Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Talk about the oddball sequel in a series that didn't exactly end on a high note...

But to be fair: 'Alien 3' could have been better. But what's even stranger is that it felt like a bookend to the series. Ellen Ripley sacrificed herself, the last of the known xenomorphs was dead. Where could the story possibly go from there?

Well, to 'Resurrection', apparently. Some 200 years after Ellen Ripley died on Fiorina 161, scientists have cloned her in order to remove the xenomorph queen.

Don't get me started on how cloning someone with a parasite inside of her also clones the parasite. I don't know, science doesn't know and this film certainly doesn't know. Just go with it for now.

The operation is successful and now the United Systems Military wants to - of course - weaponize the aliens. Weyland/Yutani is out of the picture and replaced by something rather bland. Meanwhile, some space pirates drop off cryotubes with colonists, because facehuggers have got to hug something. Ripley is kept alive, but somehow her DNA got mixed up with that of the alien queen and now she is something of a hybrid.

Again: don't ask me how that works. Science doesn't know and this film certainly doesn't know.

Of course, it doesn't take long before the xenomorphs are loose and now this small band has to escape to their ship before it crashlands on Earth.

Right off the bat: the story of this one is atrocious. It's a ridiculous by the numbers plot that in no way, shape or form is engaging. And to make it worse: you couldn't give two shits about any of the characters. Sigourney Weaver is great, but she always is, because she's that damn good. She could act out the phone book and still be engaging, and her character is sort of new and different, which is good. But everyone else? Meh.

What also caught a lot of people off guard, is the humour and tone of this one. 'Resurrection' is filled with jokes and a weird atmosphere. Not surprising, seeing as they hired Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the French director of films like 'Delicatessen' and 'Amélie Poulain'. If you know that and have seen those films, you'll recognize his touch right away. It's different, but it's his own. The only question is whether it was a good idea to use that for an Alien-film. The jury is still out on that one, but it makes for interesting viewing, to say the least. Some of this off-kilter humour can be found when Brad Dourif sort of tries to kiss a xenomorph through glass. It's fascinating, but bizarre.

If you're looking for tension, don' bother. There is none. Occasionally aliens show up and then disappear again. There really is no iota of suspense.

What this film does have going for it, is its look and design. The ship and environments look gorgeous, all in hues of gold and brown, but not as bland as that colourscheme would suggest. Most shots are pure eyecandy. Props to the designers and builders for a job excellently done.

Three scenes or things stand out though. The scene where Ripley discovers her previous clones is truly gripping. There's hardly any dialogue, but Sigourney Weaver shows her skills to the full here. The underwater scene is cool, because somehow xenomorphs under water make a lot of sense and I myself am rather partial to the alien baby.

Yes, that sounds weird, I know.

The designed it in reverse to Ripley. Whereas Ripley looks human and just has a few alien-esque traits, such as acidic blood and brown fingernails/claws, this hybrid is what you would get if an alien became more human. It is both repulsive and endearing (when you see it's big eyes from the front). I know it gets a lot of flack, but I can't help but like it. It was a bold choice and I applaud them for making it.

But is 'Alien: Resurrection' a good film? Unfortunately, no. It is rather dull most of the time, and there really is no investment in any of the characters. The jokes are funny the first time, but they don't hold up on repeated viewing.

The film looks great, though.