| _____ | ____ |
|
| _____ | _____ |
Starring Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon, Dan Hedaya, Brad Dourif. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It is 200 years later. Although Ripley (Weaver), and her trusty sidekick Newt, had died, a group of military scientists were able to rescue some of Ripley's DNA after her fiery death. They have cloned a near exact replica of her, complete with a nasty little alien inside. When the clone is near completion, the scientists delicately take out the alien inside of her. It becomes the queen, and it starts to breed. But what to do about Ripley. The military general (Hedaya) in charge of this covert operation aboard a huge cruiser fears she may remember her alien-killing past and hurt his new pet aliens. But Ripley is now part alien, as well as being part human. She is extraordinarily strong, and while she fears, and warns the scientists of their impending doom, she also has a certain curiosity and respect for her alien kin. Of course, the scientists laugh off Ripley's warnings. Meanwhile, a rogue cargo ship is brought in carrying mysterious tubes of humans. We soon find out the cargo is people, who will be used as breeders to produce more aliens for the military's experimentation. A suspicious young crewman named Call (Ryder) has been sent by someone to kill Ripley so she cannot begin to breed, but Call is, of course, too late. A brutish mercendary (Perlman, the Beast in the TV show and a regular in the director's past films) is also along for the ride, and his advances upon Ripley when they first arive are painfully rebuffed with flair. Despite Ripley's consistent warnings, the scientists believe they have their alien subjects well under control. They have a big red button they can push when the aliens get too frisky, which sprays the creatures with an icy mist. The aliens stop in their tracks when a scientist motions towards the button - the aliens aren't stupid. And, big surprise, the aliens engineer a ruthless and cunning escape, and the chase is on. Each film in the Alien series has been directed by a different director, and has its own unique vision and style. Alien was an exceptional horror film directed by Ridley Scott, full of atmosphere and tension. Aliens, directed by James Cameron, is one of the finest action films ever, fast-paced and full of humour, with excellent performances and great lines from start to finish. It is probably my favourite action film ever, and my favourite in the Alien series. The underrated Alien 3 was a claustrophic, tense affair which emphasized brains over brawn, as Ripley was trapped in a prison colony without any weapons to face those angry aliens. It featured considerable dialogue, and some of the strongest acting in the series. The fourth, by the French director whose previous films were lower-budget science-fiction nightmares, combines elements of each of the first three films. But his vision is unique - a grungy and cold view of the future. It is almost like Mad Max, where heartless and greedy people selfishly look out for themselves in an effort to survive. It is predominately a horror film, because we know what the aliens will do, and we are sitting on the edge of our seat waiting for the aliens to pounce. There is considerable action and humour, plus several serious interludes, especially where Call and Ripley discuss Ripley's conflicting loyalties and feelings. This film is also very violent, with heads being ripped off, and copious quantities of blood flowing. There is also more swearing than there needs to be. The script is not exceptional. There are humourous moments, but they don't always work with the story or suspense (but they usually do). The best lines are saved for Ripley. Weaver is exceptional as the human with a bit of alien blood in her. She is in great shape - lean and taut, moving gracefully throughout. She displays her ruthless and evil alien side often, lashing out without feeling or remorse, and replying to other characters with a reptilian smirk. But she also shows her human side. In one moving scene, Ripley discovers she was not the first clone - there were seven previous, horribly mishapen half-alien, half-human clones that came before the scientists got it right. The rest of the cast is also good, with Perlman and another Jeunet regular Pinon standing out as the tough, wheelchair bound crewman who refuses to be slowed down by his handicap. The problem with the film, as it is with most sequels, is that it is difficult to consistently surprise us, as we've seen the aliens at work before. And sometimes, there are flat spots where the energy seems to evaporate. But as sequels go, it is certainly above average. Those who have liked the previous films in the Alien series will find this a worthy addition, and well worth seeing.   |