Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Two hundred years after Lt. Ripley died, a group of scientists clone her, hoping to breed the ultimate weapon. But the new Ripley is full of surprises … as are the new aliens. Ripley must team with a band of smugglers to keep the creatures from reaching Earth.
Alien Resurrection is a divisive fourth entry that leans into camp and body horror in ways that distinguish it somewhat from its predecessors, but the overall execution is uneven. The plot — cloning Ripley to extract alien DNA — is a workable concept but is muddled by convoluted storytelling and thin characterization of the mercenary ensemble. Jeunet brings a distinctive visual sensibility with grimy, claustrophobic production design and some inventive underwater sequences, elevating the cinematography modestly. Sigourney Weaver commits to the hybrid Ripley with genuine physicality and dark wit, and Ron Perlman adds color, but the broader cast is inconsistent. Novelty suffers because it largely recycles the franchise formula — alien outbreak on a ship, survive and escape — without adding truly fresh ideas beyond surface-level weirdness. The ending, featuring the human-alien hybrid and its explosive decompression demise, is memorable in concept but emotionally hollow, failing to land with the weight the franchise once commanded.