One Of Sci-Fi’s Best R-Rated Sequels Is Being Unfairly Buried And Hated, Save It!

By TeeJay Small
| Updated 8 seconds ago

I recently penned a scathing review of Alien 3, wherein I posed the question: What kind of god would allow such a horrendously bad film to ever see the light of day? Despite my better judgment, I decided to continue my binge of the Alien film franchise, only to be pleasantly surprised by the fourth installment, Alien: Resurrection.

This film has all the signs of a terrible sequel, and a 56 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, which made me think I was sitting down for another miserable viewing experience. Maybe I’m still recovering from the rage-induced concussion I developed while watching Alien 3, but I’d go so far as to label Alien: Resurrection the most underrated entry in the entire franchise.

The Problem With The Previous Alien Movie

We all know and love 1979’s Alien and the 1986 Aliens sequel. But even the most faithful Xenomorph super-fan should be able to admit that they’re tired of watching Ripley wake up in a cryopod, face off against a terrifying obsidian monster from beyond the stars, get back in a cryopod, and repeat the cycle for three films in a row.

When Ripley died in the final moments of Alien 3, I was just happy to see the character finally get a moment of rest, and for the franchise to move on to other protagonists. So imagine my surprise when Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley wakes up once again during the opening credits of Alien: Resurrection, this time as a lab-grown clone.

Ripley Returns In Alien: Resurrection

Right then and there, I was prepared to turn off the movie and spend the rest of my afternoon shaking my fist in the angry dome a la Professor Farnsworth. But as the film progressed and introduced Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, and Breaking Bad’s Raymond Cruz, I started falling in love with the ensemble and their mission to escape the military scientists’ vessel alive.

The look of the film grabbed me, too. The Xenomorphs in Alien: Resurrection look far superior to their counterparts in Alien 3. That complements their wicked cunning and shocking intelligence as they utilize their own acidic blood to break containment and traverse the ship.

Having been bred to incubate a Xenomorph queen embryo, clone Ripley, AKA Ripley 8, realizes that she’s got more genetically in common with the alien creatures than ever before. Her DNA is intrinsically tied to theirs, allowing her to develop some otherworldly powers that completely redefine her character. Unlike Alien 3, where Ripley becomes beholden to the protection of men, Alien: Resurrection allows her to regain her autonomy and become the biggest badass on the screen, even when Ron Perlman is present.

When she comes across a lab full of horribly deformed experiments that came before her, Ripley 8 puts them out of their misery by torching them the same way the OG Ripley did with the Xenomorph nest in the final act of Aliens. The whole scene felt like a cathartic way to express how I’d felt watching bad writers butcher her character in the previous outing. It was as though director Jean-Pierre Jeunet was burning the very concept of Alien 3 right in front of my eyes.

In Defense Of The Xenomoph Hybrid

Nearly thirty years after its release, there are now sequences where dated special effects don’t hold up. That doesn’t matter, because the writing from a young Joss Whedon does. Alien: Resurrection’s fresh ideas make it a cut above several other entrants in the franchise.

One of the largest criticisms levied at Alien: Resurrection centers on the hybrid newborn creature, which is aggressively disturbing. This creature is a cross between an alien queen and Ripley herself, taking on traits of a baby, a Xenomorph, and a Cronenbergian nightmare that cost the studio roughly $7 million to build.

The animatronic for the newborn required nine puppeteers to operate and was considered the most complex practical effect in cinema history at the time. The whole thing is weird, gross, and insane, but it works better than most audiences give it credit for.

Alien: Resurrection Is As Influential As The First Two Alien Movies

A modern rewatch reveals how many popular films of the early 2000s straight-up stole action scenes from this movie. With a fresh set of eyes, you could comfortably say that Alien: Resurrection is as influential as the first two films in the series, even if it doesn’t usually receive the same fanfare.

Whether you initially caught Alien: Resurrection back in 1997, or you’ve just never been compelled to check it out before, now seems like the right time to revisit the classic sci-fi sequel. Unfortunately, Alien: Resurrection isn’t currently available for free on any of the major streaming services, and can only be purchased through transactional video on demand. Still, it’s well worth the price of admission if you decide to rent or purchase it through Amazon Prime or YouTube.