Alien³ (1992)

Alien 3 was called the best looking bad movie by Roger Ebert and it makes sense. This David Fincher(his debut) film is atmospheric and great looking but there are some missteps. For one- and the reason many hated it upon release is that the filmmaker chose to kill the much liked characters of Newt and corporal Hicks at the very start of the movie. Then the fact that a colony of convicts in a far off colony simply does not seem as appealing as a crew trapped upon a spaceship or marines killing aliens. But today the film's reputation seems to be improving. The problem, perhaps, with Alien 3 is that it is a sequel to two beloved films. On its own standing this isn't as bad a film as its reputation denotes.

This is my favorite part of the franchise. If I would sum up all of them in one word, Alien would be "Terror", Aliens "Action" and Alien3 "Tragedy". Right from the start we witness a depressing and futile story. I am glad it was not just a continuation of Aliens, as many wished. For the first and last time Ripley gets a worthy relationship resulting in... tragedy. And the music score is beautiful and moving.

Movie Review: "Alien 3" (1992)Unnaturally long in-production after principal photography stretching from January to May 1991 with an intended October 1991 worldwide distribution; then releasing a year later in May 1992, too late for many who waited, which must have due to switched cinematographers somewhere along the way from Jordan Cronenweth (1935-1996), known for visual-galvanizing director Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" (1982), to lighting cameraman Alex Thomson (1929-2007), letting the third ultra-ambitious "Alien" production helmed by producers Gordon Carroll, Walter Hill and David Giler become a mixed result of nevertheless ingenious single-scene-work directed by directing debutant David Fincher, at age 28, not owning the complete trust of the producers to come through to a final-cut of an intended running time of a 105 Minutes, when "Alien 3" starring Sigourney Weaver as space-adrift then stranded Ripley in new almost completely submerged feminine aspects restraint from the legendary female character from the groundbreaking, female support into leading actress twisting original "Alien", released in Spring 1979, here taking action on a quicksilver-processing prison planet with another single alien monster hunt through endless corridors of concrete, teaming up with prison-inmates, all-up-front stage-character-actor Charles Dance as excellent bedroom-with-Ripley scene sharing prison doctor Clemens, Pete Postlethwaite (1946-2011) as one of one to many simpleton prisoners, then ultra-thrills-striking moments under an hammering as recalling score by composer Elliot Goldenthal between African-American Charles S. Dutton as Dillon and Sigourney Weaver to indulge on a struggling woman's death wish from further relentless haunting "Alien" encounters, when "Alien 3" hardly holds up to all-too-high expectations, but nevertheless remaining to be first directorial signatures of David Fincher with his masterworks of the 1990s in the making, which find cinematic results with "Se7en" (1995) starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as "Fight Club" (1999) starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt again about to be directed by a director, who is known to choose any future project with utmost of care.Copyright 2018 Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC

Available on Blu-ray Disc (Region B)USA 1992 English (Colour); Science Fiction/Horror/Thriller (Twentieth Century Fox/Brandywine); 145 minutes (18 certificate)Crew includes: David Fincher (Director); David Giler, Walter Hill, Larry Ferguson (Screenwriters, from Characters created by Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett); Gordon Carroll, David Giler, Walter Hill (Producers); Ezra Swerdlow (Executive Producer); Alex Thomson (Cinematographer); Norman Reynolds (Production Designer); Terry Rawlings (Editor); Elliot Goldenthal (Composer)Cast includes: Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley), Charles S. Dutton (Dillon), Charles Dance (Clemens), Paul McGann (Golic), Brian Glover (Andrews), Ralph Brown (Aaron), Danny Webb (Morse), Christopher John Fields (Rains), Holt McCallany (Junior), Lance Henriksen (Bishop II)Academy Award nomination: Visual Effects; BAFTA nomination: Visual EffectsThe woman who overcame horrific events in ALIEN and ALIENS (Weaver) crash-lands on an inhospitable planet that serves as a maximum security prison, where she must rely on her killer instincts and leadership qualities to work with an all-male community of hardened criminals, and defeat the rogue alien that surreptitiously hitched a lift in her emergency escape vehicle.Unsurprisingly considered disappointing on its release, following two gems (wasn't the rollercoaster ride of ALIENS, populated with self-confessed scum, with nobody to root for).Its reputation has nevertheless grown since, not least for being Fincher's début feature, where, despite unwelcome producer interference, his signature grim and moody style was already in evidence.Blu-ray Extras: Original Version (115 minutes), Commentary, Documentaries, Featurettes, Deleted/Extended Scenes, Interviews, Music-only Track, Storyboards, Stills Galleries, Outtakes, Behind-the-Scenes Footage, Multi-Angle Sequence, Time-Lapse Sequence, Production Notes, Trailers, TV Spots. ****½ (9/10)