MrE

"...Bravo to 20th Century Fox for having the balls to let people give honest responses!"

Fox's cojones shrink into nothingness.

Mordred

Here are my thoughts as work up a review of the set for my site (when Fox sends you the set three days after it's officially released they can't expect a review to come out instantly ).

My background: I'm one of the few people who actually liked Alien 3. I admit that there are tremendous flaws in the film and the idea of killing off Hicks & Newt was terrible, but on the whole I still found the film enjoyable on it's own. As an Alien film it's a letdown, but watching it without all that baggage I find it enjoyable on it's own merits. Fincher has a very strong style that has worked incredibly well since A3, and maybe I just respond better to that style than most people.

The new cut is an improvement. While those who hated the third film aren't going to be won over, they'll have to grudgingly admit that it's better. There's more buildup... a better depiction of the prison colony, more character development and the prisoners don't appear as faceless as they did. The alien birth is done completely differently and in a more interesting way (although I did like the dog scene). There are a few scenes that appear pointless (and while some will disagree the capture and release of the Alien probably was right to have been cut) but for the most part the additions work well. We have a much greater sense of who these guys are and there aren't really any loose threads left either. As far as I can tell, every prisoner is accounted for by the end which wasn't the case in the theatrical release. The ending is also better than the sillyness of the original. Yes sound is poor in some of these scenes as they were cut before ADR was done on them, but for the most part the audio is generally good and intelligable. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a more cohesive movie and this will be my preferred version.

The documentary is excellent. Yes I it's been heavily censored, but what is still here is simply amazing, and completely blows away the other docs. Of course Fox cut the most vital parts of the film and so while we see Fincher looking like he's on the point of tears or screaming in just about every scene, we don't get a sense of what he really felt. The man looks beaten down and broken and it's admirable that he didn't quit (I assume the only reason is because it would have destroyed his career). It doesn't seem fair that Ezra Swerdlow and some of the Fox Execs get to cover their asses and shift blame around while Fincher doesn't get to have his say. A lot of people defend him and everybody admits that he had horrible working conditions and that the suits gave him a raw deal, but he should be saying these things for himself. Despite that you get a sense for what really went on and how nobody wanted to let the man work or were willing to give him any creative freedom. It's a troubling documentary about a troubled shoot and there's a lot of great stuff in it. If only there were more Fincher.

Mordred

ghlbtsk

Shortly before Alien3 was released I decided that I would avoid plot-revealing trailers and never again read previews or reviews or otherwise be influenced by anyone's opinion about any movie.

Best thing I ever did to further my love of film.

I saw Alien3 and absolutely loved it. Same with Resurrection. After many years of reflection, I fail to see why folks don't like these films. If they are viewed as a Lord of the Rings-type series, with continuity in narrative and style, that's an 'expectation' issue. But Fox purposely sought out promising young talent to make each film an individual experience. As much as I appreciate Cameron, if he had full control of 3 and 4, the singular perspective would probably have grown stale.

I saw the Newt/Hicks tragedy as a brilliant and unexpected twist after the happy family ending of Aliens; the kind of 'no-way could-that-happen' bad luck that happens to people in real life.

The only thing that bothered me about 3 was the chestburster ending, which was remedied in the new cut. Excellent!
The alien's capture and release fleshed out Golic's distorted view, worshipping the creature as a sort of god.

Please forgive my ramblings, but I don't post often and relish any opportunity to give 3 and 4 their due.

chanster

3 sucks my ass!

You can talk all you want about the darkness of 3 with the killing of Newt and Hicks but it is a cheap way out and totally undermines the ending of Aliens. Perhaps if Newt and Hicks were actually killed during the movie, I could see it, but they way they go is a sign of BAD WRITING AND POOR DECISIONS.

I didn't have any expectations of Alien3, it just merely sucked. Even the creature looked bad.

Don't get me started on 4.

UAIOE

What Chanster said plus:

For 3: the "super face hugger" nowhere in the footage i saw could there be two eggs. Facehuggers come from a single egg and there is only one in each egg. Unless this new cut somehow fixes this writing boo-boo i doubt i will ever elevate Alien3 from "terrible" to "mediocre" any time soon.

About 4: There was nothing really special about part 4. "Alien Ressurection" comes off as a me too late 90's CGI sci-fi B-movie that just happened to have the aliens and Ripley.

Venom

exactly the way i see it. although i still don't care that much for the film.

markdclark43016

>>in the original script it was supposed to be a wooden planet inhabited by anti-technology monks.

UAIOE

Let me see if i understand this...its an entire planet MADE of wood or is it a planet covered entirely with trees?

And really, anti-technology monks isnt that far removed from inmates on a neglected prison planet who "found god at the ass end of space"

AndrewWickliffe

TE Lawrence,

Sorry this took os long. As you said, we aren't going to agree, but I will point out that Ripley didn't expect to be in hibernation for 57 years--she said ten weeks or something at the end of Alien.

duz

Entirely different movie imho. I can't stand Alien 3 TC but I really enjoyed the new extended cut.

illennium

I've never seen 3.
Or 4.
I think 1 is boring and pretentious.
And I think 2 is one of the best action movies ever made.

I guess I just think Cameron got it right. And I haven't liked a single thing that Scott has done outside of Blade Runner.

TELawrence

AndrewWickliffe,
Hmmm Good point I don't remember that...
Okay that sinks it all the aliens movies sucked...

(Sleep deprived T.E.L. smashes the quadrilogy on the floor then screams in horror realizing that his instinctual reflexes have screwed him just like that Criterion copy of Salo he traded at EBX for $5 off an old Commodore 64 game...)

No just kidding I didn't really smash it. I just etched out the changes I didn't like with a small exacto blade.... Hmmmm that's odd... if you etch out all the new segments and put the nine discs in a line it actually reads aaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhh......

TELawrence

Yeah Illelenmumnumum!

Finally someone I actually agree with!
1 was boring 'b' scifi flix and 2 was a great action followup.

I don't see how 1 was pretentious though...
although I will say that first alien creature was sooo bourgeousie.

Qui Gon Jim

I somewhat agree with this. I have seen all four, but I like 2 the best. 1 was a really good movie too though. The styles are completely different. 3 was a bore-fest, I will give it another chance in the new box, and 4 seemed unnessesary and uninspired.

whaaat

mikewendt

They've been good about letting people express themselves for a while... The PCU commentary with Jeremy Piven is almost a 90 min. rant on how he disliked the director's work on the set.

C_Fletch

After Alien 4 I abandoned this 'so called' franchise and have not looked back. Alien 3 as bad enough but Alien 4 took the cake. Interesting to find out why everything went down the crapper so fast though. If i find the set used for $15 I'll pick it up but otherwise - thanks but no thanks Fox.

gbub

I watched and did also like the extended version of Alien 3 except those audio parts were horrible. It would have been nice if they could have gotten the actors in to re-dub those parts or something. I'm rather surprised they couldn't have cleaned it up better.

This was also the first time I watched it on a 57" tv. The CGI alien REALLY looked bad sometimes.

blindrocket

Yeah, that would have to be my biggest gripe about it really. And actually, the alien wasn't really cgi... only the shadows of it were. It was a filmed rod-puppet.

UAIOE

I dont really know whats worse...being an actual crappy CGI alien or being accused of being a crappy CGI alien.

I always thought the Alien3 alien was CGI.

gbub

I thought sometimes it was totally CGI, but after thinking about it again you're probably right. One way or another it stood out like a sore thumb in front of a blue-screen.