Monday, February 4, 2013

Alien 3 - Why I like it and why others hate it

SPOILER WARNING!!! This post spoils first three Alien movies.

As I told earlier I like this movie. I like David Finchers movies. For me this is at level of Seven and Fightclub. This have similar cold, medical and depressive feeling that those movies had. When this movie was made people didn't know Fincher or his style. Also this movie wasn't finished by Fincher. I watched special edition which is closer to Finchers vision than original release. It is also better. If you haven't seen it, I recommend that you check that. I also liked the original version.

I think movie is hated mainly for two reasons. FIrst is dying of Ripley. Second is expectations after Aliens. Viewers expected this to be similar action packed horror adventure as Aliens. They didn't expect depressive art movie. I liked movies style but I understand if action fans didn't like it.

After first two movies Ripley had become loved positive female  role model. Rarity in action genre. In first movie Ripley was only one who didn't bend the rules and if others did what she said there wouldn't have been so many casualties. She was like mother when captain was father who led the family to danger. In the end Ripley saved what there was to be saved. In Aliens Ripley returns to her mother role. This time she watches over children who play dangerous game even when she warned them. This time too she has to save what there is to be saved. In the end she got her new family to safety.

Between Aliens and Alien 3 Ripleys family is killed and she is raped. To top that she carries her rapists child and have to go to jail. This ruined little bit happy ending of Aliens. What follows isn't going to be any happier. Movie happens in prison planet where there are no weapons. Movie alienated all Ripley fans and all action movie fans from get go. Those being people who waited this movie most. In first two movie Ripley was mother figure. In this she is one of guys among inmates. To underline this Ripleys head is shaved and she dresses like inmates. As  a mother she kill herself and alien she gave birth in the end. Not something most people expected from this movie.

I liked this unexpected nature of movie. It is unexpected after Aliens but it follows first movie almost where it left us. Also in spirit. This makes Aliens the weird one in trilogy. Movie showed how vulnerable people are is suspended animation. This was hinted little bit in end of first movie. Now it was shown to us. I also liked to hopelessness and sad end. It was fitting end for series. This end also meant that next movie would have hard time being part of the whole.

To me special edition version of this movie is second best movie of series. I also watched special edition of Aliens which is better that original release. If only Fincher would have been able to finnish this movie. Then it might have been best of them all. Now it is only second best.

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