Alien Resurrection (1997) - Retrospective / Review

[@vasilgevezov3424]

Gotta say Oliver, your Retrospectives are something special. You really disect a movie the right way, meaning you cover all aspects of its creation. Most reviewers I have seen lately just summarise the story and say either they liked it or not, which in my eyes is not a review of a movie. Digging deep is what a review should be and you do just that.

[@TequilaToothpick]

Reviews are supposed to just say whether the movie is good or not. Anything other than that is a bonus.

[@vasilgevezov3424]

@@TequilaToothpick That is true, I did not world what I wish to convey properly. My thoughts were more so aimed that I prefer his style of covering everything around a production as it is more informative and interesting, but it is not for the general person as they do not really care for the secondary details.

[@dougdoesall]

The whole point to Weaver's performance is exactly that she tried, no doubt, to leave you wondering from beginning to end where her loyalties lie, and how much or little she is alien or not. Therefore she did a superb job, and is to be commended instead of criticized for exactly that bit of leaving you feeling weird about what she is and who she is. That's the point, she's saying.

[@auliamiftahulrazaq2268]

Huh?!

[@serenityinside1]

Could t agree more. Another critic who misses what weaver u doing with ripley here 🙄.she’s bound to be “ conflicted” etc ! I thought it was excellent acting by her - as usual.

[@nhoussin]

It's not WEAVER's point, it's her character's point. Do you know actors don't write the scenario, therefore don't write their characters? Even with Weaver's undeniable influence on the project, her job is to perform, not define a character's line throughout a movie.

[@dougdoesall]

@@nhoussin Child please. The actor brings the character to life. The actor has the artistic license, and usually with the director's urging, to influence the character. Mold the character. Make it human. Make it make YOU question...and make it multi-faceted. High paid actors are the ones who create that character, breathe life into it, and make you believe what you are seeing. And since a character of that particular person in that particular story is likely to have incredible layers...it is up to Weaver to bring those layers to the character....to make you see those layers. THAT is where the talent lies. Stupid is the director who would've not let Weaver create that character...make it her own. You think the only creator of a character is the writer. You are incorrect. Actors are hired to BE a character, and mold the writer's character, within a certain frame, which in of itself makes it more of a challenge.

[@nhoussin]

@@dougdoesall "You think the only creator of a character is the writer": not at all, child... ... "she tried [...] to leave you wondering from beginning to end where her loyalties lie. No, that part was IN THE SCRIPT. Then it was emphazised by the director's request to the actress, on set and also via his own writer Guillaume Laurant who added again touches of subtlety in several scenes. Weaver did a great job with HER job, which is bringing her character into life. No, actors DO NOT make the character "multifaced". Scorsese would KILL an actor trying to do that.

[@bobking1977]

The space pirates is a great concept, sadly the pirate leader died too soon, there should be more stories and more scenes about him.

[@braveconcepts]

true.

[@mrbee4life182]

Wincott is a fine actor and would have added more to the film if he was in it longer but glad Johner(Pearlman) and Vriess(Pinon) survived as they also were very interesting characters Kim Flowers looked great but again wasn't given chance to expand her character same with Christie who i also thought was good not all bland as the narrator said just feel they missed a great opportunity with this movie!

[@willsk7068]

My speakers or car or whatever I use is named The Betty.

[@DanNic88]

Hugo Stieglitz!

[@William-the-Guy]

Nah that's what the Alien franchise is all about. They introduce and interesting male protagonist and then kill him before the audience expects it.

[@tjf7101]

Agreed with everything said here EXCEPT the Alien escape scene. I always got the impression that these are very intelligent creatures more than capable of collaborating together.

[@auliamiftahulrazaq2268]

Hey

[@ThaUnprofessional]

Hey hey

[@jacksmith3095]

I always thought it was a mistake to reduce the Alien to that of a hive insect. Agreed, I always thought they were more intelligent than presented.

[@runningsandwich]

@@ThaUnprofessional I said HEY WHATS GOIN ON

[@Dosnmeda]

Say what you want, but Alien Resurrection has personality. It definitly has its moments. Guilty Pleasure material.

[@Commentator541]

Peter Kraus I know. It's a good movie. Everyone is angry that it's not yet another alien remake. Well, no, it stands on it's own and I like it.

[@donaltdak5541]

It's a good movie. Same with Alien3 Director's version (only). Good movies. Since then we didn't get anything even close that good to alien series. Fuck prometeus and the second one.

[@nox5870]

@@donaltdak5541 I thought Alien Covenant was good tho 😅

[@nicholas_scott]

I loved the look, and style, and the general story. The ending is trash, of course, and all of the chase scenes seemed pointless. But I'd rather rewatch Alien 4, then Alien 1. Alien is great.. but it just seems to drag.

[@thecrimsonghostakathefiend7508]

@@Commentator541 that's not the case , they're mad because of how god awful it is Imo

[@Young_BZ]

I actually like how the Aliens look while they're in captivity here. In those scenes they look great. When they're cgd it's hit or miss.

[@auliamiftahulrazaq2268]

Hi

[@wstine79]

Has anyone noticed that the space pirates in the movie seem like a template for Joss Whedon's Firefly?

[@kimbooley90]

Speaking of Firefly, some of Ripley 8's characteristics also remind me a little of River.

[@GeeVanderplas]

It definitely felt like a trial run for Firefly.

[@batmanlaughed800]

Only everyone who has ever seen both shows, or watched any other review in this movie in the past decade...

[@danielwilliamson6180]

A foreshadowing of the future.

[@spiderfanmaniac9783]

there is weyland yutani logo in firefly

[@wstine79]

The droids in the Alien films are alphabetical. Ash, Bishop, Call, and David.

[@ashleighsamuels4808]

wstine79 never noticed before that's actually pretty cool!!

[@NosDemonic]

Then they ruined the sequence with Walter. Though I do know David and Walter were named after David Giler and Walter Hill

[@ThisPageStaysREAL]

Then it would be David, Walter, Ash, Bishop then Call. Chronologically that is.

[@ashleighsamuels4808]

Well that's ruined it hahaa

[@wstine79]

Dan Ddan sure is.

[@JB-zu5gb]

This movie, for all it's flaws, has one of the best looking shots in an Alien movie. When the grenade is fired under water and acts like a depth charger on one of the aliens is fantastic scene design.

[@yavrielsechelle7431]

I really liked the movie, but I've always liked Jeunet's aesthetic, and that's all I see. It's a very french movie in that regard, and goes a long way in explaining the gore. I don't think they were totally trying to compete with the gore level of the time. I think that kind of visceral display of not just physival gore, but emotional gore, is something that comes out of french cinema organically, and French culture in general. It's quite a lovely thing.

[@merces47letifer4]

That is incredibly pretentious

[@MLdoktor]

Laughing = redlettermedia Learning = oliver harper Great review man!

[@breakhammer87]

you hack

[@anthonymaslow798]

If you don't learn a great deal from RLM, you're a bit of fool, tbh. They are unparalleled at breaking down movies.

[@dennett316]

Resurrection is watchable. It's not exactly good, but it's not really bad either. There's stuff to like in there, good moments, good cast, Weaver is good, visuals are great, it's imaginatively shot. For all there is to like though, it doesn't really come together to make a satisfying movie...it's less than the sum of it's parts. A big part of that, for me, is the Newborn. It's weird looking and icky, but it mostly comes off as goofy and annoying. The whole thing with it kills the movie stone dead for me.

[@SaberRexZealot]

If you ask me all 4 Alien films are worth watching. It’s just that only 2 are mandatory viewing.

[@aurorauplinks]

im pretty sure George Lucas directed some of the scenes and set the lighting tones on alien 4, because it feels alot like his work with everything, he always likes people to actually see the whole set and all the characters, he doesnt use shadows in his work most of the time its all about bright lights, except for jabbas palace... :/

[@journeyman1218]

Agreed. It's not good or bad. It's just there.

[@deedsofdecapitation7477]

Honestly I think that was the entire point. People complain that it didn't look "symmetrical" or "shapely", but the whole point of the Newborn is that it's supposed to be this half breed monstrosity.

[@jeffreylawrence6928]

Loved the look & feel of the movie, just the hybrid was disappointing….

[@T1544767]

I had just turned 11 years old when I went to go watch Alien: Resurrection with my dad. It was a good father/son outing, but leaving the movie, I didn't know how to feel about the it. By that point, I loved the xenomorphs and knew all about them, but the Newborn legit freaked me out. My first interaction with the movies was when I stayed home sick from school one day when I was 10 years old and Aliens came on TV. The movie blew my little 10 year old mind, especially the ending fight with the queen and Ripley in the power loader. I went to school and told my friends about it at the school lunch table, but my friend Daniel said that there were more movies and that Ripley died in Alien 3, but that there was another one in the works. My dad bought the whole series on VHS as separate tapes from the local Wal-Mart and I think he wanted to nurture my more mature tastes in movies at the time. Alien 3 made me depressed before I knew what depression was; there I was as a little 10 year old having existential thoughts because my hero Ripley was dead. Then, I got excited after seeing all the marketing hype and the trailers and movie posters all over and that's when my dad and I went to go see it. It was a fun experience on the big screen. I just watched it yesterday, having pulled out my old Alien Quadrilogy DVD set that I bought with my money I had earned from mowing lawns in 2003 and decided to see what other people thought of it. I have these weird, fond memories of the movie now. It looks like a music video from around the year 2000, has Joss Whedon humor, it's gross, has great creature design, interesting concepts, has great visual design (the Auriga looks great, IMO), and the music is pretty good too. It's in this weird place in my heart where it came out at the right time for my pre-teen juvenile interest and I'll always have a soft spot for it.

[@Josh_J91]

Come on mate make it shorter than that please

[@tristanmenachof3249]

​@@Josh_J91why

[@Josh_J91]

@@tristanmenachof3249 well too long lad

[@seagull8415]

Under appreciated movie. Is it silly...Yes! Its great that this franchise reinvents with each new director. But great director/cast. Sets, practical effects, gore and action set pieces.

[@AndAbel-AOD]

Agreed, the movie makes it clear from the beginning that its campy and not meant to be taken ultra seriously. I thought it worked very well and accomplished exactly what it set out to.

[@aurious5821]

I remember as a young teen I thought Ripley in this movie was badass lol

[@Peer165]

Best reviewer on youtube!

[@robertsavageau112]

Peer165 What about Ramboraph4life?

[@danielwilliamson6180]

OVN: Oliver Harper VS. Nostalgia Critic = That would be awesome! Two of the deadliest reviewers on KZbin come together in the ultimate showdown.

[@breakhammer87]

na sorry, NC has gone so far down... he really hurt my feelings with the recent Mummy review of the Brendan Frasier movie... Critic has begun to be critical just to be funny... its watering down

[@robertsavageau112]

Randy Orton Nostalgia Critic PISSED ME OFF with his reviews for Jurassic Park III, Jurassic World, and especially Godzilla 1998.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I don't think you can beat Oliver for the shear amount and range of content. Reviews of contemporary movies, the retrospectives, Commentaries, video game stuff. All excellent

[@furorteutonicus9045]

I always felt bad for the hybrid baby alien. Its screams and the puppy dog eyes just made me feel sympathy for it and it was sad watching it die so horribly.

[@auliamiftahulrazaq2268]

Huh...

[@morgothfromangband6082]

Fuck it, it killed the queen very cowardly.

[@desoliver9712]

Totally agree with you, it's part of why it's so disturbing. You do feel empathy for it, unlike any previous alien death in the series.

[@thedarkestfateful]

Yeah I started feeling bad for it during the ending but remembered that it crushed one of the crew’s head, so that kinda took me out lol

[@kingberry100]

I always liked how alien resurrection looked so new for a movie that came out in 1997. Look like it came out in 2019

[@torsion2]

thats cos all films today are trash, just like Resurrection

[@multiverseoftimelessness4391]

@@torsion2 Your comment doesn't make any effin sense. You must like Alien3 that slow, boring, pseudo-philosophical, uninspired, depressing, snore fest of a film.

[@torsion2]

@@multiverseoftimelessness4391 must i? Thanks for thinking for me. Shame you dont understand my original comment though isnt it?

[@vhscopyofseinfeld]

jim mc that’s hilarious lmao

[@adamduffield7782]

@@multiverseoftimelessness4391 oh come on. Alien and aliens are the only true alien films. Ressuraction is by far the worse of the franchise. With all the comics and video games to draw inspiration from, resurrection is the best they could come up with??? Pfft

[@pho3nix-]

This is still a decent popcorn flick, on a boring rainy Sunday I could re-watch it for sure

[@ihearsatan]

On what weekday and in what weather do you watch the first two?

[@pho3nix-]

@@ihearsatan Alien on Friday, Aliens on Saturday

[@john_laser]

How many bags of popcorn would you give it?

[@pho3nix-]

@@john_laser 3.5/5

[@carnivorehitman]

This.

[@qwerty77772]

Love how I saw Chucky's face immediately when I hovered over the thumbnail. Brad Dourif was easily the best thing in this movie.

[@dhgbfhhhg8d412]

I worked at a movie theater when this came out. I watched it 3 times for free. Sigourney’s performance was badass. I quite enjoyed this flick, certainly much more than Alien 3.

[@JasonBungard]

Wish I had seen it for free.

[@24cptjohnson]

Same. This movie is a guilty pleasure, even with it flaws

[@donovan3476]

I guess I am one of the few people that totally enjoyed this movie and re-watch it every so often. I liked it a lot.

[@skaranosofvalen7369]

Same here. I’ve watched all four many times.

[@donovan3476]

@@skaranosofvalen7369 And I really like Predators (2010) and don't know why so many people dislike it. The Predator (2018) does suck tho.

[@journeyman1218]

@@donovan3476 predators was really good tbh.

[@drogonmax8781]

@@donovan3476 Predators is amazing broski !!!!

[@donovan3476]

@@drogonmax8781 Agreed!

[@BenRangel]

Alien 3 might technically be better in terms of acting and tone. But I still prefer alien 4! While I some scenes, overall 4 delivers more interesting stuff in the Alien universe. Scientists experimenting with caged aliens, cloning factory, the queen, the Alien baby. There are so many terrible and cheesy moments, but those concepts make it more interesting to me, compared to 3.

[@frenchcoupon3391]

BenRangel Agree that Ressurection is great - but Alien 3 is not a better film- it lost its interest for me when it killed off Charles Dance.

[@pyroheartproductions4746]

@Lucy Logan But 3 is more boring and pretty much the one that brought the series downhill. Atleast Resurrection ended the series with a bang.

[@scottyclayton5604]

I agree! I love 4!

[@multiverseoftimelessness4391]

I think the same about Resurrection. It's the one that finally goes there, to the experimentation that the other ones just talked and teased so much about. Resurrection gives us the labs, the mad scientist and what happens when science becomes an obsession and there's no ethics. I love that about Resurrection.

[@JuanPabloContrerasC]

i love alien 3 who ever does not can gtfo

[@rammrod9974]

There's a book called Earth Hive, I always wanted then to do a movie based on that book. Another book is called sea of sorrows that tells that story of Hadley's Hope. The book is really good and it's goes into how Newt's family was ordered to check out the possible derelict ship on LV426 and the events that occurred afterwards.

[@6o3matty]

24:50 Killllll me........ AH! Not with the fire! WTF!

[@laeldestan1536]

Right? Why did Ripley kill her with fire which would be painful as hell? That whole sequence was uncomfortable to watch.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Clone Ripley don't give a FUCK.

[@aurorauplinks]

fire to cleanse ALL the sins :/ or atleast to make sure some genetic trace doesnt survive and regrew into a another incomplete clone

[@dfailsthemost]

@@aurorauplinks she could still have popped her in the dome first.

[@aurorauplinks]

dfailsthemost acid blood potentially or some other unexpected horror from attacking one of the ripley clones could do something, plus with the potential for htem to all be psychicly linked the aliens may have known everything happening, so quick and fast to get out of thier, others of the clones may have been alive still too stuck in "bacta" tanks or something however i get what your saying etc

[@caramelconundrum9280]

Could have been such a great movie! either way I still enjoy it as a guilty pleasure from time to time.

[@mokat]

Caramel Conundrum it is! *Sigh*

[@AirCanMaster]

This retrospective format is great. Very regular with the sequencing between videos, and just very informative. I love it.

[@dorjedriftwood2731]

Your an excellent editor. If I ever make a movie I hope I remember to think of you. You routinely make films look better than they actually were.

[@lukecage9836]

Sure, it's not Alien or Aliens, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I had seen the original trilogy before this film, but ironically this is the first of the Alien franchise that I saw in theaters.

[@ashleighsamuels4808]

Man I love the intros before you start, edited so dam well just like the rest of the videos and don't get me started on the BADASS artwork in the thumbnails...all round awesomeness ;D

[@TheBeird]

A continuation after Resurrection would be interesting. But Disney may very well end up owning this series along with all of Fox's biggest assets. And if that happens, you can bet any ass that they will bend over backwards to deliver a Blomkamp like Alien 5 in the safest, most bland way imaginable

[@andriygriffin4782]

H.D Beird If I give Disney any credit, they do actually entertaining stuff with Star Wars and Marvel that progresses the story

[@WinterSoldierLTE]

There was a book written that picks up right after the end of the movie. Never read it myself, but I have found most of the books in the expanded universe far exceed any flickmade after 3.

[@giancardenas1499]

H.D Beird they'd probably turn it into a family comedy

[@HyraxusPrimus]

It could not be worse than Prometheus or Alien: Covenant.

[@stardestroyer1553]

Prometheus isn't a bad film

[@Darksmirk1]

You edit these beginning and ending scenes so well. It makes the movies seem much more interesting.

[@AmbersKnight]

Cracking review as always. I saw the film at the cinema and my friends and I all had the same reaction, one of puzzlement. When asked what we thought of the film our reaction was simply "errrrmmm". With the others we had a definite feeling about them as soon as the film ended but with Resurrection we couldn't quite praise it nor could we quite criticize it. My main problems with the film are ones you mention in your review. I was saddened that Michael Wincott's character is killed off so quickly into the film. he is a charismatic actor and screen presence and he was watchable in every scene he was in so it saddened me that they got rid of one of the more interesting characters/actors in the film so early. My second main gripe is the level of gore. Whilst the Alien series was never kid friendly, the gore and violence was never as extreme as other horror/thrillers. But this film ups the gore for gore's sake as it doesn't really add anything to the film at all and in fact for my money it detracts. I agree with your view that there is a nastiness to it, almost a glee in the gore by the film makers, that I personally find unpalatable. Still, it is a better film than either of the AVP movies so its not the worst in the series.

[@wstine79]

I remember seeing this movie in the theater over Thanksgiving. I was pretty pleased with it.

[@GinkgoPete]

"Forcing a movies development, while having no clue about film making" "Didnt turn out as they had hoped" The ol fox classic

[@AubreyTheKing]

You deserve more attention Oliver!! Your review, editing and presentation is simply amazing!! keep it up, man! :)

[@edenhawk]

Another great review, always look forward to your videos keep it up!

[@Sonofdonald2024]

I was 18 when it came out so it was the first alien film I got to see in the cinema. I enjoyed Alien 3 and thought it was a good way to tie up the series with ripleys death. I thought resurrection was just OK not great. I think had the series ended with Alien 3 it would have been a better conclusion than resurrection. I agree killing Wincot off so early seemed ridiculous as he was one of the more Interesting characters. It had some good moments but the newborn was ridiculous

[@BigGator5]

At first, I thought you should go work for Hollywood. Now, I think you are better where you are. Far away from Hollywood.

[@tentringer4065]

BigGator5 I don't think he's Harvey Weinstein's type.

[@BigGator5]

Tent Ringer ...I just don't want Oliver corrupted by Hollywood.

[@Book-noob]

Might get groped by Kevin Spacey though.

[@DoctorPretorious616]

He might be Bryan Singer's type, though. (Hey, just kidding, Ollie. Keep up the good work.).

[@DrQuagmire1]

HA

[@Ilnath]

A lot of people hated this movie. But I liked it. It had Michael Wincott, Ron Pearlman, Brad Douriff and Leland Orser. Good action scenes too

[@tobytoxic]

Ron Perlman saved that movie

[@johnjuiceshipper4963]

Speaking of horror, there's few things scarier than Joss Whedon's hairline.

[@scottdouglas1469]

When ever I see one of your videos I can't click on it fast enough

[@KiramidHead]

I can confirm that I used to have an action figure of the Newborn.

[@astrosquirrel5038]

Me too!

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

Dominique Pinon was also in 1981's film "Diva". (spot him if you can) Diva is a wonderful film. It weaves many plot threads. It has unique 'pacing'. Those 2 things may throw you off at first. Be patient and stay with it. You will not be disappointed.

[@kytim89]

I always liked Winona Ryder in this movie.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

It was my first experience of seeing Winona Ryder play Winona Ryder, so it has a special place in my heart.

[@futavadumnezo]

She did a marvelous job portraying the intricate social stigma around Androids, it's amazing how she was more human than Ripley was.

[@davemckay4359]

That flute man...creeps me out every time. I enjoyed this one the most. The lighting was epic. Plus Perlman is God. ..lol they paid to hide the creatures junk.

[@tomweyts]

"whats Burning? US!!!!! Shit your right! Aaaaghhhhhh!" Loved that line in the final act XD

[@Smile4theKillCam456]

You’re*

[@tomweyts]

@@Smile4theKillCam456 really...

[@jonglives]

the best thing about Prometheus & Alien Covenant is that I now appreciate Alien Resurrection a lot more than I once did

[@michaelreay2820]

Having watched this video and seeing your comment I'd have to agree with you

[@AttilaTheHun333333]

Prometheus is a good movie, just a bad Alien movie.

[@edwardelric603]

You're insane. Prometheus and covenant shit on resurrection

[@nox5870]

I thought Prometheus and Alien Covenant was really good... Yet again it's a personal preference. I enjoy both of these films quite a lot more than Alien 3 or Alien Resurrection.

[@windi1982]

Prometheus was really good, Covenant failed massive! It killed the best character before the movie (Shaw) and told us nothing more about the interesting plot of the engineers. That’s why both movies disappointed. They should, but don’t work together in the right direction!

[@truthseeker3503]

This film is great, so underrated it’s unreal, it pure entertainment!

[@nox5870]

Are you Jesse Pinkman?

[@jamiebraswell5520]

It is a real gem for stupid people, lol!

[@trustme2001]

Thank you Oliver, I was waiting for this retrospective. Now the four movies are complete. 😁

[@Silvio67]

i'll take this movie over covenant any day

[@apollon011]

Derek Good point. What's going on with Ridley Scott recently? He seems like he's trying to be too clever with the material instead of going back to its gritty sci-fi horror roots.

[@arlieferguson3990]

The Alan Dean foster covenant book is good.

[@muznick]

Still haven't seen that one and can't imagine ever wanting to. Prometheus killed the series, just like TLJ did to Star wars.

[@muznick]

@Benjamin Clardy It was a lot of pretty scenery and a convoluted story, leading up to a fake Xenomorph at the end. It was part dull, part dumb, IMO.

[@junreaksaa]

Followed alien saga since im a kid. Prometheus had my hopes high but covenant killed it.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

I have nostalgia-bias for this film. It's interesting that while they had no problem putting gruesome deaths in their films they went "ewwwww no grooooosss" at some fake weird dangly bits on the alien. Seems kinda dumb. I think it's important not to look at the hybrid alien as a "monster" as much as it's an unnatural genetic mutation that probably would not do too well 'in the wild'. I always got a strange sympathetic vibe from the thing so I don't really look at it the same way as all the Alien xenomorphs which are super-predators. This thing just seems like a mistake. lol

[@GameplayandTalk]

Aw man, this retrospective was a nice surprise! I remember enjoying this movie back when it was current. I didn't think it was great but certainly didn't see it as bad either. I feel some of the negativity regarding it was overblown.

[@RecklessFables]

I just discovered this channel and it is now one of my favorites!

[@mutantgambit]

Thank you so mich for making this retrospective oliver. I just recently saw this movie with your commentary. Also i liked this movie for what it worth. Also it was entertaining. And also i nostalgic about it. I saw it back in 97 when i was 7... good times. It was pretty memorable and shocking for kid of my age

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Yet another great review Oliver Harper. Keep them coming

[@mantaray4887]

You forgot Brad Dourif rather memorable role of Grima Wormtongue in the Lord of the Rings.

[@tentringer4065]

Manta Ray and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

[@tentringer4065]

And Wise Blood, his best performance in my view.

[@OliverHarper]

Well it was reflecting on what he done at the time of the film.

[@mantaray4887]

Right did not pick that up sorry. Great retrospective as always!

[@tentringer4065]

Fair do's, great review of a disappointing sequel.

[@hubertvancalenbergh9022]

I always liked the very different feel of this fourth installment. Lots of oddball characters, too - Brad Dourif, Leland Orser, Dan Hedaya, J.E. Freeman . . . And the Auriga - what an impressive ship!

[@TheDimeDrawer]

I loved Ron Pearlman in this movie, he was awesome in it.

[@nickfanzo]

He’s always awesome.

[@doncoria9505]

Ron Pearlman as: Ron Pearlman

[@mrbee4life182]

Also the best Hellboy that new one was so shite 🙄

[@MrVolcomclassic]

Lol yeah he was such a cool asshole

[@LorenHelgeson]

Another stellar intro, Oliver. You made this movie look a lot better than it actually ended up being. Also, I always thought that basketball trick was so cool on Sigourney's part. I had heard they tried take after take, and were about ready to just add it in digitally. But Sigourney was like "roll the camera, give me one more take."

[@t3ndave]

I never understood why so many people bash Resurrection. Yes, it is very different than Alien and Aliens but for me it is still overwhelmingly better than Alien 3. That one is a mess. Anyway thank you for such a wonderful retrospective review!

[@carlosbfly]

A miserable cold night and I see this in my subs box. Always love your retrospective, made my evening!

[@MunkeyChips]

Damn, your 3 min opening actually makes the movie look decent! How did you manage that?!

[@Swarm509]

He is an editing god!

[@GoldenValleyPictures]

Your comment made me laugh out loud. Yes Oliver Harper is an awesome editor.

[@MunkeyChips]

Tony, I'm glad I could get a laugh! :)

[@DSan-kl2yc]

MunkeyChips nope not even Oliver can do that. If you've seen the movie at least.

[@mountaindewslave]

seriously, that opening trailer cut makes Resurrection seem like a god-tier film. Unfortunately 2 and a half minutes edited is seemingly the only way it's pleasantly viewable ....

[@davidvetter2322]

Oliver, every video you make is a slam dunk. Thanks for the great content. Cheers

[@jaketaur]

I was irritated with things like Perez pulling out his brain chunk after the head bite and the over the top shots like the camera diving into Purvis. It was all very silly. I don't think it is canon but the deleted scene featured in the Director's (?) cut of the film that explains that Weyland Yutani was bought out by Wal-Mart was irritating, too. I dunno, it all just felt like a slap in the face for fans of the previous films. Of course, I would get rid of everything I mentioned above (and other things) if I were in charge of making the film. I think it also would've been neat to have the Ripley cloning story, but maybe just make Sigourney Weaver's only appearance as failed clones instead of having her back as some weird hybrid character featured for the whole film.

[@THEremiXFACTOR]

I guess you must've seen the opening to the extended cut? It's absolutely ridiculous with this cgi bug getting splatted on a window. Looks like a scene from Men In Black.

[@jaketaur]

Unfortunately. :/ The tone is all wrong in Alien Resurrection. Yeah, the AVP movies that followed weren't all that great either but I felt they were less silly. The only thing I enjoy about this movie are the xenomorphs that were actually animatronic/costumes.

[@jamiebraswell5520]

The film is an absolute slap in the face to fans and to the series that preceded it. They turned it into a big joke with all the over the top nonsense and campiness.

[@EduardoPortasRuiz]

As always superb review, Oliver. Having said that, I think you missed talking about the tone of the movie. It's clearly a parody of itself and of the triteness of producing more and more sequels.

[@livedoom]

lmao holy crap man, that shoulder hair! Thats how i'm gonna look like when im 50 :\

[@palaiologos4441]

I unironically love Alien Resurrection- in the best way possible, it reminds me of those Alien-inspired stories on Heavy Metal/Metal Hurlant but with actual Xenomorphs and in feature length form. The cinematography alone springs up images of the late great Juan Gimenez

[@interlacedlowtech]

I don't get why that film is that criticized, it's a masterpiece, the script is clever, deep, original, credible, well brought. Visually the film is ahead of its time, the quality of the sets, the accessories, the inventiveness of the scenes, the charisma of the characters, the fact that they all have real personalities and that one can easily imagine a background for them, the quality of the action scenes, the amount of gore and dark humor, the incredible camera movements (1997 FFS!), the splendid and daring staging...it's a fucking good movie, the Americans are just too formatted in their taste to admit it, they can't appreciate its originality. Even HR GIGER says it's an excellent film. When we see how absolutely ridiculed Prometheus and Covenant are by a 1997 film, you can understand how visionary Jeunet and Whedon were (even if Whedon's speeches on the film are hateful, ridiculous and inappropriate, fuck him).

[@journeyman1218]

Well it does speak volumes when the writer can't stand it.

[@lukasjuszczak1664]

Agreed, this is my second, after Aliens, xenomorph movie. It manages something what apparently Scott's newer productions forgot. It's entertaining. In the glorious nineties campiness.

[@94Angelwing]

Its an okay watch. I do recall being a bit annoyed at the still image of earth being reversed though (briefly seen again in a shot in the retrospective). Keep up the good work!

[@SpacewayFilms]

I always burst out laughing whenever I see bouncing bullets lmao

[@adamfrazer5150]

Oliver! Your knowledge and opinions are matched only by the effort you put into your work and tireless devotion to film and film making - many thanks and please continue :) I saw this one the day following a one-off midnight screening of an original reel of the '79 classic (complete with dirt on the film and pops in the audio!), the first thought I had when seeing the aliens was 'raptor', as I found the animation too close to those found in JP. I also thought Hedeya too comedic and quite miscast. Also, is it 'Auriga' or 'Aurigia' ??? :P

[@GeeVanderplas]

Great review as always, but isn't Michael Wincott's character called Elgyn? I can't remember him being called Frank, unless that's from the script... As a stand-alone the film works reasonably well I think. It's stupid but a fun ride never the less. As a sequel to the first three films it totally fails though. The shift in tone is so awkward, it is hard to take seriously.

[@OliverHarper]

Elgyn is his surname. I just called him Frank as it easier to remember his first name.

[@GeeVanderplas]

Cool, I never knew that! Time for a rewatch, I haven't seen it in a long time...

[@THEremiXFACTOR]

Agreed. The film is okay if viewed on its own, without comparison to the previous ones. It's fun and quite entertaining. However, compare it to the original and of course it feels like a joke.

Love your work. Would love to see you tackle Robocop: Prime Directives. No high-end KZbinrs have done any reviews for it.

[@Blisterdude123]

They have a facility dedicated to studying the Alien, after 200 years of knowing of their existence. So obviously they put them in cells that aren't acid proof, because why would you.

[@Psychlist1972]

I enjoyed this movie, despite the crappy 90s CG and bad compositing, and cg-neutering of the baby. Also, I had a thing for Winona Ryder, but this just wasn't the right genre for her. A lot of the casting here was...strange. Other than Sigourney and Brad Dourif, I thought a lot of the recognizable (at the time) actors here just ruined the mood a bit. Better to use unknowns or little-knowns in a movie like this. I really liked the baby/toddler alien. It brought something new and disturbing. It was uncomfortable to watch, which was the point, IMO. And the weird sexuality of it all, like you said, is very Giger. I think back then, most of us hadn't seen much of the Giger work, so we didn't know just how explicit/erotic it was. The spaghettified baby at the end was a high point, too :)

[@Psychlist1972]

I do agree with your overall conclusions.

[@brucewayne-ej3cx]

I loved this movie. Still do.

[@saigokun]

As usual an excellent retrospective Oliver!

[@randypullman1155]

This is the beginning of the movies where the extent of the sick and twisted characters began and the end of American troop camaraderie which made Aliens such a great movie. That being said this amazingly still isn't the worst movie but it is the movie where most gave up on the series.

[@alilindsay4304]

Oooh just realised that's Guy of Gisburn! Great retro as always Oliver xx

[@robertsavageau112]

I like Alien Resurrection.

[@ZvilgantisKailis]

Yeah. Cheesy but still entertaining movie. I like it back then in 1997. And I like it now.

[@robertsavageau112]

ZetKey Cool!

[@yuripantyhose4973]

Yeah I enjoy it too. I think they should have gotten ridd of Ripley though, she is awesome character but it was time too move on and she did not belong in this movie.

[@robertsavageau112]

jgfjgfify Well I love it and I also love the two AVP films and Alien Covenant though I don't really care for Prometheus and I think Alien 3 is ok.

[@multiverseoftimelessness4391]

Me too! Love Ripley8 and the new-updated hybrid Aliens and love the Newborn. ✊😎

[@lankey6969]

Love the illustrations during the intro!

[@Hewylewis]

Ooh, so you've finally finished reviewing the Alien movies (not counting the prequels). Now could you maybe review King Kong 1976? Please?

[@Silvio67]

I'd love that review too.. 40 years ago, the movie that gave us Jessica Lange

[@Reldonator]

I just finished the quadrilogy for the first time and I'm so glad I finally watched these films. I watched your video after each movie and the history of this series is so fascinating. Thank you!

[@sarahfields288]

I loved the Baby Alien. I felt sorry for it when it died.

[@CinemaGulp]

What a perfect assessment of the film. Totally agree. I remember in the cinema being underwhelmed, but not all out insulted by its outcome.

[@CassDaMan1138]

Oh shoot that is the dictator guy from Commando!!!

[@DrQuagmire1]

and fuckin' Chucky is in this too, =D

[@neotenylv09]

Alien Resurrection is one of my favorite games from the PlayStation. Sure it was hard, but the key was go on slowly and be aware of the sounds, which in this game, it's amazingly inmersive. And yeah I liked the movie 😄

[@SwitcherooU]

Alien3 and A:R are both far, far superior to Prometheus and Covenant. I think people are starting to realize.

[@ragerodracir]

Your trailers make everything look awesome

[@anthonymarsala7472]

Niell blumkamp would be a great choice for director of the series.

[@TheDevilinThePaleMoonlight]

I love it when u tell us what the acters have been doing since these films

[@nacidocoqui]

I'm a simple man; I see an Oliver Harper Retrospective, I thump up.

[@MagusMarquillin]

Respectfully, I don't need to know what gets your thumb up in your ass.

[@BrooksterMax]

Love your retrospectives and for me, I can’t believe I missed Brad Dourif in this :) so obvious now.

[@rodster6campingprepper]

1997 was the year I realized Hollywood could break my heart. Jurassic Park, Alien, Batman. All series I loved that got shat on by their sequels in 97.

[@frde2190]

Jurassic Park 2 is pretty good

[@rodster6campingprepper]

@@frde2190 I agree. I re-watched it a couple of years ago and I'm actually a big fan of it now. As a kid when i saw it I was disappointed but I'm glad I gave it another go now I'm older.

[@frde2190]

@@rodster6campingprepper cool, I’m the comment we’re you talking about Jurassic Park 3?

[@rodster6campingprepper]

@@frde2190 No at the time I meant Lost World as I didn't like it when I saw it in the cinema as a kid. But when I re-watched it a couple of years ago I really enjoyed it and it's now my second favorite Jurassic movie.

[@rumrunner8019]

Please, PLEASE do a retrospective of *"The Last Dragon"* It was cheese beyond cheese. I would love to hear you talking about the Shogun of Harlem without breaking into chuckles.

[@moviefanatic22]

I do agree that his installment is the goriest, but I disagree that it's the weakest in the franchise! I still stand by saying the 3rd film is the weakest for me! I personally thought this was better than the 3rd film! but, "Aliens" will always remain my favorite and the best of the films!

[@jblock2490]

moviefanatic19 have you seen the assembly cut? It's worth checking out. It might not change your mind completely but I felt as if I was watching a completely different movie.

[@luisvilla799]

I agree 100%

[@ikaros21]

Aliens 3 is way superior to this one. Alien 3 is a crude and detriment movie about survival and knowing that you have to make a choice for survival. Either trust the company and save your life or die and save humanity itself!

[@Spills51]

I peprsonally liked the movie when it came to Dvd....I dont know about now cause its been so long. I dont remember much but one scene that stuck with me was when the group had to swim and the Aliens started swimming after them...It was nail biting. Spoiler: The only other was I remember when Winona (Loved her and her acting back then...Until she stole stuff from a retail store and her career just disappeared for what felt like forever lol, talk about a bad move) was stabbed after they realized she was a cyborg.

[@TBfilms657]

Not the best Alien pic but at least you're somewhat entertained, that's a lot more than I have to say for Alien3

[@jamiebraswell5520]

Alien 3 has its problems, but overall it took Ripley in an unexpected but well played direction. The fourth film is just utterly stupid, campy nonsense. It may have a few good story ideas here and there, but it all came together into a mess that doesn't fit well into the series and presented in a visual style that I actually find insulting. I wish I could erase it from my memory.

[@SuperOmnicronsj44]

And that trick shot that Weaver made in the basketball scene ... really happened. I don't know if it was one take or not, but it was real.