This week, the Alien franchise is continuing for the first time in seven years with Alien: Romulus. Ridley Scott’s original Alien came out 45 years ago in 1979, and many have argued that the franchise peaked there. Others believe that James Cameron’s Aliens, the first sequel, is the real masterpiece among these movies. But it’s kind of all downhill from there … aside from Alien 3. That film was also the directorial debut of David Fincher, the man behind Fight Club and The Social Network.
Now, Alien 3 is not without its problems. And the film does make some dramatic missteps, including the off-screen death of Newt, the young girl whom Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) loved like a daughter. Even Fincher himself disowned Alien 3 in 2009. Yet compared to everything that came after it, including Scott’s Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, Alien 3 looks a lot better 32 years later. That’s why we’re going to share the four reasons why Alien 3 is the most underrated movie in the Alien franchise.
It makes the Xenomorphs frightening again
Cameron hit upon the way to outdo Alien by introducing dozens, if not hundreds, of alien Xenomorphs in Aliens. However, seeing that many Xenomorphs at once, and so often, made them less frightening than they were before. For a variety of reasons, Fincher’s Alien 3 had to scale back on the threat to a single Xenomorph. That could have been a disaster, and yet it amped up the tension with the most inhuman-like Xenomorph to that point. The alien in question hatched from a dog’s body, and it took on canine characteristics rather than human traits.
Setting the film in a space colony prison also did a lot for the film. The claustrophobic atmosphere amplified the threat of the Xenomorph, especially since the prisoners didn’t have weapons that could make much of a difference in a fight to the death.
Alien 3 has a great cast
It should go without saying that Sigourney Weaver turned in a terrific performance as Ripley, but she still deserves to be acknowledged for that. The rest is also pretty great, including Game of Thrones‘ Charles Dance as Jonathan Clemens, a prison doctor who bonds with Ripley. Similarly, Charles S. Dutton has a powerful turn as Leonard Dillon, the leader of the prisoners who is also their spiritual guide.
Even Paul McGann, a few years before his leading role in the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, has a memorable role as Walter Golic, a psychopath who survives his initial encounter with the Xenomorph. Lance Henriksen also briefly returns from Aliens as the android Bishop and as another character whose identity we won’t spoil. In his very small amount of screen time, Henriksen gives Bishop more humanity than you might expect. Unlike the late Newt and Hicks from Aliens, Bishop gets a proper farewell.
It’s a visually stunning film
Say what you will about Fincher’s direction and the creative choices forced upon him by the studio. The one thing few could find fault with are the film’s visuals. Alien 3 is a great-looking movie. The $50-million-to-$60-million budget was considerably higher than Aliens‘ $18 million, but that money was put to good use. Fincher’s music video experience may have also helped him give the film its unique look.
The special effects for the Xenomorph itself are also very impressive. There’s a reason why Alien 3‘s most famous scene — a close-up encounter between the Xenomorph and Ripley — remains popular. The creature has rarely seemed more real than when it was inches away from Ripley’s face. Even the tight camera angle works to make that moment stand out on screen. Fincher may not like talking about this movie, but he deserves the credit for making it shine.
It gives Ripley a poetic ending
Sigourney Weaver wasn’t quite done with the franchise after this, as she returned for Alien: Resurrection. But Alien 3 is the true conclusion of Ripley’s arc that began with Alien and continued with Aliens. Ripley has always been the survivor, but she also loses something each time. Between the first and second films, Ripley lost decades of time with her young daughter, who had become elderly in the interim. And in the third film, Ripley loses Newt, who was the closest thing to a child she had left.
We won’t spoil some of the twists in Alien 3. Suffice to say that Ripley has a choice about her own survival, and the fate of humanity… and she makes it. Ripley may not have had a happy life, but she chooses her own fate and gets an epic end that’s worthy of her character.
Watch Alien 3 on Hulu.