THE PROBLEM WITH
ALIEN 3
There is nothing hopeful or redeeming about this film. But in itself is a compelling narrative. Great atmospheric lighting, fantastic grimy as hell set-pieces and a stella cast. However, compared to the previous kick-ass instalment, this sequel aint much fun.
Rather, its like a form of cinematic voyeurism or watching a car crash, or children burning alive in a house, and you cant take your eyes off it because its got that creepy-ass dont-go-in-the-basement kinda vibe about it.
In fact, the prison in which this film is set, is essentially one big huge basement. And as much as you want your favourite characters not to go down in there and get butchered, its out of your hands.
UNRAVELLING CHARACTERS
I guess the ultimate problem with this movie is the producers seemed hell-bent on unravelling the nicely self contained arc of the previous movie.
In other words, they didn't have any respect for what had been achieved in Cameron's Aliens, whereby Ripley had a second chance at a family. I mean, she started off in that film, a broken lost soul, 57 years passed her time, unable to sleep, forever having nightmares etc. On top of all this, then she finds out her daughters died of old age. Just when she thinks things couldn't be any worse, she's facing a court martial if she doesn't go back into the Aliens lair on LV-426.
It sucks. And we the audience feel for her loss and root for her journey ahead.
Through that journey, she learns how to fight back. She faces her demons, she even faces the Alien Queen herself. She kicks her ass and saves Newt and by the end of that movie I left that cinema feeling uplifted and totally entertained.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
Following that, any sequel including Sigourney Weaver would have been pointless. Ripleys character was done. End of story.
If anything, she wakes up safe and sound, six months later back at that Earth space station, fresh and breezy and despite another tiresome inquiry and debrief, she & Hicks get a flat together and live out their lives a happy couple, looking after Newt, while Bishop probably becomes their butler or something. Who knows, even Jonesy the cat, is the family pet.
Wouldn't that have been nice?
Meanwhile let someone else take on the pesky Aliens. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Or Dolph Lungren. Or even Yaphet Koto playing Parkers twin brother, a military grunt looking for pay-back. And maybe said grunts phone Ripley up occasionally for advice on Xenomorph pest control.
But nope. Alien 3 literally undid Cameron's Aliens by executive order. Fuck happy endings.
NEW HOUSE, NEW RULES
Its the same I guess when you acquire a new house. You want to re-decorate. And in a way, thats how directors approach movies. They want to infuse their individual stamp on it. Sometimes for the better (as in Jim Cameron with Aliens) but more often for the worse.
I guess thats what happens when no two directors stick with a franchise. Just look at the Friday the 13th Movies. Some are pretty good but invariably an uneven patchwork of a series. But thats just the nature of film making. Make a good a film, become sick to death with it and move onto the next project.
LEGACY CLAUSE
From a legal standpoint, there should be a "legacy-clause" put in place, so that subsequent film makers cant just piss all over previous instalments unless said previous instalment sucked in the first place. So no killing off previous characters should be top of that list.
The Mummy sequels of the 1950s killed off everyone from the previous movies, wether we liked them or not.
It becomes less about preserving a happy ending and more about bums on seats.
Don't get me wrong, I love a good sequel. Its just the whole killing off previous characters I have a problem with. Particularly when as a viewer, one becomes invested in the characters, rooting for their salvation against impossible odds.
And when I first saw Alien 3 at the cinema, I was so depressed to discover Newt & Hicks had been killed off.
And Bishop just ends up on a junk heap. Fucksake.
What a shitty way to treat those characters. But thats Hollywood folks.
