Alien³ (1992)

[markpud]

PLOT OUTLINE: (from a review at the IMDB - http://us.imdb.com/Plot?0103644 )

Despite the efforts of Ripley and the space marines in the film Aliens, an embryonic alien infiltrates the starship. It accidentally triggers the ship's emergency systems, dropping the escape capsule to the surface of a nearby planet. Ripley finds herself in a prison colony peopled by a religious cult composed of former murderers and rapists. Meanwhile, the alien has managed to grow into a new and deadly form, and is picking off the weaponless prisoners. Ripley soon discovers, much to her horror, that the real danger is much more personal...

__________________________

I saw this as an attempt to get back to the original premise of "Alien" with just one Alien doing the damage, but still almost unstoppable by the unarmed prisoners and Ripley. If there'd been just one gun kept for emergencies, it could have been a short film as Ripley would have known what to do

The alien being born from a dog was a nice twist, which gave it some different abilities...

 

[markpud]

I at first thought it was bad that Newt and the other survior of "Aliens" were just found dead at the beginning of Alien 3. I felt as though they had simply not wanted them in this plot, so has just written them out, and I didnt like it much.
But on reflection, it was also interpretable as showing how the Alien has once again destroyed Ripley's life, and everything she fought for is gone. And of course it later becomes clear why Ripley survived when the others were killed...

 

[L. Arkwright]

Personally although I dont dislike the film I do feel its the weakest of them. The starting sequence shows a huge continuity error in the fact that the cryo chambers that they climb into in the Suluco mysteriously change into the Nostromo type before the fire. Also I dont like the fact that they had to mess around with the Alien itself, it seemed to take some of the menace away from it or maybe that was just the fault of the director who's films I normally enjoy I hasten to add.

 

[markpud]

I think the point with the changed alien was that this is an ability of the aliens - they adapt from whatever host they find to incubate them. This time it was a dog, so the resulting alien was more canine, rather than the previous aliens which had all been incubated by humans.

As for the cryo chambers, one for the "continuity errors" file I guess..

 

[L. Arkwright]

Alien 3. Vincent Wards wooden planet.

Anyone out there who has the Alien Quadrilogy should check out the bonus disk for Alien 3. Now it has to be said that I find this movie the weakest of the four, it just doesnt float my boat so to speak. The characters are all ex convicts, you find yourself not really caring who lives and dies and I feel that to change the Alien itself (regardless of what creature incubated it) was a mistake.
Then I watched the bonus disk and now feel cheated. The second director appointed for the film (Vincent Ward) had a vision of a planet built completely from wood (at the core would be some kind of spaceship) by these monk like people who wanted to reject technology as much as they possibly could. It would be made up of huge hundred meter high floors, with cathedral like arches and stained glass windows manufactured in there own medievel glass works. When riply arrived at this place by lifeboat, a full grown alien warrior would be on the ship with her. The people being religious in nature of course imagine the predator to be some kind of demonic presence brought by Ripley and as such confine her to some kind of dungeon. The director at this point had a scene in his mind whereby the Alien would somehow be able to get in her cell and taunt her night after night, never killing her of course as she carried an Alien inside her.
To me, this film would have been fantastic. VW said that he felt he should do something different for the franchise, not just the running about in futuretech industrial corridoors and I have to say I agree with him. It would have been....well, different, original. Anyone else here see it and if so what are your thoughts? :hjbigeyes

 

[MetalAlien]

Well it would have been better than Alien3 was, but any story that doesn't go to earth or the Aliens homeworld is a disapointment to me.

 

[Niolani]

Re: Alien³

is the host for the alien a dog? I thought it was some sort of bovine.

 

[Saolta Oiche]

Re: Alien³

Funny thing is Alien 3 is fast becoming my fav, lol it just is, don't look at me that way!

The one is hate is Allien Resurection! That film just lost it for me!

 

[snaggletoooth]

Re: Alien 3. Vincent Wards wooden planet.

The characters are all ex convicts, you find yourself not really caring who lives and dies

I just watched Alien 3 last night for the first time and I have to say I did find myself caring about the characters, despite them being convicts. Not all of them, of course, because some of them still seem intent on being "sinners" despite their religious conversion, but I definitely cared about the major characters like Dillon, Clemens, and the prisoners that survive till near the end. I do think Aliens did a better job of giving each of the supporting characters who's eventually going to die a bit more individuality. But it also helped that they weren't all bald dudes.

I just realized that Charles Dance (Clemens) is Tywin Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones. Holy crap! No wonder he looked oddly familiar.

 

[Huttman]

If I throw out the first two alien movies, Aliens especially, the third film is a good piece of work. However, considering what they carelessly did with Newt, Hicks and eventually Ripley, I will continue to despise this film and pretend it did not happen. Shame, like I said it's a good film. I really enjoyed the setting, the characters, the mood and the story for the most part.
There was a 6 part black and white graphic novel that came out in the 80's that continued the story after James Cameron's take and it was completely awesome. It centered around Newt who was having trouble coping with everything she had been through. It took place 10 years after Aliens so she was 19ish. Great story that should have made it to the screen. They then continued the story with a 4 issue airbrushed full color visual treat of a graphic novel that picks up where the 6 issue leaves off. Awesome as well.

 

[clovis-man]

If I throw out the first two alien movies, Aliens especially, the third film is a good piece of work. However, considering what they carelessly did with Newt, Hicks and eventually Ripley, I will continue to despise this film and pretend it did not happen. Shame, like I said it's a good film. I really enjoyed the setting, the characters, the mood and the story for the most part.

Charles Dutton was great in this movie. But that isn't enough for me to forgive it the same sins that you mention.

 

[slack]

Fincher is quoted as saying, "No one hates this movie more than I do."

To his credit, it's not that bad. It just could've been so much more.

I agree -- Charles Dutton was excellent. And Sigourney Weaver looked damn cool with a shaved head.

 

[Starbeast]

is the host for the alien a dog? I thought it was some sort of bovine.

It was in the novel, I liked both versions. I was fortunate to find the audiobook of ALIEN 3 with Lance Henriksen reading the story.

I really like the film, it was very gritty and tense. It was like Judgement Day for the prisoners, with Sigourney in the middle of violent condemned men and a vicious monster.

"It was a...DRAGON!"

 

[Bugg]

It was in the novel, I liked both versions. I was fortunate to find the audiobook of ALIEN 3 with Lance Henriksen reading the story.

Doesn't it also come out of a slaughtered cow in the 'alternate' cut of the movie that's in the Quadrilogy/Anthology box sets? I seem to remember the cow hanging from a hook or something when it happens.

 

[Starbeast]

Doesn't it also come out of a slaughtered cow in the 'alternate' cut of the movie that's in the Quadrilogy/Anthology box sets? I seem to remember the cow hanging from a hook or something when it happens.

Yep, and one of the convicts was helping the xenomorph by releasing it after it was captured.

 

[cyrusDCmonster]

there is a special edition directors cut that adds 30 or so minutes to this movie and it makes a world of difference. that cut is actually a damn good movie with a lot of impact that is missing in the theatrical cut.

 

[KillingTime]

Yes. And in the Director's Cut the alien incubates in the ox-like animal the convicts use to drag ashore the Sulaco' incubation module. No dogs there.

 

[Spiegal]

Awfully sorry for the Necropost but I would tell anyone wanting to watch an enjoyable cut of Alien 3 to watch the assembly cut.

It has so many scenes that were removed from the final film that sorts out a lot of the continuity errors. In the theatrical release some convicts are killed and then reappear later on or disappear completely with no explanation.

I suppose that is the problem when the editing was done by 4 different people with no communication!

I personally love this film as it is, it could definitely improved but does a great job of closing the loop as the 'Death' of the trilogy. Flawless casting, beautiful design and fantastic visualisation. I just find it so hard to understand where the hate comes from when you have the abomination that is Alien Resurrection spitting in the face of that goosebump inducing ending!

 

[ralphkern]

The movie as a whole (the release version) was pretty meh! although the chest buster scene was quite moving.

I find one the the best feates of the aliens films (1 and 2) was the memorable characters, I could name the whole crew of the nostromo and most of the marines from Aliens 5 years after watching them last. The bunch from alien 3 and ressurection short of Ripley and Elgin (and only because he died in such a sucky way that belied the coolness of his set up) I would really struggle.

 

[J-Sun]

I could name the whole crew of the nostromo and most of the marines from Aliens 5 years after watching them last

"Hudson, sir. He's Hicks."

That's a good point - I remember the Alien guys pretty well and the Aliens guys probably even better and don't recall anyone from the third one. I haven't seen the other version so I can't say about it. I did like the "idea" of the third movie and the sort of thematic conclusion and how it was a commercial gamble on an almost artistic thing but... the movie was just awful in actual execution. Dull, unpleasant (the first two are unpleasant, of course, but in a pleasing way), negating most of the second movie in too casual a way, etc. But I'll also agree with Spiegal that 3 is a masterpiece of joy compared to 4. But that's really exactly the thing - a lot of people feel 3 spits in the face of the great ending of 2.