Alien 3

[Chrisb]

I know I'll probably be in the minority when I say I felt Alien3 was just as badly thought out as the second installment. Yes, I'm referring to Aliens!
 Aliens really dumbed-down the original: one deadly, hyper -intelligent, almost-indestructable monster becomes many gormless, and not nearly as indestructable critters, easily torn apart by equally brainless loud-mouthed Marines. No careful character development in this script as there was in Dan O' Bannon's original. At least in Alien3 Fincher took care to give the human meat gory deaths....
Just a shame they had to kill off the most interesting characters early: Clemens' relationship with Ripley was becoming interesting, and after Warden Andrews (brilliant Brian Glover) dies, all we are left with is a motley cast of extras -of whom only Charles Dutton's character provides any real interest.
And what was all that crap at the end with the 'real' Bishop coming to claim his alien?
I agree with Dave's 'dark and moody' description, but on the whole I felt it was a bit of a missed opportunity.

[JohnL]

>I know I'll probably be in the minority when I say I felt Alien3 was just as badly
>thought out as the second installment. Yes, I'm referring to Aliens!

I liked Aliens, although I did have a problem with some of the changes they made to the aliens. Like introducing the queen, and the differences in the heads.

>Aliens really dumbed-down the original: one deadly, hyper -intelligent, almost-
>indestructable monster becomes many gormless, and not nearly as
>indestructable critters, easily torn apart by equally brainless loud-mouthed
>Marines.

I'm going partly by the novelization of the first movie, but the crew was reluctant to use any weapons that might break the alien's skin because they were afraid that its blood would eat through the ship and depressurize it, or destroy something that they couldn't repair. Besides, the marines were more used to fighting. As for the aliens attacking them outright rather than sneaking up on people, maybe they instinctively felt there was safety in numbers.

[Dave Munger]

"The whold point"? #1 and #2 are kind of apples and oranges, IMO. Sometimes I think of #2 as a remake of #1, as SF/action instead of gothic horror (sf). So if you judge #2 by the standards of #1, it's not that good. You could say the same about T2 in a way. I still like both #2s better anyway. My one major problem with #2 is how the queen got onto the mother ship. It's been explained to me often that she hang onto the shuttle's landing gear or something, but it still dosn't make sense to me, really.

I suppose if the alien was genetically engineered to take over different inhabited planets (which I think was implied somewhere, maybe one of the comics), it would make sense for it to adapt to them by using native DNA. But #3 gave me the impression that every planet exactly the same "lit through a fan" environment. I believe it is often reffered to as parasitic, although it's hardly typical of known ones, and there are things that start with a parasitic stage and then have completely different characteristics as adults. I think that whole taking on it's hosts traits thing mostly just bugs me because it's something a generic alien would do in an Alien ripoff, and makes it sound more generic. Why don't they make it a shapeshifting telepath while they're at it?

[Susan]

Now shall we break down all successfull movie sequels? Who wants to start with Nightmare on elm Street, or maybe we should go back to Friday the 13th.

Just as many will flock to see Alien Vs. Predetor, I want to see ripley battle with Critters.

Back to this topic, anyone have thoughts on where the AVP sequel fits in? Can it be as good without ripley?  Who will win? And why the crap do we need to see this?

[Ash]

Susan wrote:
 
> Back to this topic, anyone have thoughts on where the AVP
> sequel fits in? Can it be as good without ripley?  Who will
> win? And why the crap do we need to see this?


Aliens Vs. Predator is simply all of the fanboys' wet dreams come true.
It has been a long time in the making...since '91 if I'm not mistaken.
Go to the 'trivia' section on AvP on IMDB.com to read more on that.

I will see AvP not because I'm a fanboy...far from it actually...I used to beat up fanboys in school.
But I do have a morbid fascination with both the aliens and the predator and seeing them together in a film is cool in my opinion.
If it's done correctly.

So no, AvP doesn't really seem necessary but at the same time it does.
I could care less if Ripley is or isn't in it.  While she was a cool character, the universe of the alien has more to it than her...there ARE alternate storylines and this will be one of them WITHOUT her.
I am curious to see where it will go.
Like Paul Anderson, I too saw that alien skull on the predators' trophy wall in Predator 2 and right then and there I thought it would be totally kickass to see them in action together in the same movie.

AvP will either totally suck or be f**king killer.



Post Edited (07-28-04 23:05)

[Chrisb]

I know I'll probably be in the minority when I say I felt Alien3 was just as badly thought out as the second installment. Yes, I'm referring to Aliens.
Aliens really dumbed-down the original: one deadly, hyper -intelligent, almost-indestructable monster becomes many gormless, and not nearly as indestructable critters, easily torn apart by equally brainless loud-mouthed Marines. No careful character development in this script as in Dan O' Bannon's original. At least in Alien3 Fincher took care to give the human meat gory deaths....
Just a shame they had to kill off the most interesting characters early: Clemens' relationship with Ripley was becoming interesting, and after Warden Andrews (brilliant Brian Glover) dies, all we are left with is a motley cast of extras -of whom only Charles Dutton's character provides any real interest.
And what was all that crap at the end with the 'real' Bishop coming to claim his alien?
I agree with Dave's 'dark and moody' description, but on the whole I felt Alien3 was a bit of a missed opportunity.

[Ryan]

For those who don't know: AVP is PG-13.
For those who don't know: Fox ass-raped Paul W. S. Anderson, because he was STRIVING to make the movie R.
For those who don't know: In light of the success of the Alien Quadrilogy DVD box set, though, Fox mihgt decide to release the regular, theatrical movie out on DVD and VHS sometime near the end of this year/early next year, and then.. release an uncut, unedited version, near the second quarter to middle of next year. Anderson wanted a nice, 2-hour + movie (not MUCH over two hours ,mind you), and I've heard Fox edited it down to 90 minutes.
... For those who don't know: These 'For those who don't know' things are getting old. =D

[daveblackeye15]

GRRR! I'm waiting for the DVD so I can see the whole two hours.

[Mr. Hockstatter]

I thought it was an okay film.  It's quite atmospheric, and that's really enough to carry a film quite nicely if you ask me.  I liked the aliens running across the ceiling, and the ending in the big molten tin thing was nice.  

Quite a departure from the first two films.  I really think Alien and Aliens were perfect 10's, and Alien 3 didn't live up to that standard, but almost no other movies do either, so that's hardly a criticizm.  

I definitely want to get the extended version on DVD.  It's a purchase I've been putting off for too long now.

[Mr. Hockstatter]

Alien vs. Predator sounds like a great idea for a video game to me.  Bad idea for a movie.  Money, money money.  How  'bout Schwarzenegger vs. Ripley?  Anybody wanna see that?  Me neither.  Nor A vs. P.

[Susan]

ASHTHECAT wrote:

>
> AvP will either totally suck or be f**king killer.


3 Words: "Freddy Vs. jason"

I guess with this new idea at combining villians vs having another sequel, we'll be seeing Terminator vs. Robocop. How about totally combinging movie concepts? The Candyman in Wonkaland: When a select few lucky children win a golden Ticket into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, they quickly realize the Candyman will never let them leave alive....

[Fearless Freep]

LOL@Susan

clever :)

[Ryan]

Aliens vs. Predator ALREADY IS a game. And a comic book. That's what Paul Anderson is loosely basing the movie off of.

[Kory]

Sounds like my uncle Ralph.  He came to visit my folks in the early 80's for "a week or two".  He was there for 3 years.

[THE FAN< sum up ....]

Alien 3,    was not the best and not the worst..  Cons: it was David Finchers first movie... no bad considering it was his first, alot of deleted scenes,  Ripley was empregnated bya queen Alien facehugger, that was cut out,  there were two face huggers. pros  it was the best ALIEN design out of all four movies, the design was made by HR. GIGER where he refines all the ALIENS flaws from the first one, and wanted to make it more elegant,and swift, which he called it the erotic ALIEN< cause of it full lips...   ALIEN 3 was orignal, and over the years we come to respect David Finchers style,   I have the Alien 3 prop in my house, It Stands 8 feet tall, beautiful.and terrifying.    ALIEN 3 was the creature design  was the best !!! and with out that I dont think I would have show any  interest in the movie.  I you notice alien 2 never focused on one specific Alien, there was no real design if you seen the costumes they were like skeletons ,