Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Dominique Pinon, Ron Perlman, Dan Hedaya, Brad Dourif

More info: IMDb

Tagline: It's been more than 200 years...The beginning has just started.

Plot: 200 years after her death, Ellen Ripley is revived as a powerful human/Alien hybrid clone who must continue her war against the Aliens.

My rating: 5/10

Will I watch it again? Reluctantly.

Woof. These just keep getting worse and worse. I REALLY love the universe these films live in. I would jump at the chance to live within it. Here's the breakdown: ALIEN (1979) is balls-out one of the best horror/sci-fi movie ever, ALIENS (1986) is good but different and a couple of steps down from the first one, ALIEN 3 (1992) has atmosphere in spades and seems to fit in the franchise but it grows tiresome even though I'm compelled to watch it for some strange reason. The fourth film in the franchise is silly and has far too much lameness to keep me coming back to this well. But I will since the set is being released on blu-ray this month.


I don't like the bug gag at the beginning because it's a CGI bug with fucking teeth. Whatever. If it were a fly or some shit then it could work. I'm reminded now of the beginning of INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) and that fucking prairie dog that opens the show. Kill me now. Any flick with Dan Hedea is worth my time and he's welcome here but he's a caricature played for laughs. I don't need that which is really the underlying problem with this one - the picture's just too fucking silly. It's on an endless see-saw between funny and fright. It's just too much.



And why is it that with every movie the alien has to be different? Surely the studio isn't afraid people stay away from seeing en mass if they don't alter the damn things, do they? They probably do. Pussies. Underwater aliens, however, are cool.



Brad Douriff is great as always. Too bad he's not in it more. Looking back it feels like a not-so-distant cousin to FIREFLY. This whole entry is just a shame that it wasn't as solid as I would have liked it. It's painful to watch at times. This is such a huge franchise that the blame must be spread between the studio, director and screenwriter (who was probably at gunpoint when cranking it out).


One thing that has been consistent throughout the series besides the look is the music. I say consistent as in every score has been fantastic. John Frizzell created a beautiful and terrifying soundtrack that is worthy of all the rest that came before.


Jeunet has done some amazing work. Check out DELICATESSEN (1991), THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN (1995) and AMELIE (2001) and you'll be amazed at what this guy is capable of. Too bad he didn't have the "fuck you" power to make it his way. I'm speculating at this point. Maybe he saw the previous films and thought they were too serious and wanted to lighten it up. I don't want too much levity in my Alien movies. Let's hope that Ridley Scott doesn't do to the announced prequel that he did with HANNIBAL (2001). That will make me weep. Have these people learned nothing from the amazing film that started this franchise? I guess not. They'll make money no matter what (just look a the shitfest that is the AvP abominations) but they'll make more with a good, serious movie. The trouble is they don't really care that much and, at this point, neither do I.