Alien 3 (1992)

I have taken the past few weeks to revisit some horror/sci-fi franchises and complete reviews on them before the end of the year. That started with Phantasm, and now I am putting the Alien franchise to bed as I prepare for the new entry in May. The next review is my least favorite of the series, Alien 3 from 1992.

Plot/ After her last encounter, Ripley crash-lands on Fiorina Fury 161, a maximum-security prison. When a series of strange and deadly events occur shortly after her arrival, Ripley realizes that she brought along an unwelcome visitor.

As I have said, sequels are always a hit or miss proposition. In the case of the Alien franchise, the first sequel Aliens is a masterpiece, a movie that expands the universe in a positive way and allows the story to grow. Unfortunately, Alien 3 does not have the same effect or quality that the first two films offered to the viewers. In this one, the story left to build upon was totally disregarded, and something new and unpolished was placed in its path. The entire storyline feels forced and with that contrived outcome, the atmosphere that made the first two films memorable is gone. Yes, an attempt was made to reach that heavy almost brooding atmosphere from the source material, but it was almost too much and never found the balance of the first films. Sure, the cast is decent and the performances solid, but even that cannot overcome the uneven storyline, contrived plot, and shaky effects. In the end, this is definitely my least favorite entry in the series and a movie that could be skipped. Unless you are a true fan preparing for the fifth installment due in May, stay away!