Sort By: By Genre  |  By Rating  |  By Year

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Genre: Science Fiction
Year: 1997
Rating: 4 / 5

What is it called when a film trilogy adds a fourth film to its list? Reviewers throughout the film industry were faced with this question upon the release of Alien: Resurrection, the fourth installment in Sigourney Weaver's Alien series. Five years after the death of her character, Weaver came back to reprise the role that made her famous. Armed with a new director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and a hot young screenwriter, Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Weaver breathed new life into her film franchise, and she brought with her a whole new army of lovable, albeit scruffy, supporting mates.

Two hundred years after her death, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is about to be resurrected, in a manner of speaking. Army-funded scientists, in possession of trace amounts of Ripley's DNA, are determined to bring her back to life. At the time of her death, Ripley carried inside her a queen alien, one that could conceivably wreck havoc on the entire galaxy. The scientists have been trying to "reconstruct" Ripley, hoping that her new form allows for the return of the alien she was carrying. After numerous failures, the scientists finally succeed in their experiment, allowing them to "harvest" the young queen and leaving a not-quite-human Ellen Ripley.

Elsewhere on this floating laboratory, a band of smugglers arrives, bringing with them some very unusual cargo. They are being paid handsomely to deliver twelve living humans, though they have no idea that these bodies are to be used as hosts to breed more deadly aliens. New to this crew is Annalee Call (Winona Ryder), a mechanic with a more than passing interest in the well-being of one Ellen Ripley. When the inevitable happens, and the aliens manage to free themselves from captivity, it's up to Ripley to lead this ragtag bunch of outlaws to safety, all the while preserving the future of the galaxy.

As was the case with the series' third installment, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection was beset with tremendous expectations. Fortunately, it fares somewhat better than its predecessor, even if it cannot attain the rarified heights of the first two films. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ellen Ripley, though she gets to add a little more humor and pizzazz than usual. B-movie action star Michael Wincott and television castoff Ron Perlman prove to be worthy additions to the series' remarkable string of great supporting characters. Winona Ryder is downright spunky as Call, the group's mysterious new member. Is a fifth film in this franchise's future? It is too early to say, but this film-lover is sure glad Sigourney Weaver came back for a fourth.

Cast:

Sigourney Weaver..........	Ellen Ripley
Winona Ryder..........	Annalee Call
Ron Perlman..........	Johner
Michael Wincott..........	Elgyn

Certification: Rated R for violence and language.
Running Time: 108 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
Comments: Send E-mail