Alien³

Review by Jason Gaston

 

Most fans of the Alien movies - myself included - agree that Alien³ is where the movie series began to go wrong. Rather than focusing on the human spirit as the first two movies did, the third movie in the Alien series decided to take the easy approach to horror and use quick startle-cuts and rock video editing that ended up annoying and boring.

Rather than using unique and individual characters like Captain Dallas, Lambert, Hudson, or Vasquez... director David Fincher decided to have the cast shave their head and become nothing but faces barely discernible from each other. That, and the fact that each character turned out to be mostly selfish, inept, and just plain unlikable.

There were a few exceptions to the rule, Charles Dance and Charles S. Dutton both turned in great performances as Dr. Clemmens and Dillon respectively, but Clemmens is one of the first characters to get pulped and Dillon is repeatedly pushed to the side to make room for the less-than-enjoyable characters.

Add that to the fact that established characters Hicks, Bishop, and Newt are killed off almost before the movie begins and poor cute little Newt is sawed open during an autopsy all while the audience is there to enjoy every glorious rib cracking moment of it. You know you've made a horrible mistake if a good ten minutes of the movie is devoted to the dissection of a twelve-year-old cast member.

Still, Newt and Hicks' funeral is pretty emotional and does work and almost (almost!) gives the movie a feeling of much-needed humanity.

Here also, the practice of not showing the entire creature - a tradition maintained by Cameron in Aliens - is abandoned as Fincher decides to show the new and improved alien from the get-go. Thus, the movie ends up becoming less horror and more gore. The audience just isn't scared if they know what the creature looks like and, showing the alien at every chance makes the film as effective as a movie about people being chased and eaten by a lion.

Still, despite this being the weakest entry into the Alien legacy, Alien³ does boast a unique style that - thankfully - sets it apart from it's predecessors. Alien³ also contains a surprise ending that seemed be the nail in the coffin for the Alien series as Ripley leaps into a flaming abyss just as a chestburster explodes from her... it sounds lame, but it's surprisingly effective.

Alien³ is good for one - maybe two viewings - but that's about it.