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Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Winona
Ryder, Ron Perlman, Dan Hedaya, J.E. Freeman, Brad Dourif, Michael Wincott,
Leland Orser, Dominique Pinon, Raymond Cruz, Gary Dourdan, and Kim Flowers
Writer: Joss Whedon
Based On Characters Created By:
Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shussett
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
1997 Theatrical Version Feature
Length: 109 minutes
2003 Special Edition Feature
Length: 116 minutes
Extras: Introduction By Director
Jean Pierre Jeunet, Audio Commentary With Director Jean Pierre Jeunet, Herve
Schneid, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Sylvain Despretz, Ron Perlman, Dominique
Pinon, and Leland Orser, First Draft Of Screenplay By Joss Whedon, “One Step
Beyond: The Making Of Alien Resurrection” 11-Part Documentary, Multi-Angle
Rehearsal Footage, Photo and Storyboard Still Galleries
Languages: English DTS Digital 5.1
Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Spanish Language
Dolby Surround Sound
Subtitles: English Captions and
Closed Captions and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging: Nine-Disc Digipack
Gatefold Within A Glossy Cardboard Slipcase
1997 Theatrical Version Chapter
Stops: 28
2003 Special Edition Chapter
Stops: 32
Sound: DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical
Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and Dolby Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical Release: 1997/DVD
Release: 2003
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth
Century Fox
Home Video Distributor: Twentieth
Century Fox Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
200 years have past since Ellen
Ripley sacrificed her life on Fiorina 161 to prevent her former employer the
Weyland-Yutani Corporation from obtaining a live sample of the alien queen
gestating inside of her. However blood samples kept on ice from the abandoned
installation were recovered and now through the miracle of cloning and seven
failed attempts before, Ripley and the alien queen are both alive and well
aboard the United Systems Military Vessel Auriga.
While much has changed over the last two centuries, like the buyout of the once
powerful company Ripley worked for, the greed behind misguided scientists and
military men who think the creature can be harnessed into various urban
pacification and medical purposes has not changed. Ripley and the aliens her
clone has made possible are different too. Somehow the genetic splicing between
the species has yielded enhanced strength and a fleeting memory of her past life
in Ripley’s mind. She also has acidic blood and a mental bond with the
creatures, which makes her loyalties questionable at best. The aliens appear
more intelligent and cunning. They seem to have a greater understanding of how
human technology works, and now behave in a far more premeditated fashion than
their predecessors. However all of this is a prelude to a continuing mutation in
the genetic evolution of the alien species. The queen’s ability to
self-reproduce without the need of a host and the creation of the hideous
newborn alien/human hybrid, which is the antithesis to the Ripley Clone #8,
prompts Ripley to assist a motley group of smugglers and surviving military
personnel off the ship bound for Earth.
Elements of the journey through
the Auriga to the smugglers’ vessel
the Betty is reminiscent of
1970s disaster films complete with a memorable sequence where the survivors must
swim their way through a flooded cafeteria to reach a critical juncture on their
quest to escape with the aliens providing a few surprises along the way. A lot
of people hate the look of the newborn alien and frankly I’m not fond of it
either, but as long as we never have to see it again, I can look past it.
However some of the dialogue in “Alien Resurrection” is nothing short of
ridiculous. I think Sigourney Weaver in particular has some of the stupidest
lines in the film whenever they try to inject some humor into her character. It
is nice to see a more morally ambiguous Ripley and when Weaver explores her
duplicitous relationship with the creatures, it makes her character far more
interesting. Yet a few scenes later she’ll come up with lines like “Who do I
have to fuck to get off this ship?” that seem like forced attempts at humor to
lighten up the scene when it is not necessary. Jeunet’s directing style offers
a more sensible humorous view of the predicament through the action. In
particular I like the opening scene in the “Special Edition” because it
catches the viewer a bit off guard with a visual gag that I think both sets the
tone for things to come in the film as well as pays homage to the quirky dark
fantasy films like “City Of Lost Children” and “Delicatessen” that got
Jeunet the job in the first place.
In fact after watching the
“Special Editions” for “Aliens,” “Alien 3,” and “Alien
Resurrection” I can honestly say I prefer these alternate versions over their
theatrical counterparts, but I also am glad to have the theatrical versions
present within the set as well. For “Alien” I still prefer the 1979
theatrical version to the 2003 Director’s Cut, but again I’m glad to have
both. Like the previous films in the set, both versions of “Alien
Resurrection” look excellent with a sharp picture quality that truly has to be
seen to be believed. While “Alien 3” had a sepia tone throughout the
majority of the film in part because of the brown sets and whatnot, “Alien
Resurrection” has a military green look to it so the aliens reflect that color
scheme somewhat, which is appropriate since I think the creatures do have an
ability blend in somewhat with their environment, particularly where there is
lots of industrial equipment or machinery in place. Both versions of “Alien
Resurrection” are presented in a THX certified anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1)
aspect ratio with the THX Optimizer® program included for picture and sound
calibration. Like “Alien,” an English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround
Soundtrack is included along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Soundtrack. Both options serve the film quite well in part because the film is
the most recent of the four, however the DTS track definitely has a higher
fidelity and a more aggressive quality. Both soundtracks provide a nice discrete
use of the speaker channels to create an engaging home theater experience.
A Spanish Language Dolby Surround Soundtrack is included along with
English Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and Spanish
Language Subtitles as options. One cannot switch between soundtracks and
subtitles while the film is in progress by using their remote control. Instead
one has to return to the menus in order to make any changes.
Director Jean Pierre Jeunet, Herve
Schneid, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Sylvain Despretz, Actors Ron Perlman,
Dominique Pinon, and Leland Orser provide a feature length audio commentary for
both presentations that is not as interesting as the previous commentaries in my
opinion, but still it is worth listening to. Of the four productions, it appears
that “Alien Resurrection” was the easiest shoot for all involved and it was
the only one not to be filmed in England. The deleted alternate and extended
scenes can be viewed individually in a submenu in the theatrical version section
and are detailed as “New Opening Sequence” (3:25), “Rude Awakenings”
(2:04), “Ripley Remembers” (1:56), “Cafeteria Scene” (2:57), “Vriess
Joke/Johner Picks On Vriess And Call” (4:22), “The General’s Quarters”
(2:35), “What’s Inside Purvis Parts One And Two” (4:39), “Disposable
Weapons” (2:01), “Interior Chapel Parts One And Two” (6:14), and “A New
Ending” (1:59), where we actually see the Betty
safely land on Earth to behold a post apocalyptic Paris. Jeunet also provides a
brief introduction (: 48) before the “Special Edition” where he stresses
that this is not a “Director’s Cut,” but merely a version that contains
elements that he could not complete due to budget considerations for the
theatrical release. He considers the theatrical version to be his
“Director’s Cut.”
Disc eight contains the 11-part
documentary “One Step Beyond: The Making Of Alien Resurrection,” which can
be watched as a whole or in individual parts. The documentaries contain a
combination of new interview clips along with interviews taped during the
production and are detailed as “From The Ashes – Reviving The Story”,
“French Twist – Direction And Design”, “Under The Skin – Casting And
Characters”, “Death From Below – Underwater Photography”, “In The Zone
– Basketball Scene”, “Unnatural Mutation – Creature Design”,
“Genetic Mutation – Creature Design”, “Genetic Composition – A Listen
To the Music”, “Virtual Alien – Computer Generated Imagery”, “A Matter
Of Scale – Miniature Photography”, and “Critical Junction – A Reaction
To The Film” where at the end various people involved with the series share
what should be done if a fifth “Alien” film is ever produced. I have a few
ideas too and even a cool title, but since ideas are not copyrightable I’m
keeping them to myself.
The complete first draft
screenplay by Joss Whedon for “Alien Resurrection” can be read onscreen for
both set top and computer users and there are several art galleries that can be
viewed individually or in succession as well as storyboard galleries and
production, effects, and promotional still photo galleries. A multi-angle and
multi-audio pre-visualization examination that allows the viewer with their
remote to switch between storyboards, rehearsal footage, and completed filmed
scenes as well as rehearsal audio and completed theatrical audio tracks for
comparison.
The menus detail the “Alien
Warrior” for discs seven and eight and are easy to navigate. “Alien
Resurrection: 1997 Theatrical Version/2003 Special Edition” will be available
as a separate two-disc “Collector’s Edition” DVD set in January of 2004
and is also a part of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s nine-disc
“Alien Quadrilogy” DVD box set, which will debut at retailers on and offline
on Tuesday, December 2, 2003.
© Copyright 2003 By Mark A.
Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
Return To The DVD
Review Of “Alien 3” On Discs 5 And 6
Continue On To My Review Of The "Alien Quadrilogy Bonus DVD" On Disc 9
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