Alien³ (1992)

Director:

David Fincher

Writers (WGA):

Dan O'Bannon (characters) and
Ronald Shusett (characters) ...

Release Date:

22 May 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

In 1979, we discovered in space no one can hear you scream. In 1992, we will discover, on Earth, EVERYONE can hear you scream.

Plot:

Ripley continues to be stalked by a savage alien, after her escape pod crashes on a prison planet.

Plot Keywords:

Planet | Prison | Crash | Murderer | Space

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Sigourney Weaver	...	Ellen Ripley
Charles S. Dutton	...	Dillon
Charles Dance	...	Clemens
Paul McGann	...	Golic
Brian Glover	...	Andrews
Ralph Brown	...	Aaron
Danny Webb	...	Morse
Christopher John Fields	...	Rains
Holt McCallany	...	Junior
Lance Henriksen	...	Bishop II
Christopher Fairbank	...	Murphy (as Chris Fairbank)
Carl Chase	...	Frank
Leon Herbert	...	Boggs
Vincenzo Nicoli	...	Jude
Pete Postlethwaite	...	David

Also Known As:

Alien 3 (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated R for monster violence, and for language.

Runtime:

114 min | 145 min (2003 Special 'Assembly Cut' Edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Italy:T | Finland:K-15 (director's cut) (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Brazil:16 | USA:R (Certificate #31302) | Mexico:B | India:A | Australia:MA (director's cut) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (DVD rating) (2003) | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2003) | UK:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Brandywine Productions

Trivia:

William Gibson wrote a very early script treatment for the film. As Sigourney Weaver's involvement was in question, the main focus of this script was between Hicks and Bishop, two characters from Aliens (1986). Many consider this to be a much superior script. The only carry-over from this original script, however, is the bar-codes on the back of the convicts' necks.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ripley says to Dillon that she has an egg inside of her and that he has to kill her, during the discussion his glasses is on top of his head. Just before he's about to deliver the kill, his glasses are hanging on his shirt. After the short "fight", when Dillon leaves, his glasses are back on top of his head.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Computer Voice: Stasis interrupted. Fire in cryogenic compartment. Repeat, fire in cryogenic compartment. All personnel report to emergency escape vehicle launch pod. Deep-space flight will commence in T-minus twenty seconds.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in On the Edge of 'Blade Runner' (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

IN THE YEAR 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)

Third time's NOT the charm....

There is a limit to how many times a story can be told....

For the "Alien" saga, that number is 3.

This third installment of the venerable saga basically plays out like a Greek tragedy where everything is desolate and everyone is in despair, either over personal loss or their own discontent. Ripley ends up on a prison planet and, of course, one of the aliens from the original has followed her, ensuring an onslaught of epic proportions.

UNFORTUNATELY, too much time is given to think about certain plot points. Such as:

Why are so many interesting characters introduced (namely Dance), then dropped so arbitrarily?

Why does Fincher's direction seem so shaky and unsure (in great contrast to his work in "Se7en")?

How could the same writers (mainly Hill and Giler) write a story that has little or no emotional impact and next to no development as far as plot, motivation or even (in the alien's instance) shock value?

And you'll notice, once you've seen this film, that it hasn't got the same sensibilities the first film had. There is too much time spent on the downbeat, the morose and the evil that men do that there is little to no time left for the sporadic alien attacks. Sometimes, it's easy to forget this is science fiction we're watching; it might as well be a prison drama for all this movie cares.

I won't give away how this movie ends, but to ask one question: if this was, indeed how the series was supposed to end, what are we to make of Ripley's act? Was she indeed being ascended to the Christ-like for her actions (as is made all too obvious by the final symbolism) or was she a martyr for the cause of good vs. evil? Or was it, as is my opinion, misplaced symbolism just for symbolism's sake?

Even in the theater I saw this in, many of those around me reacted to this film like they would one of "Alien"'s many rip-offs. Lots of exasperated sighs at different points, some non-amused laughter and at least one person commented aloud "Aw, jeez!".

My feelings, exactly.

Three stars for the effort but as far as sequels go, this probably wasn't as "Alien" a product as they wanted to get to the audience.