Finding that she is carrying an alien queen that will produce deadly aliens that can wipe out the human race, Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) commits suicide for the good of the humanity. The ending scene to the (supposedly) last movie in the “Aliens” series sounded pretty final, didn’t it? But no. The ending from “Alien 3” was far from the end. Now comes the newest in this series of sci-fi blockbuster hits: “Alien Resurrection.” Ellen Ripley, the alien-fighting, slightly psychotic heroine of the previous “Aliens” movies, did die at the end of “Alien 3.” But she is cloned 200 years later by scientists who have obtained a sample of her blood from the ship where she died. Over the past few centuries, the memory of the predatory nature of this alien race has faded, and the scientists actually clone Ripley to intentionally reproduce the alien race. Smart, huh? This cloning technique is not perfect, and it takes the scientists a few years and many failed attempts to successfully clone not only Ripley, but the alien queen in her chest. One especially vivid moment in the movie is when we get to see the previous attempts at cloning, thanks to the scientists’ tendency to keep their failed science projects in suspended animation. These deformed and very, very graphic Ripley rip-offs are a memorable, if not very attractive part of the movie. When the scientists clone Ripley, they remove the alien queen from her chest, intending to train the queen and any offspring that she might have. What they forget is the lesson of the three previous movies — that these slimy, slobbery, fast-killing aliens hunger for human death like a hungry high schooler staring at plate of Mexican food on Taco Tuesday. Ripley, not informed of her previous “hobby” of alien-killing, is held in a small cage-like room and is studied and watched by the scientists. One unexpected side effect of the cloning is that she has alien characteristics, including incredible strength and a sub conscious connection with the queen to whom she “gave birth.” Ripley then recovers the memory of her previous life, and informs the scientists, “They will reproduce and you will die.” Enter a crew of space pirates — an unlikely band of violent men and women who steal and sell to and from everyone. Call (Winona Ryder), the youngest and newest member of this crew, has a secret agenda — kill the alien and Ripley. Call, via a plot twist that is explained later in the move, understands the dangers of these aliens being produced and is trying to save humanity. When the alien queen kills a potential “mate,” using its acidic blood to burn through the metal floors to escape, the real action begins. Soon after the escape, most of the crew of the scientific ship dies. The pirates fare slightly better, with the help of an escaped Ripley. Ripley’s connection to the aliens helps the characters escape immediate destruction throughout the movie. She understands how they think and what they are capable of. She is truly inside their heads. This movie is an energetic romp of a movie, but it is a disappointing sequel to the “Aliens” series. Thankfully, it is better than “Alien 3,” but also has more plot holes than Swiss cheese, including the ability of a queen to have eggs. “Resurrection” is a decent movie for the first hour or so, but the last half an hour is far less impressive and moderately irritating. Not even Call’s “surprise” near the end, or the birth of the queen’s baby (who resembles a human crack baby crossed with an alien) saves this movie, because by that point the viewer doesn’t even care. Sequels are almost always disappointing, and “Resurrection” is no exception. It’s a vast improvement over “Alien 3,” skipping the AIDS metaphor and going straight to gratuitous violence. But “Resurrection” is a far from fitting way to continue the classic “Aliens” series. Though “Resurrection” is not a horrible movie, not even the effects can save this movie. After all, the bad ending is the last thing seen and the best remembered. Thanks to cheesy plot holes and a bad ending, “Aliens” fans will walk away with a bad taste in their mouths. |
