Why do people hate Alien3?

[SpreadEagleBeagle]

You guys frustrate me to no end! Nitpicking everything about Alien 3, portraying and interpreting everything in the most negative way possible. Turning things upside down and changing your set of rules just to bash the poor movie, whereas Aliens can do no wrong. Everything is excused with Cameron-friendly explanations - forgive and forget. It's so biased.

Just speak your minds: Your love for Aliens have "blinded" you enough not to recognize an ambitious, unique and great movie when you see it. You didn't get Aliens 2. You got a movie going the opposite direction of Aliens (thank god for that!). So what? Instead you got a bold (...and bald) movie going to places few sci-fi movies have gone before. A beautiful poetic (...yet very gritty) movie with one of the most poignant and emotionally heavy endings I've seen in the genre (honestly, can you ask for a better ending for the Alien trilogy?). Sure, the movie is flawed (like the infamous mysterious egg) and had a lot of problems, but you really can't tell that by watching the movie. I just don't understand the hatred you people have for Alien 3. Sure, it might not be your kind of film, and it offed Cameron's characters, but why going out on a limb to discredit it?

I just don't get it.

[Inverse Effect]

Because any alien film that isn't direct by scott or cameron is going to get hate 

[OmegaZilla]

Yesss, that is the reason certain people don't like Alien3.

[Nero the Jackal]

Well i ain't blinded since i like alien 3 and i ain't obsessed with any of the alien films or movies in general but i am well aware of the alien 3 flaws and i know its mostly or completely down to the production problems and the studio, all in all its a salvageable and watch-able film and quite decent but inferior to the first two. Fans of aliens have more reasons to hate it as it killed off hicks and newt who the fans liked. Its better than A:R and the AVP films though in my opinion. People don't love aliens because it was directed by cameron, they love it for the story, action and the tense atmosphere, its a good film.

[StrangeShape]

Sure, the movie is flawed (like the infamous mysterious egg) and had a lot of problems, but you really can't tell that by watching the movie.

That I fully agree with, although I dont think it has A LOT of problems. I also agree its some nitpicking most of the time, then again I think any flaws or criticism regarding the first 3 movies is nitpicking because theyre such excellent stories. What I disagree with is that some people are blindly liking Aliens (I dont see it in this thread and their arguments deflecting criticism are pretty solid) and that anyone is really trying hard to discredit the movie. Im interested in this thread since personally i dont understand why people dislike the movie, as I myself dont see much to dislike it for and the issues are rather minor and unnoticeable if you go with the flow and focus on the story

[Inverse Effect]

Well Alien 3 is a damn good alien film really, and it's defently up there with Alien and Aliens. I pretty much can't find much to dislike about it. Hate is too stronger of a word. So i'm not going to say i hate things about Alien 3. Since i don't hate Alien 3. But for an example i dislike the fact that they killed off Hicks and Newt. But then again i heard a old rumor how sigourney weaver wanted the movie to herself.

[Game_Over_Man]

Alien 3 has my favourite score, and some of the best scenes EVER in movies! The autopsy of Newt is so beautifully shot. Sigourney (with her bloodshot contact lens) gives her best performance in the entire series.

I love the fact both Newt and Hicks were killed off. The tragedy of this loss is perfectly congruent with the REAL tone of the series - impending doom and annihilation from something we're not meant to understand! Aliens is fun, don't get me wrong, a great episode - but for sheer horror, both Alien and Alien3 nail it.

Finally, what really fascinates me is WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN with Alien 3. Vincent Ward's vision would have been one of the incredible sci-fi films of all time, right up there with Bladerunner, 2001 and the original Alien...had the studio been courageous enough!

[SM]

I just don't understand the hatred you people have for Alien 3. Sure, it might not be your kind of film, and it offed Cameron's characters, but why going out on a limb to discredit it?

I just don't get it.

56 pages of people saying why they don't like it - what's not to "get"?

It's writ large page after page.

[stephen]

And also if it truely was "the only way to be sure" Ripley afterwards doesn't seem all that concerned with anything.  She even screws the damn doctor.  To go from the autopsy and cremation to that was just wierd.

What does she have to be concerned about?

Why did she do the autopsy again?

I just don't buy the cremation scene or the need for it (plotwise). 

It sees off Newt and Hicks, while avoiding a deus ex machina at the end.

As I said, plotwise it doesn't make sense.

You guys frustrate me to no end! Nitpicking everything about Alien 3, portraying and interpreting everything in the most negative way possible. Turning things upside down and changing your set of rules just to bash the poor movie, whereas Aliens can do no wrong. Everything is excused with Cameron-friendly explanations - forgive and forget. It's so biased.

Dude - GET OVER IT.

I and many other people here have explained there reasons for not liking the movie (or parts of it).  It has nothing to do with Aliens - and I seem to recall that there is a thread criticising Aliens as well.  And what about any post or thread that has ever criticised Alien Resurrection, AVP or AVPR?

Just speak your minds: Your love for Aliens have "blinded" you

Your hatred of Aliens and Cameron have blinded you.

enough not to recognize an ambitious, unique and great movie when you see it.

Ambitious, perhaps.

Unique, maybe.

Great - in your opinion.

You didn't get Aliens 2. You got a movie going the opposite direction of Aliens (thank god for that!). So what?

This thread is what 57 pages long with many detailed explainations as to why people didn't like the film - you don't have to agree with them, but please stop telling us why we don't like it.  We've told you why we don't like it.

Instead you got a bold (...and bald) movie going to places few sci-fi movies have gone before.

Just because a movie is bold and just because a movie is doing or going places others haven't doesn't automatically make it a good film.

A beautiful poetic (...yet very gritty) movie with one of the most poignant and emotionally heavy endings I've seen in the genre

In your opinion - which your entitled too.

I and others disagree.

(honestly, can you ask for a better ending for the Alien trilogy?).

Yes.

Sure, the movie is flawed (like the infamous mysterious egg) and had a lot of problems, but you really can't tell that by watching the movie.

Yes I can.

I just don't understand the hatred you people have for Alien 3. Sure, it might not be your kind of film, and it offed Cameron's characters, but why going out on a limb to discredit it?

I don't hate the film.  I can watch it and enjoy it on a certain level.  I think it is beautifully shot - probably the most well shot movie in the series, and the score is fantastic.  I also think it has the scariest scene in any of the films - where the alien comes up to her just after killing clemens and snarls in her face - sends a shiver down my spine every time.

I just think the movie is seriously flawed, in my opinion thematically, scriptwise, plotwise, characterwise.  You don't have to agree with me but stop telling me why I don't like it.

I just don't get it.

If after 57 pages you still don't get it perhaps you never will.  You like the film. Fine.  I'm glad you like.

[SM]

And also if it truely was "the only way to be sure" Ripley afterwards doesn't seem all that concerned with anything.  She even screws the damn doctor.  To go from the autopsy and cremation to that was just wierd.

What does she have to be concerned about?

Why did she do the autopsy again?

I just don't buy the cremation scene or the need for it (plotwise). 

It sees off Newt and Hicks, while avoiding a deus ex machina at the end.

As I said, plotwise it doesn't make sense.

1) She does the autopsy and finds nothing.  The bodies are then destroyed.  Ergo she's convinced there's no Alien infestation.

2) Simply repeating what you said before doesn't actually change or add anything.  I explained why it fits plotwise.  And you can add to that the juxtaposition of Newt and Hicks death with the birth of the Alien.  It's all part of telling the story in a cinematic way.

[stephen]

And also if it truely was "the only way to be sure" Ripley afterwards doesn't seem all that concerned with anything.  She even screws the damn doctor.  To go from the autopsy and cremation to that was just wierd.

What does she have to be concerned about?

Why did she do the autopsy again?

I just don't buy the cremation scene or the need for it (plotwise). 

It sees off Newt and Hicks, while avoiding a deus ex machina at the end.

As I said, plotwise it doesn't make sense.

1) She does the autopsy and finds nothing.  The bodies are then destroyed.  Ergo she's convinced there's no Alien infestation.

2) Simply repeating what you said before doesn't actually change or add anything.  I explained why it fits plotwise.  And you can add to that the juxtaposition of Newt and Hicks death with the birth of the Alien.  It's all part of telling the story in a cinematic way.

1) But WHY cremate them?  as I said - she did the autopsy on newt and found nothing - there's no reason (plotwise) to do the cremation - certainly no reason for Ripley to INSIST on the cremation the way she does.  She seems awfully scared about there being an alien and thats why she does the autopsy (and finds nothing) and why she insists on a cremation?

2) I already said plotwise it doesn't make sense - but thematically (and to borrow your term cinematically) it kinda fits.

[SM]

It's as simple as 'being sure'.  Nothing more.

She found evidence of Alien interference, and while she's the resident living expert, her knowledge of the Aliens is limited and wanted nothing of them to spread (who knew what the acid might have continued to do to Hicks?) under the guise of the cholera story.  So she made sure.  That's all that's needed plotwise.

[stephen]

It's as simple as 'being sure'.  Nothing more.

She found evidence of Alien interference, and while she's the resident living expert, her knowledge of the Aliens is limited and wanted nothing of them to spread (who knew what the acid might have continued to do to Hicks?) under the guise of the cholera story.  So she made sure.  That's all that's needed plotwise.

I don't buy it.

[StrangeShape]

Heres where I personally dont really know an answer as to why the movie is disliked. Here are the most common arguments:

1. They killed Hicks and Newt
Thats a part of the story but doesnt make the movie a bad one. Sure, we bonded with the characters and didnt like the sight of them dying in a horrible crash, but thats part of the story and mood setter for this installment in the series. Plus, it presented a new challenge for Ripley, who lost everything twice by then and became completely drained.

2. Its too depressing
Again, it doesnt make a movie good or bad, it just a type of story. Depressing does not equal bad, nor does it equal good, its personal preference

3. faceless characters
I believe the characters that actually contribute to the story are fleshed out very well, which is a great accomplishment because theyre all bald and dressed the same way, yet its their personality that makes them distinctive. Morse, David, Golic, Dillon and on and on. The alien meat is faceless, but with so many prisoners why would we want everyone fleshed out?

4. magic egg
Lets not kid ourselves, the egg is there cause the movie needed an alien. As to how it got there or why in such position or where it was, look- its a movie, I know the first two took a great care in details but its no crime at all to take some cinematic liberties for storytelling purposes

[QuantumSheep]

3. faceless characters
I believe the characters that actually contribute to the story are fleshed out very well, which is a great accomplishment because theyre all bald and dressed the same way, yet its their personality that makes them distinctive. Morse, David, Golic, Dillon and on and on. The alien meat is faceless, but with so many prisoners why would we want everyone fleshed out?

In a movie like this, there are always going to be characters there just to fill in the numbers and are more or less there to get killed off. Happens in a lot of films, good and bad.