Is Alien 3 Special Edition as much of a classic as Alien and Aliens?

[iain]

I personally love A3 so I voted yes.

[LastSurvivor92]

I personally love A3 so I voted yes.

Hell to the 'Yeah'! 

[SM]

Slip of the tongue. I usually find myself accidentally calling him Lt Andrews. Can't think why.

It's poor story telling, repeating the same info over and over.  All the stuff I mentioned happens entirely in the second half of the film.  Once a piece of information is delivered in a film it needs to be delivered to others who don't know, off screen, unless there's something new to add.

I would argue the "something new to add" is the reaction of the characters who are learning this information and all that follows. And they learn this in the second half of the movie because thats when the shit hits the fan and the clock starts ticking. The company are coming and Ripley has to win over the rag-tag bunch of crazies.

You can achieve that without airing the same info again; you just come into the scene at their reaction and the audience assume it's already been explained.

[Alien³]

That depends, it doesn't always work when dealing with characters who outwardly refuse to believe the information the main character is dishing out. Usually in situations like that the audience is bound to hear the same info a few times. I wouldn't chalk that off to bad storytelling though.

[SM]

I would with the sheer amount of repetition in the Alien 3 SE though.

The way it's cut down for the theatrical works fine.

[LastSurvivor92]

I would with the sheer amount of repetition in the Alien 3 SE though.

The way it's cut down for the theatrical works fine.

I'm really curious to know SM, what information relayed to the characters did you find intensely annoying?

[SM]

Having a scene where Ripley twigs that the Company wants the Alien from Bishop, then discusses the Company wanting it with Aaron, then we get the Permission Denied computer scene where we find out the Company want it, then Ripley talks to Dillon about how the Company want it, then Ripley argues with Aaron about the computer code because the Company wants it but Aaron doesn't believe her (despite having ample evidence), then Ripley has to explain to the prisoners that the Company want it, then Bishop II lies to Ripley about how the Company don't want it except they really do.

I said it was repetitive; I didn't say "intensely annoying".

[LastSurvivor92]

Having a scene where Ripley twigs that the Company wants the Alien from Bishop, then discusses the Company wanting it with Aaron, then we get the Permission Denied computer scene where we find out the Company want it, then Ripley talks to Dillon about how the Company want it, then Ripley argues with Aaron about the computer code because the Company wants it but Aaron doesn't believe her (despite having ample evidence), then Ripley has to explain to the prisoners that the Company want it, then Bishop II lies to Ripley about how the Company don't want it except they really do.

I said it was repetitive; I didn't say "intensely annoying".

Ok, I understand but what about the Special Edition do you find repetitive?

[SiL]

Few pages back:

The theatrical is the right amount to slow.  Having a scene where Ripley twigs that the Company wants the Alien from Bishop, then discusses the Company wanting it with Aaron, then we get the Permission Denied computer scene where we find out the Company want it, then Ripley talks to Dillon about how the Company want it, then Ripley argues with Aaron about the computer code because the Company wants it but Aaron doesn't believe her (despite having ample evidence), then Ripley has to explain to the prisoners that the Company want it, then Bishop II lies to Ripley about how the Company don't want it except they really do.

Amongst all this repetition is a bizarre scene where the prisoners swear at each in the Assembly Area then decide they'll go and swear at each other in the furnace instead.

Except Dillon who goes back to his cell on his own.

[SM]

Most of which was copied in the post he's quoting...

[LastSurvivor92]

Few pages back:

The theatrical is the right amount to slow.  Having a scene where Ripley twigs that the Company wants the Alien from Bishop, then discusses the Company wanting it with Aaron, then we get the Permission Denied computer scene where we find out the Company want it, then Ripley talks to Dillon about how the Company want it, then Ripley argues with Aaron about the computer code because the Company wants it but Aaron doesn't believe her (despite having ample evidence), then Ripley has to explain to the prisoners that the Company want it, then Bishop II lies to Ripley about how the Company don't want it except they really do.

Amongst all this repetition is a bizarre scene where the prisoners swear at each in the Assembly Area then decide they'll go and swear at each other in the furnace instead.

Except Dillon who goes back to his cell on his own.

Thats pure story building and character development. I don't see where it get's repetitious to be honest. 

[SM]

If the same info is imparted repeatedly, where is the development and story building? We're not learning anything new.  It's stagnant. It's a problem right the way through Alien 3. The audience is always ahead of Ripley.

[SiL]

Imagine having to sit through Ripley recounting the entire plot of Alien in Aliens ... then having Van Leuwen recapping immediately after. Sure, makes sense from a character perspective, but it's redundant storytelling.

[Scorpio]

Those are just nitpicks.  I never had a problem with those scenes.

[StrangeShape]

If the same info is imparted repeatedly, where is the development and story building? We're not learning anything new.  It's stagnant. It's a problem right the way through Alien 3. The audience is always ahead of Ripley.

In a lot fo movies, if not most, the audience is ahead of the main character, its not a bad thing, just a different narrative style. As far as the character development, the new scenes dont ad anything new, but underline the characters. Sure, in theatrical cut we already get a sense of who the characters are, what the feel of the colony is, what the prisoners are like, but theres always room for character moments, You can define the character, yes, but definition alone, although fine, is also well accented by "examples"

Imagine having to sit through Ripley recounting the entire plot of Alien in Aliens ... then having Van Leuwen recapping immediately after. Sure, makes sense from a character perspective, but it's redundant storytelling.

But thats not the way it is in Alien 3 AC, or at least its not noticeable. For example, I always wanted to know what Ripley told Clemens, and what Clemens told Andrews behind the close doors. It was curious to find out that he at least knew that she was a part of a military  unit that faced some major problems