Alien 3 (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
by David Fincher
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Actor: Brian Glover, Charles Dance, Charles S. Dutton, Paul McGann, Sigourney WeaverDirector: David Fincher
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 258 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-01-06
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of Alien 3 (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
DVD Review: Alienating
Summary: 1 Stars
The problem with this movie is that it is trying to accomplish two, contradictory things simultaneously:
1) Provide a fitting resolution to the character arc of the protagonist, Ripley, established in the previous film.
2) Abandon vitally important elements of Ripley's history established in the previous film.
It is not possible to accomplish both of these things in a single film, but Alien 3 tries to do just that. Perhaps this internal instability was merely the extension of the conflicting visions of the film's director and the studio that produced and marketed it. Who knows? Thematically, it does indeed provide an appropriate conclusion to Ripley's journey (more on that later), but the shortcuts in narrative that it takes in order to arrive at this conclusion are absolutely fatal; this film forfeits just about all of its credibility before the opening credits are even finished.
I'm referring, of course, to the sequence of events at the start of the film that provide the "transition" from Aliens to Alien 3 -- if complete narrative obliteration can be considered a "transition". Alien 3 is a sequel to Aliens in the way that a Wal-Mart is a sequel to a forest that was cut down in order to make way for it. Every emotional and logical connection that a viewer may have had with the previous movie is cruelly severed within the first few minutes of Alien 3 in order to advance the story into this new chapter. Forget everything you learned from the first two films about the biological rules that dictate how the alien's life cycle works. And, you must ESPECIALLY forget the entire, dramatic focus of the last half-hour of Aliens. None of it matters now. That history is carelessly swept away because, frankly, it's an inconvenience for the hip, grungy world the filmmakers are about to take us to. Alien 3 is moving on, with or without you.
But, what are we moving on to, exactly? Well, as I've said, this film ultimately provides the resolution to Ripley's character arc. In its broadest strokes, it's a fitting end to her character's struggles. Throughout the series, Ripley strives to keep the sinister "Company" away from its prize, the "Alien". Ironically, though, she has also been unwittingly complicit in leading the evil corporation right to the alien, thus bringing them ever closer to achieving their goal, which would presumably unleash untold horrors of bio-weaponry on the world (galaxy?). Ripley has always carried the burden of the Alien with her, both figuratively and, now in Alien 3, quite literally. She knows what must be done.
It's a poignant and appropriate resolution to the "trilogy". And, we don't care. This is because we were INSTRUCTED not to care in the opening 10 minutes of the movie. We were TOLD that seemingly important events in the series really have no long-term significance whatsoever because they can and will be easily discarded when the marketing demands that the series move in a new direction. In perfectly fitting fashion, a NEW "Alien" movie would emerge from Alien 3 that, once again, completely ignores the logic of the film that came before it. I can't think of a more appropriate tribute to Alien 3 than Alien Resurrection, which shows an even greater disdain for the continuity of its predecessor. Well done.
In reviews like this it's tempting to say things like, "this COULD have been a good movie," but that's just not accurate. There was no way this was going to be a good movie. It was doomed from the start. It seems obvious to me that there were conflicting visions tearing this movie in two from the development phase of the project. Before this movie even got started, the powers that be should have sat down and decided to pursue ONE of the following options, in keeping with the two points that I addressed at the beginning of this review:
-- EITHER --
1) Provide a fitting resolution to Ripley's character arc, complete with ALL OF HER HISTORY, including the characters she fought so hard to protect in the previous movie, and all of the internal logic about the life cycle of the aliens that she (and we) learned about...
-- OR --
2) Completely abandon the Ripley story arc, and all of her history, in favor of a TANGENTIAL "Alien" story about a remote prison colony that somehow comes in contact with the creature(s) and has to find a way to survive.
But, it was not to be because, on the one hand, David Fincher (the director) and his crew probably had a style and a drastic new direction for the franchise in mind, more up-to-date for the post-modern ambiguity of the early 1990's, as opposed to the shoot-em-up moral absolutes that defined the mid-1980's. Option #2 was probably best suited for him. But, on the other hand, the studio simply wanted to produce another Sigourney Weaver "Alien" sequel for a mass audience: Option #1. The opening 10 minutes of Alien 3 feels like a reluctant, obligatory and clumsy compromise between these two opposing visions. Neither side could come up with a viable way to build on the heroic climax of Aliens while SIMULTANEOUSLY plunging headfirst into the nihilistic, dystopian purgatory that would define most of Alien 3. Both films portray "dark", futuristic worlds, of course. But, Aliens has lights at the end of its tunnels. Alien 3 just has tunnels.
DVD Review: Alien 3
Summary: 4 Stars
We really enjoy this movie Also like that we got the item as soon as we couldDVD Review: Really nice one!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember the first time i saw this movie, i tought it was the worst alien movie ever, but right now, a few years before i think it's a really good one, very diferent to the 2 first ones.DVD Review: Signing Off
Summary: 4 Stars
This is really the type of movie I like to review. I remember when this came out, people seemed to be largely dissapointed. I wasn't old enough to see it in the theater, no matter how much it interested me. The theatrical release is an interesting edit of the director's original vision for the story. Unfortunately, the director's cut is presented poorly by Fox, and a grudge held by the director is evident in the absence of his commentary.
All that aside, Alien 3 is a terrific ending to the trilogy. I love the quiet, bleak atmosphere of the film. The effects are dated but have a charm of their own, somewhat akin to stop motion effects of the past. The creature design IS an HR Geiger design, and he's finally credited in this new special edition dvd. The Alien looks great, the movie looks great, and for me, this is a great ending to the series.
DVD Review: ALIEN 3 BEYOND THUNDERDOME! 3 1/2 STARS VERY GOOD ENTRY!
Summary: 4 Stars
They just couldn't let there be a somewhat happy ending to Aliens! The third installment in the Alien series isn't as bad as some have said. This film starts out where 'Aliens' left off. The ship and crew are discovered and of course there is an unwelcomed visitor on board! Going back to a similar style of the first film where the action is sparse, but tension is high. I don't like to give too much away in my reviews, but if you have the patience to watch this film through, it's worth your time.
Everyone has their opinions of sequels and the series could have stopped with the first film. It's pretty good as third installments go and could have been a fitting end to the series, but it's hard to keep a good monster down! The premise is interesting and the FX are good, but it does take some time to get going!.....when it does it's very good and the film has a very memorable ending!
Description of Alien 3 (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Lt. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the lone survivor when her crippled spaceship crash lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak wasteland inhabited by former inmates of the planet's maximum security prison. Ripley's fears that an Alien was aboard her craft are confirmed when the mutilated bodies of ex-cons begin to mount. Without weapons or modern technology of any kind, Ripley must lead the men into battle against the terrifying creature. And soon she discovers a horrifying fact about her link with the Alien, a realization that may compel Ripley to try destroying not only the horrific creature but herself as well.The least successful film in this series was directed by stylemaster (and content-underachiever) David Fincher. Ripley, the only survivor of her past mission, awakens on a prison planet in the far corners of the solar system. As she tries to recover, she realizes that not only has an alien gotten loose on the planet, the alien has implanted one of its own within her. As she battles the prison authorities (and is aided by the prisoners) in trying to kill the alien, she must also cope with a distinctly shortened lifespan that awaits her. But the striking imagery makes for muddled action and the script confuses it further. The ending looks startling but it takes a long time--and a not particularly satisfying journey--to get there. --Marshall Fine
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