Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Written by Joss Whedon
Starring Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Brad Dourif, Ron Perlman, Michael Wincott
My Advice: Wait and Rent It.
Would this have scored higher if it had not been a sequel? Certainly. But you can't escape from that trap. What amazes me about this film is that the what was widely considered to be the weakest part (i.e., the cloning of Ripley) is handled the best. Sigourney is wonderful as the new and improved Ripley, and her hybrid nature is played with in some kick-ass ways. Unfortunately, the rest is like they tried to do a Never Say Never Again-esque remake of Aliens. The big problem is that they don't take the time to make you care about the characters before they start wasting them. Ryder, who I have declared the most inconsistent actress of her generation, is completely unbelievable as the unknown quantity Call. Wincott, Perlman, and Gary Rourdan (who plays the dread-laiden Christie, my personal favorite) are all solid as always but wasted in a film that's something we've seen before. An underwater chase scene looks like a commercial for a chlorine treatment for swimming pools and is about as suspenseful. There's so much goo in the film, it looks like God sneezed on the set. And lastly, H.R. Giger was upset that he got shafted with no credits in this film. Giger--count your blessings. I'd hate for you to be credited with being the grandfather of this baby, which is almost as malformed as the would-be monster of the climax, conveniently narrated by Dourif. If this is what Alien 5 is going to look like, count me out.
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