Alien: Resurrection - More Ooze, Less Aaahs by Homer Yen (c) 1997
Will moviegoers ever get enough of these space creatures whose best attributes are showing off their exceptionally sharp teeth and oozing slime? Not yet, it seems. But that's ok, because this fourth installment shows signs of life, and once again brings to us the macho Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and pits her against those familiar goo-dripping, acid-for-blood aliens.
Science-fiction gives writers the latitude to come up with wacky premises, and the premise here is certainly odd. Despite its viciousness and primal urge to kill, it turns out that some people are enamored with this species and hope to breed more of them. A complete explanation is never really given, it may be a secret government operation or a plan hatched by terrorists. However, we are made aware of a couple things. All of the action will take place on a spaceship, replete with the obligatory warehouse-like setting, dimly lit corridors, and smoke billowing out from every angle. Ripley is a clone of the original (who died in Aliens3) who has heightened senses (she can smell the presence of aliens) and some memories of her former life, realizing all too well the dangerous implications of breeding such a savage species. Also, it won't be too long, despite careful attempts to contain the aliens, before they will escape and run rampant through the spaceship that carries them. Their infestation is actually startling. As they begin to run amuck, the ships computer states: "non-human elements detected on levels 2, 4, 5, 9..." and so forth while the crew frantically makes their way into the escape pods.
However, as this genre mandates, there must be at least a handful of people who have yet to escape. Those still on-board include the Ripley clone and an assorted bunch of grizzled space dogs, including Call (Winona Ryder). Naturally, there is no easy way off, and for them, things will get much worse before it gets better.
The true stars in this movie, however, are the aliens and the special effects people that created them. They are incredible to look at. An especially fine scene involves an underwater chase, where the aliens swim in pursuit of their victims, subsequently climb a ladder and then dodge bullets being fired upon them. They are intelligent, merciless, and genuinely imposing. Less impressive though is the Ripley clone. While she embodies the toughness of a soldier and the tenderness of a human, the clone's persona displays a sense of annoying apathy. She blurts out cynical sound bites and laughs at the weakness of mankind. Also, Ryder is a strange addition to this kind of movie. Though she is a wonderful actress, she lacks the heft and presence to stand alongside Ripley and the other crew members.
My feelings about this movie were undoubtedly mixed. While I enjoyed the beauty of the aliens, the moderate amount of excitement and the enormous amounts of slime, Ripley's sense of detachment alienated me, and soon, I found myself less interested in the final result and more interested in seeing more aliens. But I suppose that if the focus of the movie was actually on Ripley, the title of the film would have been called "Ripley: Resurrection."
Grade: B-
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