...every bit as bad as the first two movies were good.
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The third and fourth installments in the "Alien" series - "Alien 3" and "Alien Resurrection" - are every bit as bad as the first two movies were good.
In "Alien 3" the filmmakers actually seem to be going out of their way to end the whole thing and never have to make another "Alien" movie as long as they live. They certainly do everything in their power to turn an audience off, not only by creating a painfully depressing atmosphere for their picture but by killing off every sympathetic character in sight, including the star! It didn't help, of course; they merely brought Sigourney Weaver back from the dead in the fourth movie. Never underestimate the power of money.
You will recall that at the end of "Aliens," Ripley was headed back to Earth along with her pal Hicks; the adorable little girl, Newt; and the faithful artificial person, Bishop. Well, sorry to disappoint anybody, but as soon as the new movie begins, her friends are already dead. Only Ripley survives. So much for sentiment. You know from the outset this trip isn't going to be pleasant. Ripley crash-lands on a near-deserted planet inhabited by only a few dozen people in an abandoned maximum security prison. Need I say she brings another alien creature along, unbeknownst to her, which soon runs amuck, picking off each character one by one? You're right; I didn't need to tell you.
Weaver's supporting cast is weaker this time out, too. Where she had a strong group of individuals around her in "Alien" and a colorful troop of stereotypical hotshots in "Aliens," in this third entry her fellow actors are almost nondescript. Charles Dance as Clemens, the prison doctor, comes closest to being an interesting character, but it doesn't last long.
Charles Dutton as Dillon, the leader of the prisoners, is also in the running but has little to do. Brian Glover doesn't make much of an impression as a blustery prison superintendent. Not even the usually dependable Pete Postlethwaite stands out in this crowd. Part of the blame must go to the director, David Fincher, who seems to know only one speed, fast forward, and another part to the script, which is basically more of the same.
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[release]2048[/release]