We also watched “Alien3“, the movie that was intended to the the last of the “Alien” movies.

Once again Ripley wakes from her cryosleep to find that disaster awaits her. Or has already struck, for that matter. The ship she was on at the end of “Aliens” has malfunctioned, and a small emergency escape pod launches, carrying with it the ship’s passengers. This one crashes on a planet inhabited only by twenty five “double Y chromosome convicts” (apparently some kind of sexual offenders of the worst kind) and their two wards. This was once a real maximum security prison with 5000 inmates — a labour prison owned by the Company — but when the prison’s products became unprofitable, the prison was shut down. However, these twenty five men had embraced some kind of fundamentalist Christianity, and been granted leave to stay on the planet. They haven’t seen a woman in at least five years.

Into this mess, Ripley arrives, and with her, a stowaway or two. In other words, it doesn’t take long before the planet’s population count begins sinking.

So. Was this a good movie? I thought so. While far from great, its setting and plot distinguishes it from the boring original “Jaws in Space” plot of “Alien”, and I think the movie benefitted from this. This dull plot line is still moderately present, of course, but into the mix is thrown e.g. a bunch of manical murderers, religious fanatics, incompetent wards, and a remarkable absence of heavy weaponry. (”We’re on the honour system,” the prison’s superintendent explains to Ripley early in the movie.)

Also, there is something of an X-factor involved in the plot, making it extra interesting, as it makes Ripley “immune” to alien attacks. In addition, there’s only one alien in the movie, something which greatly reduces its “Jurassic Park” feel, as it in “Aliens” was quite easy to mistake the aliens for velociraptors.

Oh, and Ripley becomes harder and harder for each movie that passes. And while she’s rock hard in this one, she’s almost adamantium by the end of “Alien: Resurrection”. Which I’ll try to get around to reviewing in the next day or so.

All in all quite fun. Entirely on par with “Aliens”. 6.0/10.