A film that starts badly cannot end well. Even so, the film has values worth highlighting.
There is no doubt that the first two films in the “Alien” franchise are classics in their own right and figure in a certain pantheon of the best horror and sci-fi films ever made. These are films where everything went very well, and everything came together in such a way as to make great works of cinema. This film cannot match them, and the reason for this has to do with its origins. As we say in Portugal, what is born crooked never straightens out.
In fact, this film was born and grew under the sign of chaos and confusion, with almost constant discussions between the studio, the producers, director David Fincher and the team responsible for the script. Right from the start, Ridley Scott refused to direct because he understood that it should be tied to the hypothetical origins of the alien (Scott will be able to carry out this idea in his most recent films, “Prometheus” and “Alien Covenant”). Fincher agreed to replace him, but the studio's constant interference in his work led to intense controversies and a very tense atmosphere. Millions were spent on scenes cut and re-filmed as the script was changed and rewrote, and sets were even built that were never used because the script changed. Let's face it: it was virtually impossible to make a great film in the midst of these conflicts.
The film continues the story of Lieutenant Ripley: a mysterious fire forces the ship in which she was traveling to eject the hypersleep capsules. Of the three survivors from the previous film, only she is rescued alive by the inmates of a space penal colony. The place is remote, there are not many inmates, and most have taken refuge in a certain strange spirituality. Ripley will have the help of the resident doctor, who will confirm that there was a live Alien on board the ship where she was, and that the threat is already incubating in that penal colony.
The film has its qualities: the cinematography, the sets and the costumes are excellent and completely match what we have seen in previous films; the sense of threat and tension is still very present, and it is quite effective, although there is no surprise about the Xenomorph's murderous capabilities. The soundtrack, sound effects, editing and special effects are still excellent, notoriously expensive and elaborate. The work done by the actors doesn't leave us dissatisfied either: Sigourney Weaver takes her character, defending her and giving her a development and strength whose responsibility lies, totally and entirely, with the actress, and the way she committed herself to this work. Charles Dance still gives him welcome support, with a job well done, but they are almost alone and the rest of the cast is much weaker than they are. A caveat, however, for the brief appearance of Lance Henrikssen, who does a good job even though he contributes little to the film.
There are, however, some issues that make the film much weaker, and which are linked to the script. One that came to mind while watching the film is how easily the film discards the surviving characters from the previous film, killing them in their sleep. Another thing I thought about was that Xenomorph, even though it's huge and very effective at killing, it's not acting like any animal would normally act. When we observe the natural world, we see that animals only kill for two essential reasons: food and self-defense. The Xenomorph does not. Although he feeds on the humans he kills, he also seems to kill for pleasure, which may betray a certain type of human-like intelligence. The film never explores this, limiting itself to releasing the beast to kill at random. As a horror element, it works, but it lacks the wit that would make things more interesting. The consequences of this, in light of the religious and spiritual issues so dear to prisoners, are also not addressed: we limit ourselves to seeing them in somewhat apocalyptic prayers. And if they are all vile men, ex-murderers and dangerous people, how is it that the film was not able to make them use this violence and “criminal experience” in favor of their own self-defense?