien 3, but no one hated it more than me” Approximately what he said
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the quote man.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I think I’m glad I stopped with the second movie.
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vinnieh said:
Alien 3 is pretty good, it just doesn’t compare with the two that came before it.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Hmm. Maybe I’ll check it out at the library. Great review!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the positive comment.
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Tom said:
This is about as positive a review as I’ve come across for a film that even for me with my limited knowledge of the Alien universe, has endured a lot of criticism. I am keen to check it out and I think one day I’ll just blast right through all three of them to get really into it. Nice work dude.
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vinnieh said:
It has it’s flaws, but the Assembly Cut definitely has a lot to recommend.
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Tom said:
I think as a fan of David Fincher I definitely owe it to myself to see it. 🙂
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vinnieh said:
I’d definitely advise it Tom. So much of his visual style can be found in this film with dark interiors, desolate surroundings and that grim sense of foreboding panic.
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Marta said:
I agree with you Vinnieh, the Assembly Cut is the only decent version of Alien 3.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, the theatrical version should just be forgotten and this version should be the one remembered.
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beetleypete said:
OK, I haven’t seen the cut you mention. But being English, I wanted to love this film, because of the fine local cast. But it’s too studio bound, and feels restricted as a result. It remains the least watchable of the series, and although I don’t want to really admit it, the normally excellent English cast don’t make enough of a difference. The dud of the franchise, without a doubt. Sorry V.
Best wishes, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
I’d definitely check out the Assembly Cut Pete, it’s a real improvement on the theatrical release.
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beetleypete said:
Nice to see films making a comeback!
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vinnieh said:
Thought you’d appreciate a film review Pete.
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theipc said:
I actually liked this movie when I saw it in the theater : ) I know I’m alone : )
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vinnieh said:
I wasn’t that fussed on the theatrical cut, but the Assembly cut works very well. Thanks for commemting Eric.
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Paul Bowler said:
Alien 3 is flawed but I still quite like it. The assembly cut is good. It was brave move to get rid of Hicks and Newt, and really upped the tension. The Alien creature /suit looks really good, some of the rod puppet effects are poor though. Overall I think Alien 3 is an ok film, certainly worth a look.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks Paul, as you say it’s worth a look if nothing else.
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Abbi said:
It’s just not even on the same page as the first two is it…
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vinnieh said:
Alien 3 doesn’t compare with the other two, but I don’t really think that anything could have matched them.
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thecreativefoxden said:
I am crazy about the first and second instalment of this series and I agree that the third as awful. Really awful. But I’m glad I watched it a draft of the series. Does that make any sense? Sometimes movies are so bad, I wish I could unsee them. Albeit, this one really bites the big one after how amazing it’s predecessors are but it’s still part of the family. Like that weird, awkward uncle that come to family parties but doesn’t talk to anyone and smells kinda funny.
I’m actually looking forward to this new cut (which I didn’t know about) to see how it is. I didn’t mind Alien Ressurection either. Again nowhere near as good as the first two but still a good movie with some memorable characters.
Now, what really burns my butt (and this is probably for another post entirely) is Prometheus. I know that there are soooooo many different opinions out there, so I’ll keep mine quick. If they were going to relate it in any way to the Alien franchise than they should have tied it all together better. It would have been amazing as a stand alone film but I was watching it as a prequel to Alien and all the inconsistencies really annoyed me.
Well, I certainly went off topic a little. Sorry!
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vinnieh said:
Don’t apologize for the long comment, it’s always appreciated. I understand what you mean about Prometheus, they could have tied it in better with the Alien series. There was something about it for me that just didn’t work.
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thecreativefoxden said:
There’s a YouTube channel called How It Should Have Ended and they did a bit on Prometheus which was pretty funny. This is the link if you want to check it out:
How Prometheus Should Have Ended: https://youtu.be/JLbcZggwVCw
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the link will check it out later. I’m just off to lunch now, will speak later. Have a nice day.
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emmakwall said:
What a great review Vinnie, very fair and true. This film gets so much flack (I bet Fincher only said he hated it because everyone else did!!!!) but it’s not awful. It’s just not as good as the first two that’s all. I think your review was one of the best I’ve ever read for it, because it did suggest its flaws but also its good points and the iconic scene of Ripley too!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks Emma for the positive feedback. This movie may be flawed but it still has merit.
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Victor De Leon said:
I have the Assembly Cut in my boxed set and I will be checking it out soon. This is the one Alien film I re-visit the least. It does have some great imagery and nice execution but like you said, it didn’t stand a chance. I think that Fincher’s reaction is a double edged sword. I can understand his frustration but in the end, the film is still his and even with the studio always butting in, the movie, good or bad should be acknowledged as his. Much like Michael Mann and The Keep. It is a Mann film and even though it didn’t come out that well, he should still own up to it. Sometimes these directors need to suck it up. All directors make turkeys now and then. They all can’t be Gone with the Wind! I will let you know how my re-watch goes and if my opinion of the movie changes more into a positive experience (other than Hicks, Bishop and Newt dying in the crash landing, I really had no problem with the movie at first). Thanks! This was a nice write up!
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vinnieh said:
Hope you like the Assembly Cut Vic, it works quite well despite the flaws of the film.
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Victor De Leon said:
yeah, looking forward to it! thanks!
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badblokebob said:
“in the end, the film is still [Fincher’s] and even with the studio always butting in, the movie, good or bad should be acknowledged as his.”
I think Fincher might disagree with you there! It may be his name listed as the director, and he was the one on the ground calling (or, rather, trying to call) the shots, but when you’re a first-time director the studio have a lot of power to screw you over in all kinds of ways — and in this case, they really did. It’s a 20th Century Fox film that David Fincher was nominally in charge of, I think, not the other way round.
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Victor De Leon said:
Good point. Being that it was his first time as director, Fox did indeed usurp his control and vision as a result I suppose. Thanks for the perspective on it!
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Parlor of Horror said:
You’re right about what Fincher got right in this. I think the main thing that disappointed fans was the death of Newt…we could have seen her grow up with the Alien shadow constantly behind her, which would have made for some impressive sequels, especially thinking she would eventually come to Ripley’s rescue. However, I do think this is a very good film. The rigid intensity of the prison is in stark contrast to what follows when Ripley comes aboard. It’s that push and pull that elevates the high action. Also, this film seems timeless, I can watch it now and not feel the weight of it’s time pressing against it, unlike Aliens.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, considering it was his first film and the production was troubled, he does an excellent job at directing.
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badblokebob said:
Further to what I said above, completely agree with your point about some of the decisions being “ballsy” — the perfect word for it! A sign of the greatness to come from Fincher, I think, as that word could well be applied to pretty much everything about Se7en and Fight Club.
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vinnieh said:
Ballsy is the only word I could think to describe the approach to certain elements of the story. Glad you liked my use of that word.
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55theintimidator55 said:
Surprised you don’t give it a score at the end of your reviews. This remains the worst film I’ve ever seen. Check mine out if you get a chance.
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vinnieh said:
Will check out your review. Thanks for commenting.
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Eva Blaskovic said:
If I remember correctly, this is the one I liked the least. (Sigourney’s character was excellent, though). Without dropping spoilers, the problem I had with this one was the loss of hope, which came as quite a shock after Aliens.
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vinnieh said:
It’s probably the most divisive of the Alien movies. Some find the tone just too downbeat.
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