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How do you top Aliens? I guess the answer is you don't. Fincher's Alien 3 takes away all the guns and high tech gear of the second installment to pit Ripley against a planet full of inmates, and of course, a new breed of Alien. Going back more to the formula of the first film, this grim sequel refuses to deliver on the expectations brewed by Cameron's action extravaganza. Instead it seems determined to end this series, once and for all. As always, Weaver brings real weight to her role, aching of despair and loneliness while still projecting the will to survive. Charles Dutton also adds a lot to the table. His portrayal of Dillon, a reformed rapist and murderer, gives new meaning to the word "intense." A character that should be absolutely despised actually becomes charismatic and sympathetic. He should've really won awards for this, but it's not surprising he didn't. The other British actors bring their A-game too. Some of the prisoners might get a little hard to distinguish from each other, but it was never a real problem for me. The Alien has to have something to snack on after all. I admire Fincher for trying to do something so different in the series. I just wish it would've been more successful. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do with such a messy script that wasn't even finished before filming. This entry seemed doomed from the very beginning, which is a shame for everybody who obviously poured their heart into it. Alien 3 is far from perfect, but there's a lot to love here, and it's light years better than the sequel that followed. |