Review of Alien³ (1992) by Adam F — 11 May 2014

"Alien" is a classic sci-fi horror that gets better with multiple viewings. This is a deliberately paced horror film that builds tension by showing you little at first. Just because it spawned a whole franchise and going in you already know what the monster looks like, don't expect the creature to show up right away. The film follows the towing spaceship Nostromo. While hauling its cargo of twenty million tons of mineral ore, the seven crewmembers are in stasis. The ship's computer, Mother, detects a transmission of unknown origin from a nearby planet and awakens the crew. Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt) and Navigator Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) go out to investigate the signal while Warrant Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and Science Officer Ash (Ian Holm) handle the ship. The Nostromo was slightly damaged during entry so engineers Brett (Harry Dean Stanton) and Parker (Yaphet Kotto) handle the repairs. The workers who venture outside of the ship find something at once awe-inspiring and horrifying. The message is coming from an alien ship, a ship whose crew is long dead. There is life inside the ship however. Kane discovers a series of eggs, and the creatures inside are still alive. Before you know it, Kane has been attacked and the crew are forced to bring the man, and one of the creature that's latched itself onto his face back inside the Nostromo. From there, the crew have to figure out a way to get rid of this alien.

This is one of those movies where it's been parodied and referenced so many times that a lot of the surprises have likely been spoiled for you (including the look of the alien) but I'm going to discuss why this is not only a good, but a great horror film without spoiling too much. First of all, there's the titular alien. Born from the mind of H.R. Giger, it's a great blend of something that seems vaguely human and yet mechanical at the same time. At once, it seems very familiar and yet completely otherworldly. The genius of this creation is that not only is it iconic, but the design of it actually improves on the film's ability to generate tension. Basically, once you've seen this creature, you'll never forget it. However, as the film plays out you will notice how similar the creature looks to the ship it finds itself in. The chest, the spines on its back, the shape of its head all look like elements of the ship so if you've seen the movie before and you re-watch it, you start seeing the creature everywhere and you can actually believe that these people pass right by the alien without seeing it. All of a sudden a scene where you thought the characters were safe turns out to be a moment where danger is just a few feet away. Unlike most scare-fests where once you've seen it you can rest easy knowing that the scares are still far away, here you discover fresh new ones every time.

One thing too is that this movie, it's genuinely disturbing. Not only the alien, who reproduces in a way that's totally believable but at the same time so unsettling you don't want to believe that it would. If you have seen the movie, you know what I mean. If you don't, it's best that you find out for yourself but after the credits have finished rolling, ask yourself how the choice of the victims and the way the creatures reproduces makes you feel, and what real-life, traumatic event does it remind you of? Don't expect this to be a gore-fest though. You'll be surprised to hear that this is a film that surprisingly, features very few displays of blood and guts. There is a single scene where there's some blood but mostly, you get maybe a half second where you see an injury and then it cuts away. There is just enough for you to see that the damage has been done, but not enough for it to become gratuitous. The film's scares are generated in the way it uses long periods of silence and moments that build anticipation and small glimpses that give you ideas that play with your head; it's what you don't see that's scary.

What's a monster without its prey though? What's great about "Alien" is that unlike a lot of horror films, the characters are people you genuinely care for. Yes, some get more screen time than others but when it comes to the main characters, you do want to see them come out alive. These are intelligent people, not dumb teenagers and as the movie plays out, you'll see that some of the behavior that puts the crew in peril was just carelessness but it isn't always the case. There are far more sinister things going on than meets the eye. You'll wonder to yourself "Why would that character do that?" and you'll see that there is a legitimate reason, don't worry.

All of the human moments of the film feel very genuine. Brett and Parker are ticked off that they are not getting paid so they deliberately stall the repairs on the ship in an effort to negotiate more money. Moments where the crew are eating together or just hanging out, they're not necessarily giving exposition on anything important, they're just doing their regular thing. The thing is, you're not used to that kind of behavior, not in a horror movie so you're always on edge, expecting something big to happen. In some scenes, there's nothing but when there is, it catches you off-guard. Like I said earlier, the film takes the time to introduce the characters and let you know what they're really like, not just what kind of behavior they exhibit when under stress and terror. It helps you care about all of the crewmembers while showing off the real standout character: is Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. She's a strong, intelligent woman who can more than handle herself and is pitted against a formidable threat. Every element of the film works in perfect unison, creating a world that is set in a science fiction world but feels genuine and is suddenly interrupted when a dangerous alien is thrown into the mix.

In some ways, the film's reputation hinders it. The creature you expect to see, the alien not seen until at least an hour into the film. For that reason, a lot of people will find it slow. Really, this is one of those movies where if you do find yourself getting a bit fidgety, stick with it and then watch it again, a second time. That's when you'll be able to focus on all of the elements and it will really pay off. For all of the reasons stated above, and more (There's a whole lot more than can be said about this film) it's a movie you cannot miss if you're a serious fan of science fiction, horror or even simply movies. (Original theatrical version on Blu-ray, October 11, 2013).