Alien 3 vs Resurrection

Both these sequels are polarizing in which was better or worse but which do you prefer.

They're both shit.

Possibly Resurrection.

Though largely because its the only one of the two I actually managed to finish.

I have both on VHS, had them for over a year and still haven't watched them yet. Next time I get in the mood to watch the first two, maybe I'll go through all 4.

Alien 3 by a long shot.

Despite having one of the worst productions I've ever heard of, it's amazing that anything watchable came out of it, let alone such an amazing film. I've talked about my feelings on this film befor here so I won't bore anyone, but to summarise it's a wonderfully dark and nihilistic film that perfectly caps off the trilogy. I generally recommend the assemble cut of the film, as it has a it includes a lot of really good material.

Alien Resurrection.... oh boy. I remember being so excited for this one. The second Alien film released when I was alive and the first since I was an Alien fan. I did enjoy it at the time but as I've got older, and unlike 3, I just have less and less time for it. There is some really good stuff in the film, Ripley 8 is a great character and her arc in the film is wonderful, and it had a really good cast. The film also looks great but everything else is just sub-par or pushes the franchise down a path it shouldn't be going down. It's damming with faint praise but Resurrection is the best of the Alien/Predator sequels we've had post A3 and P2. Prometheus and Covenant were at their core, good ideas but one was to self indulgent on Ridley's part, while the other just had really bad writing in places. Predators, while fun, is either borrowing waaaaay to much from the original or following bad movie trends. The Predator is basically Alien Resurrection but with the good elements taken away and all the bad turned up to eleven.

The less said about the AVP movies the better. Those are some amazing comics and stories, and fox pissed it all away.

Alien 3 by a wide margin. I despise Resurrection.

Even though I'm a fan of Joss Whedon (currently on a Buffy marathon and it hold's up wonderfully. Can't wait to start Angel again.)

Alien Resurrection represents all of Joss Whedon's worst traits as a writer amped up to 11.

You have characters talking in nothing but one liners, far too many characters being crowbarred in there so we don't get to know too many of them, a weird monster/human sex scene, and female heroes being ironically oversexualised.

I'm no prude. If a female hero is supposed to be a big sexy character fine. Got no issues with Xena, Wonder Woman, or Whedon's own Faith who are incredibly sexualised. It's just crap when that's what every female character has to be.

It's the same with male characters. James Bond, Spike from Buffy obviously no problem with them being sexualised. The Doctor being turned into a lothario however? NO!

What horny Joss does to Ripley is comparable to some extent to what RTD did to the Doctor in New Who. He takes one of the few characters that wasn't just a big conventional romantic, sexy lead and turns them into that and it's really out of character and awkward.

Hearing Ripley say "who have I got to fuck to get out of here" and sniffing Winona Ryder in a sensual way is completely removed from the Ripley of the previous movies. I can almost see Joss' hands down his pants when shooting the Ripley, Winona scenes.

Also giving Ripley super powers takes a way a large part of what made her special, that she was an ordinary woman who managed to beat these savage monsters through her wits and cunning. It's like giving Xena or Batman super powers. (Again RTD did this to the Doctor having him regrow hands, fly through the air like a god, survive falling 100s of feet through glass onto marble, and turned his sonic screwdriver into a weapon.)

Alien 3 whilst perhaps too bleak and dreary, is at least a proper Alien film. I also preferred Alien Vs Predator 1 to Resurrection.

burrunjor wrote:Alien 3 by a wide margin. I despise Resurrection.

Even though I'm a fan of Joss Whedon (currently on a Buffy marathon and it hold's up wonderfully. Can't wait to start Angel again.)

Alien Resurrection represents all of Joss Whedon's worst traits as a writer amped up to 11.

You have characters talking in nothing but one liners, far too many characters being crowbarred in there so we don't get to know too many of them, a weird monster/human sex scene, and female heroes being ironically oversexualised.

I'm no prude. If a female hero is supposed to be a big sexy character fine. Got no issues with Xena, Wonder Woman, or Whedon's own Faith who are incredibly sexualised. It's just crap when that's what every female character has to be.

It's the same with male characters. James Bond, Spike from Buffy obviously no problem with them being sexualised. The Doctor being turned into a lothario however? NO!

What horny Joss does to Ripley is comparable to some extent to what RTD did to the Doctor in New Who. He takes one of the few characters that wasn't just a big conventional romantic, sexy lead and turns them into that and it's really out of character and awkward.

Hearing Ripley say "who have I got to fuck to get out of here" and sniffing Winona Ryder in a sensual way is completely removed from the Ripley of the previous movies. I can almost see Joss' hands down his pants when shooting the Ripley, Winona scenes.

Also giving Ripley super powers takes a way a large part of what made her special, that she was an ordinary woman who managed to beat these savage monsters through her wits and cunning. It's like giving Xena or Batman super powers. (Again RTD did this to the Doctor having him regrow hands, fly through the air like a god, survive falling 100s of feet through glass onto marble, and turned his sonic screwdriver into a weapon.)

Alien 3 whilst perhaps too bleak and dreary, is at least a proper Alien film. I also preferred Alien Vs Predator 1 to Resurrection.

And with that Resurrection just dropped a even further down into the cesspool for me. I have not watched it in a VERY long time, and what you've pointed out shows me that I was being overly generous, and forgetful, in my faint praise.