Released: 6th November 1997
Length: 109 Minutes
Certificate: 18
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Ron Pearlman, Dan Hedaya, J.E Freeman and Michael Wincott
Following the tremendous success of Alien and Aliens, many film-goers were let down by Alien 3; its bleaker tone and overwhelming darkness came off as jarring. Five years after a definitive conclusion, the long-running series returned for a fourth outing, but this time it took a giant step down.
200 years after the events on Fury 161, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) has been cloned with the alien queen inside her by the United Systems Military, operating aboard a huge starship known as the Auriga. When a group of smugglers aboard the Betty bring a group of captured colonists to serve as hosts for the Aliens, things quickly go sideways as the creatures escape from captivity and start running rampant. It’s up to the newly reborn Ripley and the crew of the Betty to escape the ship before it returns to Earth. Right from the start, Alien Resurrection’s story feels pointless and inconsequential; it completely abandons the adult-oriented tone in favour of jingoistic nonsense. You’d think that a corporation finally getting its hands on the perfect organism would be a major development, but it all boils down to the hollow premise of monsters running around and killing people. It also twists and mutilates the established lore of the franchise with a conveyor belt of laughable scenes. The basketball sequence in the early going is pretty embarrassing and the final creature that emerges in the climax is an ugly one, but the presentation is madly inconsistent. Much of the film strays so far from former strengths.
Sigourney portrays a new version of Ripley; her DNA has been spliced with the Aliens which has bestowed some new abilities. Unfortunately this has also resulted in the loss of the protagonist’s caring attitude; instead we get a fairly generic action heroine who often veers more into the sensual side. Winona Ryder is normally solid in every role she plays, but in the case of Call, she’s short-changed by poor writing that makes her very unlikeable throughout the plot. Most of her colleagues aboard the Betty are very one-note, often relying heavily on gimmicks like a wheelchair or quick-draw pistols. Ron Pearlman delivers an occasional dose of sarcastic humour, but no one else is interesting. There’s a pervading sense of silliness to the performances that muddies the entire piece. This is especially true for the villains with some corny moments from Brad Dourif’s Dr Geddeman and Dan Hedaya’s General Perez. Aside from the occasionally sinister expression from Dr Wren (J.E Freeman), the antagonists are effectively useless. When compared with the brilliant characters from the last few films, this is easily the biggest downturn of the entire production.
The fourth Alien film can stake its claim on one thing and that’s the production design. The Auriga is a fairly standard looking ship on first glance, but the detail on the aliens, their hive and the way they mutate the interiors is very well done. Effective animatronics and models, gruesome gore and meticulous set designs succeed at matching the other films. Every once in a while, you’ll find a scene that does impress when it comes to the action. Arguably the film’s best sequence is an underwater excursion which is far more tense than anything else on offer. Seeing the Xenos pursue their prey and the solid stunt work from the actors makes this moment stand out. Sadly, like everything else in the film, Alien Resurrection swerves away from capable direction. Most of the shots and intense moments, such as the camera diving down one character’s throat, are ludicrous and have no business being in this series. The soundtrack by John Frizzell is moderately effective, but the foreboding notes don’t blend well with the over-the-top style.
It has some impressive production values and a memorable sequence or two, but Alien Resurrection is by far the worst entry in the long-running sci-fi series. By taking a sledgehammer to the serious tone and deep characters, it stands as a throwaway piece of brand extension that undermines what made the franchise so compelling. Some have taken a bit of enjoyment from its schlocky action, but long-term fans should stay away.
Rating: 2/5 Stars (Disappointing)
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