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Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Paul McGann, Brian Glover ... see more see more... , Ralph Brown , Daniel Webb , Christopher John Fields , Holt McCallany , Lance Henriksen , Niall Buggy , Carl Chase , Philip Davis , Clive Mantle , Pete Postlethwaite , Chloe Webb , Leon Herbert , Vincenzo Nicoli , Peter Guinness , Danny Webb

Crash landing on a barren penal-colony planet with an unwelcomed visitor in tow, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) contends with a group of hardened convicts while using nothing but her wits to battle a terri... read more read more...fying new breed of alien. The sole survivor of her crashed escape pod, Ripley is rescued from the craft by the remaining inhabitants of Fiorina 161, a group of rapists and murders who chose to repent for their sins in deep space after the penal colony was officially decommissioned. When remaining warden Andrews (Brian Glover) announces Ripley's presence to the inmates, their spiritual leader, Dillon (Charles S. Dutton), begins to fear that her presence will stir up trouble. As a result, Ripley is placed in the care of prison doctor Clemens (Charles Dance), and restricted to the infirmary until a rescue ship arrives. But Ripley isn't the only new visitor on Fiorina 161; an alien stowaway survived the crash as well, and it has planted its seed in a feral dog. Before long, a new breed of alien has burst from the dog's chest, a stealthy hunter that moves on all fours and can navigate the darkened prison corridors virtually undetected. When the inmates start to disappear, the remaining survivors must fight for their lives without weapons to defend themselves. The only person who knows the alien well enough to beat it is Ripley, and while her plan to corner and kill the creature just might work, a horrifying discovery reveals that her fight is far from over. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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55% liked it

311,513 ratings

Critics

40% liked it

42 critics

R, 1 hr. 54 min.

Directed by: David Fincher

Release Date: January 1, 1992

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DVD Release Date: June 1, 1999

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Stats: 10,616 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (10,616)

  • phubbs1
    May 6, 2012
    phubbs1
    Great look, gorgeous alien design, the movie grows on you, despite the problems this flick has grown to become just as popular as the first two films, almost a cult amongst the franchise. The brown/orange metallic hues in the set design, the vast barren wastes of the planet, the ... read morecold empty foreboding sets of the facility and the dark earthy gritty feel of the film really appeal to me and makes the film stand out on its own.

    Only down side to this film these days is the very obvious use of bluescreen and stop motion models for the alien, does tend to stick out like a sore thumb I'm afraid but it still works.

    Another great cast roster just like the first two (although you lose track of some characters) and a really hard hitting emotional plot make this a very unique animal in all the right ways, the ending is heart breaking just like the revelations of 'Newt' and 'Hicks', powerful and masterfully created by Fincher, kudos.
  • Saxia
    April 26, 2012
    Saxia
    The animated special effects were a joke. Why not stick with something that works? The "love-interest" was totally unnecessary, WHY?
    Ripley still kicks ass. Sigourney officially made it on to my favorite 'bad-ass-women-list'.
  • FilmFanatik
    February 29, 2012
    FilmFanatik
    As a fan of this series, I'll fully admit that this was the first Alien film I ever saw. I didn't find it all that scary at the time (I think was about 10 or 11) but I was fascinated by it. Who knew that David Fincher would go on to be such a fantastic filmmaker? It's just too ba... read mored his first film out was a misstep, one that he since has had absolutely nothing to do with. Alien 3 is infamous for being the worst film in the Alien series, but I don't think that's very fair. In my honest opinion, I believe that not only was the original story the wrong direction to take and that both Vincent Ward AND David Fincer were completely wrong for it, I think what David did with it under the circumstances is remarkable. If you look at the film on its own and try to ignore the films that came before or after it (a very difficult thing to do), then Alien 3 is a perfectly acceptable film. I've actually grown very fond of the 2003 Special Edition cut of the movie, which makes a little more sense as a story. There's some fantastic camera and lighting work as well as some great performances from a variety of different theatre actors, but as James Cameron put it, it's a slap in the face to fans of the previous films. It's a shame that this movie happened... that it was drawn up and executed the way it was, but we have to live with it. So I'll just try and look at the film on its own merits and forget that it's the third sequel to one of my all-time favorite films. Again, that's a difficult thing to do, but it's the only way I know how to cope with it.
  • garyX
    February 22, 2012
    garyX
    When an alien presence causes the Sulaco to eject the cryo tube chamber, it crash lands on a obscure technologically backward all-male prison colony. The third alien film was not particularly well received at the time, most citing David Fincher's inexperience as a feature directo... read morer as prime culprit. It does on occasion resemble his music video heritage, but it also has some of the very stylish and atmospheric visuals that would become his trademark. It's true it does not measure up to the earlier films, but not much does. It has some interesting ideas, namely the evolution of a different kind of alien according to its specific host, and the fact that it will not attack an organism hosting an embryo. Sigourney Weaver is as always a strong and human protagonist while there is solid support from Charles S. Dutton who dominates the screen whenever he appears, but the best supporting character is Charles Dance's medical officer. Unfortunately he is disposed of too quickly and the last half of the film suffers for the fact. The effects have also fared worst of all the Alien films because of the early use of CGI and some studio butchery has left the middle section feeling incoherent and incomplete. The special edition rectifies this as the original plan to capture the alien makes a lot more sense and we see more of prisoner Gollic, but the pacing is not as tight and it it loses the alien birth/cremation scene which is probably the best in the entire film. As a whole, taken on its own merits, it is a stylish and well made sci-fi horror with a Gothic spin that deserved a fairer shake than it got.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    September 21, 2011
    FiLmCrAzY
    I actually preferred this Alien movie to the first two, which is a shock considering the high percentage of the first to movies.
    Although the storyline is very much the same just set on a different planet with a different cast once again, i very much enjoyed this movie!
    It was ... read morefunny with some familiar faces that i enjoyed watching, alot funnier and i thought a bit more intense compared to the first two.
    I think if your a huge fan of the first two then you probably will think this is the worst of the ongoing franchise.
    Its still certainly worth a watch!
  • fb1683224644
    August 5, 2011
    fb1683224644
    I've heard that this movie had a bad reputation, but I had to know for sure. Turns out it shouldn't have been a bad movie. Its just not the blockbuster that Aliens was. I'll admit the original version was bad, but the director's cut of Alien 3 is powerful, haunting and intelligen... read moret. But why is the director's cut so much better? It turns out that there are 30 more minutes of footage included. Did I mention that virtually all of what allows this movie to make sense is in those scenes? And all of the emotion? This film is a fitting end to Ripley's saga.
  • sergioogarcia
    June 27, 2011
    sergioogarcia
    Why better than Alien? Because it's the perfect ending of the saga. It might look repetitive but the idea of putting Ripley within a maximum security prision where no women is allowed is enough scary to keep you on the edge of your chair. Now, add an alien half Rotwailler. Jeez! ... read moreBishop come back for a few secs. I liked that!
  • fb535316333
    May 26, 2011
    fb535316333
    Returns to the roots of the original as a suspense/tension building thriller. This was by no means a bad movie, just pales in comparison to it's predecessors. Unfortunate since the premise and first half of the film felt quite promising, but things soon dwindled and a disappointi... read moreng climax, poor suspense, ruins the experience.

    This movie also needed some likeable characters, all these undeveloped half-wit convicts hanging around Ripley did nothing for us.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    May 11, 2011
    StarCrossedVoyager
    Wasn't as good as the last one as it had no weaponds but the story and twists were good. BALD!
  • blacksheepboy
    March 16, 2011
    blacksheepboy
    Frustrating and poorly made, this third chapter has an intriguing beginning, but the development lacks the unbearable tension of the first film and the unstoppable action of the second one. The final act is like a tiresome slasher movie, while the CGI of the creature is atrocious.

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Critic Reviews

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Alien 3 belongs to that branch of fantasy comics, best exemplified by the Road Warrior movies, in which the iron and space ages meet for dizzy results. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Bold and haunting

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Barely watchable and not especially enjoyable. Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Ironically, Alien 3 is not a bad movie. In fact -- here's the rub -- it's too interesting to make an exciting summer flick. Full Review

John Hartl
January 1, 2000
John Hartl, Film.com

May satisfy fans of the earlier films ... but it won't win any new converts.

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

There are a few narrative twists, but not enough new ideas to keep us guessing. In the end, we're stuck running through air shafts and corridors again. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
January 1, 1800
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

A grimly seductive end-of-the-world thriller, with pop-tragic overtones that build in resonance as the movie goes on. Full Review

Brian Orndorf
May 21, 2012
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com

I recognize the film fandom fury that comes with such a drastic continuation, yet there's a big brown world of unusual cinematic risk here to consume. Alien 3 remains such a potent, mesmerizing force ... Full Review

Tim Brayton
May 2, 2011
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

Too conceptually disjointed to live in the imagination after it's over, like its predecessors. Full Review

R. L. Shaffer
October 30, 2010
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD

It's a shame that Alien 3 nearly ruined the [Alien] franchise, but that doesn't make it a bad movie, just a bad sequel. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Bishop II: Hi Ripley I like your hair cut.
  • 3 Times the Suspense.
    3 Times the Danger.
    3 Times the Terror.
  • This time it's hiding in the most terrifying place of all.
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  • In no particular order, who are the composers for Alien, Aliens, Alien3 and Alien: Resurrection ?  Answer »
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  • In what movie does Lt. Ellen Ripley crash land on a prison planet?  Answer »
  • In the Directors cut of Alien3, what animal does the Alien burst out of?  Answer »
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