Alien 3 (1992): Ripley’s Prison Break
1992 • David Fincher • 2.35:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
The third instalment of the Alien franchise, directed by David Fincher, begins soon after the ending of Aliens. When her spacecraft crash-lands on a remote prison planet, Ripley learns that she is the sole survivor and discovers that an alien organism has arrived with her. Trapped within a colony inhabited by isolated inmates, she must confront the creature despite having no access to weapons or advanced technology.
This was Fincher’s feature debut, but he later distanced himself from the theatrical version, having quickly lost control of his film. There were multiple scripts and rewrites during filming. The story shifts direction radically in terms of both tone and substance after James Cameron’s action blockbuster. Instead, it’s an industrial gothic slasher film full of labyrinthine corridors, furnace chambers, and ventilation shafts.
Visually, it’s dirty and oppressive, painted in rust tones and shrouded in shadows. There is a slow, atmospheric build-up, punctuated by sudden bursts of chaotic action. Like Ripley herself, the film is emotionally detached and exhausted by its fatalism. It’s no surprise that Alien 3 is still one of the most divisive films in the series today.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: After crash-landing on a remote prison planet, Ripley finds herself once again facing a deadly xenomorph, this time without weapons, allies, or hope, as she uncovers a horrifying secret inside her own body. Read my review of Alien 3.
- Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Paul McGann, Brian Glover, Ralph Brown, Lance Henriksen.
- Director: David Fincher
- Year: 1992
- Cinematographer: Alex Thomson
- Origin: American Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Genre: Sci-Fi / Horror
