Alien: Resurrection (1997)

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Sigourney Weaver returns in this fourth chapter of the Alien franchise, this time as an alien/human hybrid clone of her iconic Ripley character. It’s a refreshing change of pace for the character, invigorated by a curious connection to her former foes and a new devil-may-care attitude toward living or dying. In the script credited to Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Toy Story), Ripley joins a team of pirates who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, as all hell breaks loose on a research vessel that has lost control of its alien specimens.

Weaver is surrounded by colorful character actors like Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Michael Wincott (The Crow), Dan Hedaya (Clueless), and Brad Dourif (Child’s Play). The cast is so large, few have a chance to shine. Leland Orser (Se7en) makes the most of his small role, playing a doomed man who joins the team after Ripley tells him there’s an alien inside him. If there’s a weak link, it’s Winona Ryder, who the film tries to make seem important, but ultimately isn’t terribly relevant.

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, City of Lost Children) certainly distinguishes himself stylistically, injecting his trademark visual humor, exaggerated camera angles, and a slight steam-punk sheen to the film’s overall aesthetic. His sense of humor, though, sometimes feels at odds with Whedon’s, resulting in a film that’s maybe trying a little too hard to be cute, a tonal shift that may alienate (no pun intended) fans of a series not known for its humor. The film also plays loosely with the series’ established rules, a sin that tends to infuriate die-hard fans. Even if you’re not a die-hard, there are some considerable leaps in logic. Darius Khondji’s overly-dark cinematography does the film no favors, nor does John Frizzell’s musical aggrandizing of moments already so stylistically heightened, they start to become laughable.

If the goal was to make a more entertaining movie than the dour Alien 3, I think Alien: Resurrection marginally succeeds. If you don’t take it too seriously, the movie delivers plenty of action and visceral moments, including more dripping slime than the previous three movies combined. The birth of a new kind of human/alien hybrid is my favorite (if not the most bizarre) scene. The ‘newborn’ as it’s called, is a truly horrifying creature that enhances the third act of the film. There’s also an exciting sequence in which our heroes escape underwater aliens only to find themselves in a nest of hatching face-huggers.

With Dominique Pinon, Gary Dourdan, and Raymond Cruz.