This is the fourth movie, the fourth time we see aliens, and the fourth time we see Ripley involved in the fun. And it sets us up for a fifth movie, one that probably will never see the light of day. Come on producer Weaver, I want to see the future earth eradicated.
Sigourney Weaver wanted to have sex with an alien in a prior movie, but she didn't get the chance. Well guess what, she became a producer on this movie and had her sex scene. Don't worry, it is purely figurative, but you will be a bit weirded out during the scene. And I felt it was really unnecessary and I feel it is the primary reason so many people didn't love this movie. I figuratively look the other way when I see these scenes and just enjoy the rest of the movie for what it is, a Sci-Fi Action movie. And I personally think it is on par with movies 1 & 2.
Here is the minimal storyline so as to not spoil it for you. Ripley's blood is extracted from the penal colony in the third movie. Through advances in medical technology, Ripley is regrown as a human infected with an alien. So from the beginning you already get into the weirdness of this movie. And if you intend to enjoy this movie, you have to first get over this initial premise. So they extract the queen from this created Ripley and sew her back up. Amazingly some of the traits of the aliens are imparted into this new Ripley. She is not what she seems, nor is she the same Ripley, and that's half the fun.
All of this occurs on a giant spacecraft operating outside of regulated space. And along comes the Betty. It is a small vessel, with a small motley crew, with a mysterious cargo they are paid a lot of money to deliver. Well you can guess what happens next, something goes wrong and aliens run amuck. Well it's not that simple but pretty darn close. And at times you will actually find yourself cheering for the alien, probably the only movie of the 4 where that occurs.
The acting is high quality and it all starts with Sigourney Weaver. She was a new Ripley, a strong Ripley, and a strangely seductive Ripley. It must have been a fun role to play for her and she carries the movie. Without her and her "charm", this movie just would not have worked as well as it did.
Winona Ryder plays Call, a curious little girl. Well she's more than that but then that would spoil the movie for ya now wouldn't it. She gets second billing because people know about her but she really didn't play the co-star. I feel that the real co-star of the film was Ron Perlman. He played the strong man role that countered Ripley's feminine side. I became an instant fan as soon as I saw this movie. Seeing him in Blade II just sealed the deal. He did an outstanding job and anything that was dropped by Sigourney's character, his character picked up. It just balanced the whole movie from beginning to end. I love his role. Now that doesn't mean Winona didn't do a good job, she did. I enjoyed her performance and I cannot complain about anything she did as an actress. Her character just was not strong enough to get second billing, nor does her character truly compliment Ripley. This is not a movie you watch because she is in it is basically what I am saying.
Dominique Pinon played my favorite character, paraplegic man that has enough spirit for the entire group. Out of anyone, he was the one you wanted to see survive. He had a bit of spunk yet was lovable at the same time. And no I'm not gonna tell you if he survives, this is an alien movie, you have to watch and see.
The plot and story I am hesitant to sit here and tell you the plot is simply kill or be killed. That's only one of the plots. Now this isn't a complex movie with an underlying message. It is a fun kill or be killed movie with a few curve balls thrown in. The story does have some elements related to Ripley, who she is, who she has become. The part of the story is told well and is quite entertaining. Don't worry, it's not deep, but something fun to talk about with friends over a cup of coffee.
There is a third story to all of this that takes a back seat in it all and that is the question of should we be playing with DNA and genetics. Should we be allowed to create. And if you do have the power how are we affected by it. Not an important element to the story line but still there.
The writing They deserve some credit in this department because this isn't some campy cult movie. It is a well written and well told story. The writing made sense, the lines were genuine, and at no time did I groan any of the scenes. In short, it told the story and everything made sense, and entertained at the same time. And Joss Whedon at the head of any writing department will get the job done. This is just another example of his awesome talent.
The pacing and editing This is an area deserving of high praise. This movie keeps you going from step one until it is over (except for that weird metaphorical sex scene of course, that could have been deleted). You are not given the chance to be bored. You only get a couple of breathers and even those don't slow down the movie very much.
The character development While well done overall, individually it wasn't done as well as it could have. Part of this is due to pacing, I think character development got in the way of pacing so they decided to reduce character development to keep the movie entertaining. Now it is no where as bad as the third installment, don't get me wrong. I just think some little things here and there could have worked. Overall, you got to know the main characters of the movie and had a chance to develop a connection to each of them.
The special effects I'm really pleased with their decisions on what to digitize and what to model. These choices added realism that was needed for the movie to be successful. The special effects back then just were not where they are now so big scenes with lots of carnage and digitized aliens every where did not occur. Maybe next time we'll see it.
Replay value High. I just think all the Alien movies are fun and I'll watch this one at the drop of a hat.
Should children watch it? It's not no,....it's hell no.
Genre: Science fiction
The key players Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet Writers: Joss Whedon Music: John C. Frizzell
My End Line. I view this as on par with the first and second installment. Most people will disagree and point out the weird plot points. That's their prerogative and they have a point. I just overlook this issue like I over look the flaws in the other installments, and enjoy the movie for what it is...Sci-Fi and suspense with plenty of carnage.
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