Aliens vs. Alien 3

[426Buddy]

I've always enjoyed A3, even back when it was released. Some amazing cinematography, sets, and the moody tone is on point. Some great character actors and a great performance from Weaver. Also I never had an issue with killing off Hicks and Newt.

However I'll never consider it as some kind of misunderstood or unappreciated masterpiece of cinema. It's flaws are not minor. The film is a real mess... even if its a beautiful mess.

[PsyKore]

The killing of Hicks and Newt probably depends on an individuals outlook. Their deaths can be considered callous and could be written better (something I don't disagree with, honestly), but on the other hand it does kinda suit the Alien series well in the sense that it is more grounded and tends to imitate the unjust nature of real life in many ways. And all the Alien films do this, it's just that Alien 3 shoves it in your face right at the start.

[NecronomIV]

The killing of Hicks and Newt probably depends on an individuals outlook. Their deaths can be considered callous and could be written better (something I don't disagree with, honestly), but on the other hand it does kinda suit the Alien series well in the sense that it is more grounded and tends to imitate the unjust nature of real life in many ways. And all the Alien films do this, it's just that Alien 3 shoves it in your face right at the start.

Interesting. Thinking about the deaths of Hicks and Newt, I realise the reason I really don't much like it is that it doesn't feel like it happened because of anything to do with the requirements of the ongoing story.

It feels less like it's the cruel, unfeeling ALIEN universe at play, than a capricious decision taken by management looking at a spreadsheet. I picture a suit chewing a cigar and saying "lose the kid and the marine".

Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but that's the feeling I get.

[BlueMarsalis79]

To me it's quite obviously both I don't think the tone works with them.

[Local Trouble]

The killing of Hicks and Newt probably depends on an individuals outlook. Their deaths can be considered callous and could be written better (something I don't disagree with, honestly), but on the other hand it does kinda suit the Alien series well in the sense that it is more grounded and tends to imitate the unjust nature of real life in many ways. And all the Alien films do this, it's just that Alien 3 shoves it in your face right at the start.

Interesting. Thinking about the deaths of Hicks and Newt, I realise the reason I really don't much like it is that it doesn't feel like it happened because of anything to do with the requirements of the ongoing story.

It feels less like it's the cruel, unfeeling ALIEN universe at play, than a capricious decision taken by management looking at a spreadsheet. I picture a suit chewing a cigar and saying "lose the kid and the marine".

Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but that's the feeling I get.

Hell, they could have given each cryotube its own personal escape pod and written the story so that only Ripley's crashed on Fury while the others didn't.

No Hicks.  No Newt.  No pointless deaths.  Ripley gets her solo adventure.  Mission accomplished.

[SM]

The killing of Hicks and Newt probably depends on an individuals outlook. Their deaths can be considered callous and could be written better (something I don't disagree with, honestly), but on the other hand it does kinda suit the Alien series well in the sense that it is more grounded and tends to imitate the unjust nature of real life in many ways. And all the Alien films do this, it's just that Alien 3 shoves it in your face right at the start.

Interesting. Thinking about the deaths of Hicks and Newt, I realise the reason I really don't much like it is that it doesn't feel like it happened because of anything to do with the requirements of the ongoing story.

It feels less like it's the cruel, unfeeling ALIEN universe at play, than a capricious decision taken by management looking at a spreadsheet. I picture a suit chewing a cigar and saying "lose the kid and the marine".

Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but that's the feeling I get.

It was Vincent Ward.  I don't know if he smokes cigars.

[BigDaddyJohn]

Ward's script was insane. In the best way possible 

[BlueMarsalis79]

A solo adventure constantly undercut by "what happened to them" because the actors had stopped acting,  or at best you might get a poor legacy sequel in a few years with recasting, some tonally incongruous passing of the torch shit? (Also all the alternate versions over the years being mediocre at best.)

[Neila]

The studio made countless stupid decisions during the making of Alien 3 and in the end the only thing that mattered was the release date.
But I think that despite its weaknesses, Alien 3 is still a good film and deserves its permanent place in the Alien universe.
I also think it's a real shame that there isn't a making of book for Alien3 by J.W. Rinzler.

The reason is clearly that Alien 3 is not that popular and is generally considered a problem case.
From a financial perspective, however, it was not a flop and, according to David Giler, was just as successful as the first two parts.

[SM]

It was neither financially nor critically successful as the first two on terms of return on investment.

[SiL]

Alien³ was twice as good as it should've been and less than half as good as it could've been.

[BigDaddyJohn]

From a financial perspective, however, it was not a flop and, according to David Giler, was just as successful as the first two parts.

I'm not sure where you saw that, but it's really far from Alien and Aliens box office numbers.

[SiL]

From a financial perspective, however, it was not a flop and, according to David Giler, was just as successful as the first two parts.

I'm not sure where you saw that, but it's really far from Alien and Aliens box office numbers.

Only domestically. It made more than both internationally, not adjusted for inflation, but did better overseas than domestically and cost more than both combined.

[Neila]

From a financial perspective, however, it was not a flop and, according to David Giler, was just as successful as the first two parts.

I'm not sure where you saw that, but it's really far from Alien and Aliens box office numbers.

Only domestically. It made more than both internationally, not adjusted for inflation, but did better overseas than domestically and cost more than both combined.

I was just repeating what David Giler said in the Making of Alien 3 in the Quadrilogy Box

[BigDaddyJohn]

Ok I didn't see that, might give it a watch.