Alien 3 [DVD] [1992]

The films events take place immediately after the end of Aliens. Ripley, the lone survivor of a crashing escape capsule awakens on a prison colony inhabited by sex criminals. Whilst recovering from the crash she attempts to find out why the spacecraft malfunctioned and if anything else survived the crash. As the truth about her circumstances becomes clearer she is compelled to act or all her previous victories will be rendered meaningless.

I believe that Alien3 works on more levels than it has been previously given credit for and is not dissimilar to David Fincher's more recent film Seven. Both Seven and Alien3 have a depressing and claustrophobic atmosphere. Like Seven, Alien3 also features such themes as evil, sin and redemption.

Certain elements established in the previous Alien films come into play here and are twisted into a fully functioning religious allegory. In the previous films the goal for the main characters was to escape from the Aliens with their lives while fending off corrupt characters who wanted to keep the creatures to suit there own purposes. In Alien3 the goal for the main characters is not survival but to kill the last of the creatures at any cost. The characters have no weapons at their disposal but reluctantly accept the situation as there last chance to find redemption. Alien3 is more about not letting evil succeed then the art of survival.

Of the three films this one focuses more on the drama (rather then suspense or action) and is more psychological. The characters are portrayed with considerable nuance; they lose confidence, become frustrated and are at times indecisive. Some of the scenes are moving, others are horrible but the film is never sentimental. Even the films most stirring scenes have a cynical edge to them. A film such as this needs good acting and Alien3 doesn't have a poor actor in it. Elliot Goldenthal's soundtrack is also great.

One thing the film does not have though is a sense of discovery. You see the Alien in the first half of the film and there is no Alien queen or huge set to look forward to. The film is visually stunning but you know you've seen all they have to show you in the first half. However these are not things the film really needs. This is one of my favourite films and I think its great.

But Alien 3 is an excellent film. Sure it isn't as exciting as Aliens, but compare it to any other film and it is brilliant. We were expecting an Aliens sequel, but instead we got an Alien sequel. Alien 3 has an atmosphere that no other Alien film has matched, a malevolent and filthy air that has now become a trademark of David Fincher (the director). The music isn't bad, and heightens the excitement/fear/interest at all the right moments. There's plenty to think about: Dillon's (excellently played by Charles Dutton) 'new life' speech during the alien's hatching is well presented, there is the question of Morse's immortality (I was hoping that he would pop up in Resurrection), and there's much to suggest that Ripley is re-enacting the life and death of Jesus. The cast (tragic British accents aside) may not be as well selected as Alien and Aliens but there are some great performances from Weaver, Charles Dance and some of the prisoners.

There are, of course, many ways in which Alien 3 could have been better. Hicks, from Aliens, could have been included as a wounded accessory to Ripley (there's a rumour that Michael Biehn was approached but said no). Some say the decision to let Weaver in on the producing of the film was a mistake (apparently it was she who said "no guns"). Also, the special effects are poor compared to Aliens, with the alien being added via computer to pre-recorded scenes in many cases. But the setting, however dull it may seem, is not bad - an under-populated prison of bewildered and frightened prisoners (as in Ridley Scott's Alien).

Overall Alien 3 is a very good film, and acts as a good conclusion to the series (ignoring Alien Resurrection). As a stand-alone film it is still good, although knowledge of the story so far would be helpful. It is, however, not a sequel to Aliens in terms of action and special effects (maybe the Alien series will never again meet Cameron's work in the second film), but as a continuation of the Alien saga Alien 3 does a good job.