ALIEN RESURRECTION

"Yes - Jeunet’s distinctive style is showcased to advantage with arresting effects, bold direction and a strong lead performance. The dark, dank journey is filled with dark, edgy thrills. Certainly not for the faint-hearted, the plot premise is imaginative, embracing great leaps in advanced technology to change the totality of Ripley’s character into a more complex and unpredictable one. While this in itself is fascinating and brings its own rewards, the change in character lessens the emotional impact, making the film less engaging that its predecessors, despite its entertainment value. Sigourney Weaver is bold and forthright, every bit the monster’s mother. Her inner conflict is effectively gauged, while the bond formed with Call (Winona Ryder is appealing in the role) has a good dynamic. The use of very tight close ups creates an almost surreal feeling, while the camera effects dazzle, the dark-edged music score heightens our senses and the underwater scene thrills. Alien Resurrection is a visual feast of motion, colour, thrills, action and music, which allow our imagination to run wild, with a spine tingling mixture of horror and fascination."
Louise Keller

"Sequels are Hollywood's regrettable recipe for assured success, but enough is enough with certain films. One would have thought after the dismal failure of the third in the franchise, they would have stopped, but no, given countless failures by Fox of late, a fourth in the slimy creature feature series must have been irresistible. While a considerable improvement on its predecessor, Alien Resurrection remains a glorified chase movie with a few one liners to give it an extra bit of punch. But it's a chase movie just the same. So we're on a derelict space ship this time, with over-zealous aliens after the silly humans who, if they'd bothered to have seen any of the other movies, would have thought twice before bothering the creatures. Pumped up Weaver is in strong form as the now deceased but cloned Ripley, and she remains a dynamic presence on screen. Winona Ryder, however, is way out of her element, and is positively dull beyond belief and monotonic. Alien Resurrection has some fun moments, and visually, it's exciting to watch, but it's a matter of been there, done that - and far better. This is one group of aliens that by now, should have remained out of sight and in another world."
Paul Fischer