A step backwards rather than forwards. (Alien 3 (DVD))

Member Name: romybuzzer

Product:	Alien 3 (DVD)
Date:	15/08/01 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good series

Disadvantages: Poorest one of the sieries

I remember walking into the cinema in thinking to myself "I hope this is as good as the last film".
I mean, I loved "Aliens". I also liked Alien.
But I did feel like this film let the side down very badly.

Alien 3 seemed to follow a new line of cinematography.
It appeared to be the directors attempt an an "Artsy" type film.
Whereas the first film had been a Sci Fi Thriller Classic and the follow up had been a mid 80's typical "shoot'em up gun ho" type film, Alien 3 came along as a piece of strange cinema.
Firstly, the setting of it inside a derelict Prison made it appear very retro.
It looked and felt like it was set much earlier in time that even the first film.
Strange because it is actually set 57 or so years after the first film.

The background to the story enables the entire cast from the 2nd film to be killed off (again), leaving only Ripley (Sigorney Weaver) alive.
The 2 other survivors from the previous film have perished in a crash landing by an escape pod.
Hazy details at the start of the film pick up the story from Aliens.
It appears they did not destroy all of the aliens in the previous film as 2 eggs had been laid inside the Cryogenic area onboard the Spaceship, Sulaco.
This is where the film starts contradicting its predecessor.
In the previous film, the Queen alien was killed. She had left her egg laying apparatus on the planet after chasing the rescue ship.
So how did those eggs get laid onboard the Sulaco if she had left that behind?

Very strange.

Anyway, on with the story.

The planet Ripley crash lands on is a Prison Planet.
Fiorina 161.
The prison is shut and has a few religious Prisoners left behind as custodians to the complex.
They lead a simple existence of prayer and solace.
This is all thrown into turmoil with the pressence of a woman.
This woman has unfortunately not arrived
unaccompanied...

The cast of actors reads like a whos who of B list English Actors.

Charles Dance plays the Doctor,Clemens. An ex prisoner who has taken on the role of medic to his fellow inmates.

Brian Glover plays the prison boss. He is not prepared to listen to anyones point of view.

Pete Postlethwaite makes an appearance too.

The scenes from the Film with the prison and the lead works were set inside an ICI factory in Sunderland!

The effects are not exactly ground breaking. The Alien scenes are very realistic though.
What I di not like about this film was its loss of continuity.
In the First film, the baby alien was "born" very small as it left its victim's stomach.
In the second film, the "birth" witnessed is of a small alien.
In this film the alien bord by a dog is huge!
Later in the film, another one appears and it is small!
Work it out for yourself!

It does still show to the viewer that the corporation cannot be trusted. In all 3 films the company has tried any way possible to return this creature to work on.

Fools.

You would have thought they would have learnt by now.

The way the film ends, you would think a sequel would be impossible, but they dreamt up another hairbrain plot to bring the alien back form extermination.

A fair film but the weakest one of the series.

Summary: