Alien Resurrection

release year: 1997
genre: sci-fi/horror
viewing setting: home DVD, 12/30/01 plus several times previously

synopsis: Hundreds of years after the events of the last movie, Ripley is brought back to life via cloning...but they also produce an alien queen from her DNA, thinking they can control it.

impressions: This movie has good and bad aspects, but overall, I do not like it much. I'll start with the good points. The general chased-across-someplace-by-aliens part was entertaining, as were the special effects and sets. However - and this is my big problem with the movie - its writers felt the need to add new and different elements, none of which worked, in my opinion. Case 1: Call (Winona Ryder.) She had a whiny, nasal tone and her character was just stupid. Case 2: the sinister Ripley, who didn't seem to fit in well. Case 3: the newborn alien. It looked STUPID and I can't believe anyone allowed this thing to be in the movie. As I said, this sequel suffers from the makers' apparent need to make THEIR film, not just an Alien film. There were a lot of little touches that were supposed to be funny but just made me groan. Another possible problem is that people seem to think these movies require the Ripley character in order to be successful; I disagree, and believe that Ripley has outlived her potential.

acting: I didn't care for Sigourney Weaver (who looked tired) or Winona Ryder (who looked and sounded dumb.) Ron Perlman and most of the pirate crew did good jobs, and the evil scientists were sufficiently sleazy.

final word: It's a so-so Alien movie that could have been much better.

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