Alien³ (1992)

 

Ripley continues to be stalked by a savage alien, after her escape pod crashes on a prison planet.

Although it has a good premise, all the necessary ingredients and some great visual moments, this movie is from beginning to start incoherent, basically a total mess.

On re-watching: the longer so-called Assembly Cut is a major improvement and offers a more stringent narrative than the original theatrical release.

Halliwell (no star): "Grim, grey sequel that struggles, and fails, to add something new to the now familiar story."

Maltin**: "More-of-the-same sequel...Good performances, some scares, but a definite feeling of deja vu hangs over the proceedings."

 

Alien³ (1992)

Ripley continues to be stalked by a savage alien, after her escape pod crashes on a prison planet.

Although it has a good premise, all the necessary ingredients and some great visual moments, this movie is from beginning to start incoherent, basically a total mess.

Halliwell (no star): "Grim, grey sequel that struggles, and fails, to add something new to the now familiar story."

Maltin**: "More-of-the-same sequel...Good performances, some scares, but a definite feeling of deja vu hangs over the proceedings."

China Moon (1994)

A detective falls for a beautiful woman, who is trapped in a violent marriage and shoots her husband,  and relucantly agrees to help hide the body, but his partner is showing an unusual flair for finding clues.

Competently made and well-cast Neo-Noir crime drama which somewhat disappoints with its overtly artificial twist ending.

Halliwell*: "Accomplished but sometimes predictable foray into film noir, an agreeable time-waster."

Maltin**: "A couple of neat twists, but production is more than a bit reminiscent of  (the superior) BODY HEAT - down to the Florida locale."