Like most people, I planned for an entire Alien series rewatch in anticipation of last month’s Fede Alvarez-helmed Alien: Romulus. Alien remains a classic, and while I’m befuddled by the tepid contemporary assessment of Aliens (it’s always been just as good as Ridley Scott’s classic), the biggest surprise was Alien 3. I’d always liked it, but maybe it’s because I’m older now, it hit like the USCSS Nostromo. David Fincher’s threequel is profoundly spiritual and shattering at its core, an indelible capstone to Ellen Ripley’s narrative arc. I kind of love it. While the film has always been a cult oddity but never a favorite among those involved, it was nice to hear Sigourney Weaver herself share some kind words about it recently.
Per Hulu: Sigourney Weaver battles another alien predator after her spacecraft crash-lands on a remote prison planet.
In an interview with Deadline, Weaver was invited to touch on the entirety of her career, so of course, that meant plenty of gooey Xenomorph talk. Weaver fondly remembers Ripley as a sort of “everyman” character, no doubt accounting for how long the original film has endured, and of the four different directors she’s worked with across the franchise, she shared, “I can say that all four of the Alien filmmakers I worked with [Scott, Cameron, David Fincher and Jean-Pierre Jeunet] all made the material their own.” It’s her comments on Fincher’s Alien 3 that resonate the most.
Behind-the-Scenes Woes and Studio Interference
She’s questioned about the film’s behind-the-scene woes and the conception that, among the first four at least, Alien 3 is widely considered the weakest. She remarks of the time, “That was a transition moment when studios stopped being about ‘let’s make great films’ and started being about ‘let’s not lose money.’” Fincher, for his part, has all but disowned Alien 3, citing repeated studio interference, and Ripley calls the studio’s decision to not support him “idiotic.”
Sigourney Weaver's Defense of Alien 3
Still, Weaver remembers Alien 3 fondly. She shared of Fincher, “I loved working with him, and I think we made a good film. I’m glad he got a chance to do his version. It was a great ensemble.” Given how regularly Alien 3 is assessed as the black sheep (xenomorph) of the franchise, it’s great to hear someone involved give it the praise it deserves. While Fincher was constrained, his gothic, searing finale to Ripley’s arc has only gotten better with age. It’s a profoundly moving motion picture hidden inside a monster movie, and if it’s been some time, I actively encourage you to revisit it when you can.
A Second Look at a Controversial Classic
What do you think? Where does Alien 3 fall in the franchise ranking for you? For me, it’s third to only the first two. Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins
