| legeros.com > Movie Hell > 1997 > Reviews |
ALIEN: RESURRECTION is a mess. The fourth film in the series is easily the worst film in the series. No, it's not a total bomb-- Ms. Weaver is eminently watchable, the art direction is a winner, there's more humor to go around, and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN) has a great eye for the grotesque. If nothing else, there's certainly more goo, glop, and gore than in the first three films combined. (The opening scene details, in queasy close-up, the surgical removal of you know what from Ms. Weaver's cloned character's chest.) But is it exciting, suspense- ful, or even scary? No, not really. There's just too much going on, here. The various chases and fire-fights are so poorly inte- grated that even the best bits often cancel each other out. Then, there's the score, that telegraphs each and every boo before it happens. The finale is the worst, with a hybrid creature as likely to inspire giggles as gags. (Okay, the presence of Winona Ryder is pretty damn funny, too.) And can someone please explain the final scene? Why was everyone so happy after witnessing such huge and presumably devastating destruction? Game over, man. (Rated "R"/ 108 min.) Grade: C- Copyright 1997 Michael J. Legeros Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros
Originally posted to triangle.movies as MOVIE HELL: In Brief