3 never impacted me the same way as it did others who waited the six years for it to come out.
Because when Aliens was released I was 1 and when Alien 3 was released I was 7. So I had to wait another three or so years to watch any of the series, and when I did it was without that wait that people who watched Aliens in theaters had to endure.
So I started with the 2nd movie, immediately took it back to Kroger and got Alien 3............but this was the era of vhs rentals......and they didn't have Alien because somebody rented it and moved away (essentially stealing it). So I think I had to wait another half year after watching those two for somebody to buy the original for my birthday.
I remember being disappointed that Hicks and Newt were killed in such an offhand manner, BUT, I recall that it also felt very real world esque, where people die at random all the time. I'm sure people driving home at night killed by a drunk driver's family feel that they didn't get a just death either. And I didn't have the half decade of love built up for the characters that many others had.
I can certainly understand their anger at the issue, and don't blame anybody for feeling that way. Just as I understand the real world feel of Hicks and Newts deaths not being good enough in fiction which isn't always written to be real world (and in reality I know its just lazy writing to get rid of two characters that have no place in the story).
That said, Alien 3 has grown into an 8/10 movie for me.......just like Aliens has fallen to an 8/10. Ultimately I think I give Aliens the nod over 3 just because it was a more influential world builder, but that is essentially the only reason. Alien remains the series apex for me.
