(Assembly Cut)

“You've been in my life so long, I can't remember anything else."

Holy cow (or ox?). I had definitely heard plenty about how this cut was better than the original theatrical version before I watched it, but to this degree, I certainly did not expect. I don’t remember much about the theatrical version when it comes to how it compares to the Assembly Cut, but what I do remember is that the original cut of Alien³ didn’t have nearly as much of an impact as this cut did.

There is obviously an unbelievable amount of controversy around this film, specifically for the opening, and the opening shifts the direction that Aliens ended on so much that it is practically impossible to talk about the setup of Alien³ without spoilers, so I’m just going to go straight into my review of the movie. I’m going to go against tradition with my reviews and talk about the most mixed aspect of the film first, which is, in fact, the opening. You are either completely on board with it or completely not, and there is hardly any middle ground. To me, I’m completely on board with it because I don’t see how they could have taken the direction of the movies any differently. Sure, many could argue that this movie was entirely unnecessary, but I would argue otherwise. I think Ripley not only deserved but needed more character development and a satisfying end to her arc.

Yeah, Ripley had plenty of character development in Aliens, the main thing I think that movie does significantly better than the original, despite me liking the original more. However, I think there was plenty of room to grow her character, which was why I think making this a trilogy was completely warranted. In Aliens, we got to see the motherly and compassionate side to her (still need to see the extended cut of that movie by the way), which greatly added to her character, but even after two films, we never got to truly see her deeply psychologically, which is what this trilogy ender does remarkably well. In Alien³, we get to see what she does when she is tested to her absolute limits psychologically and mentally, not only because of the nature of what happens at the opening of the film, but also some revelations we learn about her later on.

It all leads to a completely satisfying end to her arc that I think is truly underappreciated. Seeing how she more and more becomes the main character throughout the trilogy is definitely something to behold, and her decision by the end of it all, while controversial, is something that was both set up and earned without question. And in this movie, we see her growth that leads up to her making that decision.

I’m also a huge fan of the new location and atmosphere of this film. This is the first time we get to see in full detail a planet with people living on it in this universe, and the choice to make it a prison planet with no weapons at all was a really clever way to twist the formula of everything. This is obviously not a spoiler because it has the word “alien” in the title, but Ripley yet again having to face off with a xenomorph, but this time with no weapons of any kind, and a group of, let’s just say, “difficult” people adds stakes and a whole lot of tension. It’s arguably the most intense of the trilogy.

Speaking of xenomorph, the writers were able to change things up and add new concepts to the creature yet again. I love what they do with the birth of the creature (even in the original cut), and how that would naturally change up the genetics of it. Yes, it’s still a xenomorph, but this time it is completely different, and despite how hot of a take this might be, I honestly think this is the most terrifying version of the species we ever got from this trilogy. It seems to be a lot more clever than previous versions, which also adds tension and forces the characters, and especially Ripley, to think more about how to stop it.

Despite Fincher disowning this film, I still think it is a top-tier debut for a director. The cinematography is brilliant, with some beautiful shots that really serve meaning to the tone and themes, and an atmosphere that perfectly suits the story. The sets are also unbelievable, and the most impressive of the first three movies to me. The prison, I think, is easily the most interesting setting because it’s closed off from the outside, but also huge, so the xenomorph has plenty of places to hide, which, I’ll say it for the last time, adds even more tension. The special effects are also top-notch for the most part, at least when they are practical.

When it comes to the stuff that a lot of people may or may not like about this film, I obviously already mentioned the opening, which was the big thing, so I won’t mention it anymore. The other aspect, though, that is extremely mixed is the tone of the film. This is by far one of the most bleak and disturbing movies I’ve personally ever seen, which I could see being a huge turn-off for a lot of people. It still thankfully offers a little bit of hope in all the darkness, with the nature of the prisoners and their faith and all, but that’s really about it. It’s definitely not a movie to put on if you aren’t up for it.

The negative aspects are all really small to me. The first one is that with the substantially increased runtime of this cut, the pacing is definitely a bit slow at times, similar to the first movie. Again, though, like I mentioned in my review of Ridley Scott’s opener to this trilogy, I really like that for the most part; it takes its time. It definitely drags a teeny tiny bit in spots, but not near enough to impact my viewing, rating, or overall thoughts.

The dialogue is also a bit cheesy sometimes, and it's not the line delivery. I think the actors do a good job throughout the film. The only other negative is something that people make a huge deal of, that actually barely takes up any of the runtime, which is the digital special effects. Yeah, the green screen stuff definitely hasn’t aged well, but it’s barely in the movie! The vast majority of the shots with the xenomorph were done practically, so I don’t understand why people make it sound like it’s horrible.

At the end of the day, if you were perfectly satisfied with how Aliens ended and don’t want to risk ruining it for you with a very bleak, dark, and depressing film, then I would probably recommend staying away from this. But if you are willing to see an extremely compelling character arc and a suitable (in my opinion) way to cap off this whole story, then I would absolutely recommend Alien³. Just don’t watch the theatrical version!