The Alien 3 Ret-Con by Aliens: Colonial Marines - Explained

Aliens: Colonial Marines and its campaign, "Stasis Interrupted" saw the return of Corporal Hicks to the Alien franchise. This video takes a look at the ret-con that made this plot aspect possible.
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[@user-ct8my8rv9c]

"Its been almost 30 years now since the release of Aliens 3.." Damn I feel old..

[@skepticalmagos_101]

Amen 😂😂

[@pinkacid]

Came out the year I was born, I feel like a relic already!

[@chrissherrill6524]

Me too.

[@thenorthernfilmguy6948]

@AOC'S penis Felt exactly the same. I had been fooled by the trailers into thinking Alien 3 would be full of action and suspense. And back then there was not internet to warn us about what was coming ;)

[@entertherealmofchaos]

@Chris Donahue : }

[@elfboy29]

It's a good movie, the problem is the first two are masterpieces by master directors. And Hicks and Newt dead before the opening credits is still the biggest ever kick in the balls in a cinema seat I've ever experienced.

[@braxxian]

Agreed. Alien 3 is actually a pretty good movie, it just had the unfortunate fate of having to follow on from 2 masterpieces. Also killing Hicks and Newt in the opening credits gutted it for many fans, that was a big mistake.

[@MAMoreno]

Alien 3 had a master director, but he was treated by Brandywine and Fox as if he didn't know what he was doing. (James Cameron faced similar problems while working on Aliens, but the disrespect was coming from the crew, not the producers and the studio, so the power dynamics were different.) And I'd argue that killing off Geena Davis's character at the beginning of The Fly II is probably worse than killing off Hicks and Newt.

[@NavySharkz]

@@MAMoreno He went on to become a master director. Look at any of the behind the scenes footage and you can see that this was his first big studio franchise picture and he was out of his element. Having said that, I thought that he did an admirable job for his first time out.

[@NavySharkz]

I remember sitting in the theater on opening day. When that scene came up, I swear half of the audience let out a collective "what the fuck", myself included. I almost couldn't make it for the rest of the movie. Oddly enough, I had no problem with Ripley dying as I felt that she never should have been a franchise character to begin with.

[@MAMoreno]

@@NavySharkz He wasn't out of his element. He was already an experienced commercial, documentary, and music video director. Rather, he was second-guessed and undermined (even though Scott and Cameron were also "inexperienced" when they made their Alien films). At least, that's the implication of the complete version of the Wreckage and Rage documentary.

[@erikrodriguez3829]

To me, hicks ,newt and Ripley are all alive and in cryo stasis.

[@mephilatian]

Don't forget uncle Bishop.

[@brandonessick775]

I agree

[@robertfortier2136]

*I agree.* *Alien 3 was all a bad dream by Ripley in stasis. Nothing more than that. Time to move forward with a proper and well executed Alien 3.*

[@naveedclifton]

Drift-voyaging in the Black Seas of Infinity, yes?

[@pinkacid]

Stasis being the eternal embrace of peace...as in death? They’re gone.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

Michael Behin stated in a interview that he felt really hurt when he learnt he wouldn't be returning for Alien 3 and he didn't understand why Hicks had to be killed off.

[@MegaJetty1]

When you talk of Hicks and fate, all I could think of was the line Kyle Reese, also played by Michael Beihn, recited to Sarah Connor in The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). "The Future is not set. There's NO FATE but what we make for ourselves."

[@johnm3907]

The problem with that quote is that it doesn't make sense. The terminator 1 story is a constant loop The future can't be changed

[@danielwhite1670]

Even the actor Michael Biehn was upset with the fact they killed him off in Alien 3. Always thought that was a really bad move because Hicks and Newt were such great characters. They chose to kill off Hicks and Newt because they wanted Ripley to feel a hatred towards the Xenomorph, isolating her from people she cared about. It always seems to take something away from her, such as her friends from The Nostromo, and now Hicks and Newt.

[@deadpilled2942]

Sigourney Weaver never wanted to be in Alien sequels, you would think they'd passed the torch to Newt and Hicks instead

[@keithomelvena2354]

Alien 3 wasn't a bad movie, it just didn't live up to expectations generated by 2. It was more horror than action, like the first movie.

[@danielwhite1670]

@@keithomelvena2354 I actually liked Alien 3 a lot. Certainly better than Resurrection.

[@keithomelvena2354]

@@danielwhite1670 I took my then GF to see it when it was in theatres. She hated it. Kind of ruined my experience too. Watched it again recently and got a whole new appreciation. 🙂

[@danielwhite1670]

@@keithomelvena2354 Yea 3 deserves more love imo. The whole concept of the film was good while introducing a new breed of xenomorph which added to the franchise. Has a great cast too.

[@robertoneill1979]

I'm surprised at how much I enjoy the "Out of the Shadows" dramatisation; the voice work and audio effects are spot on, and the story's pretty good. I can understand them using Rutger Hauer to voice Ash, but always wish they'd used the wonderful Ian Holm. Ah well... too late now 😥

[@ryanzeid146]

I heard Holm was asked to reprise the role for the audio drama, but unfortunately he was too ill to do so.

[@robertoneill1979]

@@ryanzeid146 I never knew that. Such a pity, it really would have been the cherry on top. I've only recently realised how many of my favourite movies feature him. Recently rewatched ALIEN and his subtle but completely invested performance is incredible 🤩 Thanks for your response to my original comment👍

[@alucard624]

@@ryanzeid146 It's also the reason he didn't voice Ash for the Alien Isolation DLC based on the first movie.

[@jarretthuff830]

Honestly I think him surviving doesn’t hurt the franchise and if the whole story of aliens colonial marines could be reworked story wise and just be book based with far more impressive writing you could have these events lead to the ending of river of pain leading to some big showdown that could Be amazing if done right. He was one of my favorite characters and got a bad rap. He was a soldier and he should have gone down like one not dying in a tube but fighting.

[@irishwolfvlogs8960]

oorah

[@HOTD108_]

I kind of love the dark realism to how a hero like Hicks doesn't get a dramatic and climactic death, but rather an abrupt and wasteful demise. It's tragic and feels bad, but that happens in real life sometimes, and it's thematically appropriate for Alien I feel. To this day Alien³ has some of the most hard hitting character deaths of any other fiction I've seen, and although it hurts, I kind of love it for that.

[@WickedFireBird69]

I always liked the idea of A "reboot" movie starting with an Adult Newt waking up to Ripley being alive and saying she had bad dreams about her dying from "the monsters".

[@Section8Spectre]

I honestly don't mind this game all that much. The story of Colonial Marines, along with some of the characters and the dialog is good, the game play, graphics and execution, not so much. It's DLC Stasis Interrupted I thought was much better. As for the retcon, as campy as it is, without pulling off what they did in the comics by totally ignoring Alien 3, I thought it wasn't half bad. I mean they wanted to bring back a beloved character who didn't deserve to go out like he did, and their hand's were tied narratively so there's only so many ways it could be done. I like it just because it gave us back my favorite character in the franchise. Now I would like to see more of his story, Hicks and his marine buddies waging a guerilla war against the Company and stopping at nothing to derail their xeno research. Would make for a great comic or follow up game.

[@BulletTooth504]

I find Hicks's survival and the other events in Colonial Marines slightly more plausible than Ripley's daughter also having a xenomorph encounter and waaaaaaaaay more likely than those recent novels.

[@ReluctantWarrior]

Key word there is 'sightly', its still contrived almost to the point of parody. Isolation's events could still have reasonably happened, given when it takes place.

[@Clay3613]

Game was fucking awesome though.

[@YrielRazik]

Hicks is still dead. This game doesnt retcon the story. In Aliens movie, Hicks is put into stasis bandaged up on face and body with no shirt. In this shitty game he has a shirt on and no bandages. This storyline is alternate universe.

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

@@ReluctantWarrior Wait are you saying Isolation is an outright parody?

[@ReluctantWarrior]

@@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319 Not at all, I'm saying that Colonial Marines feels like a parody with how contrived it is.

[@TheCommander35]

I wholeheartedly disagree about accepting the Alien 3 deaths of those characters as canon. To me, I disregard that film as canon just as much as you disregard Colonial Marines. Alien 3 is like an alternate reality as you say Marines is. To this day, the level of disrespect to the fans of Aliens is felt immensely. After watching interviews of Michael Biehn during that time era, hearing his point of view about being blown off and not really even acknowledged or even asked about reprising his role, then finding out from a friend that the studios and Fincher went ahead behind his back and attempted to use his face mold for the corpse in the pod without his permission. That makes me hate the movie even more and I’m glad that Michael gave a big fuck you to all of them and denying them the opportunity to use the mold. Then taking it a step further, forcing them to pay up big money to use only that crappy image beside the body. We should have had an Aliens sequel, not Alien 3 and not Colonial Marines. But it’s too late for that, no matter what they try to do. It’s game over, man.

[@HotelCharliHill]

I totally agree. One thing I DO appreciate about the choice to kill him and newt is simply in the reality that in real life, unexpected awful things happen to the people we love. And if an EEV crash lands on a planet, people gonna' die....

[@Vaultboy101]

Yeah, except ACM was made by a bunch of swindling hacks and Alien 3 had genuine talent behind it.

[@TheCommander35]

Vaultboy101 Talent or not, it was so unnecessary to make a film like that. Not to mention the jumbled mess of not having a solid script before production even began, where they literally had whole sets being built for the movie without knowing what the fucking story was going to be about. It shows that it was a messy production and not well planned out at all. James Cameron was down to take control and forge the next sequel and obviously Michael Biehn was ready to roll as well. You could have had the ultimate trilogy of all time, and then if you wanted to do a dark spinoff, years later, then that would be fine. But only if they had given our beloved characters proper closure first.

[@TheCommander35]

Hotel CharliHill Yeah, but not everybody likes real life, depressing shit for one, for two people loved the originals for the escapism from reality itself and for the characters. Wanting these fictional people to succeed and live and overcome the Aliens. But if their time comes to die, it should be done in a bit more dramatic or badass kind of way. If they killed Hicks during the actual film and not the opening scene, I may have enjoyed it more. You can’t just have characters survive all the bullshit in the previous movies and have them die in a pod crash. That comes across as lazy storytelling in my opinion. Just for the sake of gettting Ripley in a spot where she’s all alone. You have to earn it before you can kill main characters like that.

[@pinkacid]

The same can be said with the level of disrespect Aliens did to Alien. Reducing the completely alien beast to nothing but a large ant that can be smushed by guns. Changing the genre to action. Cameron btw wanted to do Starship Troopers, but used the wrong franchise. Knowing that they wouldn’t have the balls to kill a child character, so you knew that her and Weaver would survive the film. The cringe hollywood happy ever after ending in a bleak universe centred around a unknown being who’s themes consist of rape, murder and parasitisation. But ALIEN³ is the one that screwed it all up? Like it or not, ³ is canon, it ended Ripley’s story in line with the first films uncaring bittersweet universe- it’s a truer sequel to Alien, but a lesser film compared to Alien and Aliens.

[@SlyRy]

I love the Alien 3: Assembly Cut

[@FM-mtgln]

check out the third cut

[@ryanmarquez9404]

All the cuts and edits and its still bad

[@spaceghostworks8743]

@@FM-mtgln Where can I watch a third cut?

[@91lifetime23]

My favorite of the holy trilogy

[@MAMoreno]

Yeah, it fixes my main problem with the original cut of the film (not getting to know the convicts well enough to care about them), and I probably enjoy it about as much as the Special Edition of Aliens. Granted, I don't think that Aliens is nearly as good as Alien, so I'm more open to Alien 3's story and tone regardless.

[@Retr0Bunn113]

Is it wrong that I love his narration? Definitely someone who would read an entire novel.

[@LorenHelgeson]

"If you like that, you're gonna looooove this." - referring to his readings of the Ryushi AvP comics.

[@auh2o148]

Yeah, sometimes people don't need to have the deep voice or the gruff voice, just the right voice. He's like the male version of the lady's voice narrarating the beginning of Wizards

[@robzilla730]

He's got an awesome narrator voice. Don't laugh but he sounds like a better, cooler, younger Tom cruise.

[@tulinfirenze1990]

His voice is very soothing. He does need some input on word pronunciation, however. In other videos he pronounces "chitinous" as Kite-inus. The "chit" is pronounced EXACTLY as it's spelled. Another word he cannot seem to get right is "carbine", as in to do with guns. He pronounces it "car-been", whereas, once again, it is pronounced EXACTLY as it is spelled; "car-byne".

[@julianmarco4185]

Personally I think that you can retcon Hicks exactly for similar reasons: they get caught by the company or someone else and they wake up Hicks and use Ripley and Newt as hostages. It makes sense to wake him up since he is a marine and Ripley and Newt are just civilians. And civilians can stay asleep for as long as they need to be. The story needs to he a little more complicated than just this though... you need them at least an hour in the story and they should be ejected when Hicks isn't aware of it. He doesn't have to know what happens to Ripley.

[@tunguskalumberjack9987]

Just browsing through the comments before leaving my own, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I’m not alone in liking Alien 3. That said, I don’t think it can hold a candle to the first two movies, but I genuinely enjoyed it for it’s strengths, namely the very effective bleakness of the environment, and the incredible acting on the part of the cast. It’s not a perfect movie- but it’s what we got, and while I would have preferred some changes, it’s certainly a lot better than a lot of other sci-fi sequels out there. Thanks for the video- I really enjoy your channel.

[@Jordan-el9he]

@Mark Brigandi, absolutely agree! I like the bleakness of the film as well (as long as the only version that I'm watching at that moment is the assembly cut); I'm not much of a fan of the theatrical version. That being said, I hope that you look at my recent comment as an add-on to yours with the concept of the game being cannon with Alien3.

[@tunguskalumberjack9987]

Jordan Eldridge unfortunately, I’ve only seen the theatrical version- I’m looking forward to seeing the Assembly Cut someday- I’m sure that I’ll appreciate it when I do. 👍🏻

[@pinkacid]

Mark Brigandi You won’t regret it, it makes it a whole different film, friend- if you want, you can check out the third cut- a fan edit that mixes both versions as well as some other footage not found in either- it’s on the avp galaxy forums.

[@tunguskalumberjack9987]

p 1 n k 8 c 1 d That’s very cool- thank you for letting me know where to find it! It’s much appreciated-

[@bigbadwolf6744]

I too watch the assembly cut

[@shoretroopercaptaintarras1876]

Colonial marines was officially recognised as canon not long after its release, and that is indeed canonized by the people who own the aliens franchise. Interpret it how you want, Hicks is officially still alive in the canon, doesn't matter how you look at it.

[@superdrinkingpepsi]

Nope Colonial Marines got decanonized

[@shoretroopercaptaintarras1876]

@@superdrinkingpepsi counter argument: don't fuckin care

[@GeminiWoods]

I never cared much for Alien 3. I remember as a kid rewatching the first 2 over and over till I basically could recite all the dialog from memory. The third bummed me out hard. They could have gone in so many directions, done so many things and that's what came out of it all? Naw, that shit was a punch in the gut. Haven't played ACM but I honestly want to give it a shot just to see.

[@gregoryjr9370]

Agreed

[@Usernamesdontmatter1]

I played ACM. Don't. It belongs in the trash and nearly killed the franchise

[@budtloper1]

ACM is ok. It returns Hicks to us so I forgive the game for placing more emphasis on human enemies than xenos.

[@MLPDethDealr32]

@@Usernamesdontmatter1 uh , im sorry but who do you think you are to take away someone else' decicion making skills? I hope Gemini played through it. People like you act so arrogant its sickening.

[@Firefrab]

I played ACM a few years ago (yeah im late to the reply party) but it honestly is better than people make out, especially when you are unaware of the controversy as I was back then

[@ShadowPredator31]

i always figured since the Alien Queen was attached to her egg sack literally minutes before stowing away, she must have had at least one egg left in her and thats where the Sulaco egg came from

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

I always thought that too.

[@victoriagill3337]

Exactly this.

[@mikeadams7904]

Always My assumption

[@inuyasha8484]

I like the idea of the game and how you can add more of it. I think having it all be a nightmare would do better in my opinion. Hick has his nightmare like the game and Ripley has her in the alien 3 and 4th movie as well. As for newt she had to many nightmares from being on lv428. Let her have sweet dreams

[@NavySharkz]

Newt is a child who lost her family and friends to aliens, witnessed the Marines get taken down by aliens, and was abducted and cocooned by an alien. If any of them are going to have the worst nightmares it is going to be her!

[@Xenosaurian]

I would love to see (1) a remastered and improved version of the game much more in line with what we were originally promised and (2) a continuation of some sort in either video game or comic book formats akin to Amanda Ripley's chronicles.

[@Trowarr]

"Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comics Series" is my choise of sequel and it predates Alien 3.

[@wiictvchannel1112]

Now we can have some answers to the mess ups that the studio and Weaver had on the film!

[@YrielRazik]

Hicks is still dead. This game doesnt retcon the story. In Aliens movie, Hicks is put into stasis bandaged up on face and body with no shirt. In this shitty game he has a shirt on and no bandages. This storyline is alternate universe.

[@alucard624]

@@YrielRazik We get it. You hate this story and prefer the mess that is Alien 3. Good for you.

[@mikeadams7904]

​@@YrielRazik the game is canon. It was officially stated. It is a bit crap, but it's a fact

[@superdrinkingpepsi]

​@@mikeadams7904It's not canon anymore

[@MikefromTexas1]

Idk exactly what it is, but somethin' about the mix of the ambient background tones and your voice make your vids so relaxin' and fun to watch. I'm always so invested in each one.

[@fabianroblero]

Hope to see Hicks, Newt and Bishop alive in the future

[@alexandernichols413]

I like to think of stories like this as occurring in an alternate quantum reality. The many worlds approach. It happened somewhere, just not anyplace we can access.

[@dejay6700]

Alien 3 was my first Alien. Knowing that CM is certified canon I have a hard time ignoring it. Strangely this vid made me want to re-play it

[@xenofoxx]

When Alien 3 came out, I remember liking it. The lose of Hicks and Newt was just par for the course, as Ripley had already lost so much. Sometimes life doesn't give you a happy ending. It also made her sacrifice more profound. She had given her all to ensure the company did not get their hands on the xenomorph. Her final act was to ensure all she had went through, all the lives lost, was worth it. She knew the greed and mismanagement of Weyland would lead to an alien outbreak on earth. If she allowed that, Hicks, Newt, the marines, the colonists, her original crew, would have all died for nothing. It was only later that I learned of all the problems in production, staff changes and script re-writes. It's not a perfect movie, but I think it brought good closure to the series (at the time) because of the above statement.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

Maybe killing off Newt was the right thing cos some of the convicts on Fury 161 were child molesters. Not good. But Xenoffox you are right, the loss of Newt and Hicks did make Ripley's sacrifice more profound and meaningful and her sacrifice would be saving millions on Earth.

[@Odious_One]

I don't think ANYONE expected a happy ending in these stories but the death of Newt and Hicks was just a hard Fuck You to most fans and even Michael Biehn himself.

[@Usernamesdontmatter1]

Tbh even if it was a low point....maybe the franchise should have just ended at 3

[@gabrielinostroza4989]

It really is a huge shame Aliens: Colonial Marines ended up being a disappointment of such magnitude because something plugging these holes in the story was sorely needed, same with anything giving the Colonial Marines some love, which they really didn't get in the pseudo A-team story.

[@darklighter66]

Apparently a big issue was doen to a ong character mistake in a line of code that affected enemy AI.

[@brandonhughes4571]

@Film Buff exactly and they won't even admit it too

[@julianmarco4185]

They should have worked on it even after release and make it awesome. Once you hit rock bottom, you can only go up. And people would have wanted something better polished. The only thing that sunk it to the ground is that writing.

[@matics898]

@@julianmarco4185 You can't fix bad writing.

[@yurgpowerful1444]

I take it as a canon, he is alive.

[@TheGreatDevlin]

The fact that Ripley believes them to be dead makes them as good as dead

[@DarthRavan2012]

The Story in Aliens: Colonial Marines was alright, it's just the Visuals and Gameplay that were utter trash.

[@BradAaronTaylor]

_"Alien 3 Ret-con"_ One of the most dreaded phrases in my universe! I LOVE A3 - it's a hauntingly beautiful movie.

[@rojaws1183]

A3 is underrated but could also have been much better.

[@gondorknight83]

How dare you have an opinion other than the popular one?! Don't you know this is the internet?

[@BradAaronTaylor]

@@gondorknight83 My bad! 😆 Elliot Goldenthal's score is *magical* too. One of the very best of the 90s. _Adagio_ is amazing!

[@FrankNFurter1000]

‘Hauntingly beautiful’ is such an apt description for Alien 3. I love the film.

[@BradAaronTaylor]

@@FrankNFurter1000 Amen! 🙂

[@0errab0]

Alien 3 being a hyper sleep dream would be awesome!

[@rgoodwin1810]

My theory as to how the facehuggers got on the Sulaco - as explained by Bishop in Aliens, it takes about 50 minutes flight time to get from LV-426 to the Sulaco. (About 50 minutes flight time for him to remote pilot the dropship from the Sulaco to the surface, so presume the same amount of time to return to the Sulaco.) The Queen was set up to churn out eggs as fast as possible, with the attached tubing seen offering a way for her to place eggs further away from her without her having to move, at a minimum. Convenient, not necessary. In the 50 minutes of flight time, the Queen continues to lay eggs that she attaches to the dropship. These eggs are unseen by Ripley & Bishop, just as the Queen was unseen until she moved and skewered Bishop. At least 3 eggs are laid - one that attaches to Ripley's face, one that is on the cryo tubes as they enter the EEV (and this is the one that hatches down on Fury), and one that attempts to penetrate Newt's or Hicks' tube, and injures itself in the process, dripping acid and causing the fire. The injured facehugger is not the one on Ripley, or she would have acid burns. Depending on how fast the Queen was laying eggs, there is/was the potential of additional eggs attached to the dropship, which could have been recovered by the W-Y Company.

[@davidmace3310]

I wanted them to see them get the happy ending they deserved after Aliens ( granted with a lot PTSD): Hicks gets a big promotion, marries Ripley and they both adopt Newt. They deserved that much.

[@planexshifter]

Why do you need the cookie-cutter happy ending bullshit?

[@gabemcknight8933]

That would be boring as hell

[@MAMoreno]

It's a little too Disney. Oh, wait: Disney owns the franchise now! Will Newt return from the dead as a Disney Princess?

[@jonathangimenos]

A very "normie" happy ending

[@MorliHolect]

If they had made it back to Earth they wouldn't have had a happy quiet life. They knew all the nasty stuff the company had done and Weyland-Yutani would have tried to silence them.

[@Spartan878455]

They really need to do the Earth War as movies or a TV series.

[@ElimGarakSpoonHead]

Theyd just make it woke trash like Star Wars Star Trek etc

[@pinkacid]

Elim Garak yeah, keep that away- save it from that fate.

[@martinmanky9015]

@@ElimGarakSpoonHead Exactly

[@Clay3613]

@@ElimGarakSpoonHead Disney handled Marvel well. You know damn well they won't let Ridley or people like Shane Black put out the shit that;s been going on for 15 years.

[@X1M43]

At this point, I just think of it as a multiverse. Ridley Scott gets a canon. James Cameron gets a canon. Gearbox gets a canon. Giler and Hill get a canon if they get their sequel off the ground. Dark Horse Comics gets a canon. Neil Blomkamp and William Gibson get canons. Did you write a fanfic in the late 90s? You get a canon.

[@viz4884]

> Did you write a fanfic in the late 90s? You get a canon. LMAO

[@mikeadams7904]

😂

[@irina1296]

Alien 3 is a great film and has a very emotional and epic ending for Ripley's story. Sad but still great

[@everythingplacechannel]

I'm not gonna lie alien 3 was a pretty good movie

[@mephilatian]

Yeah, so many problems behind the scenes but it was bittersweet and the finale was emotional to me. It betrayed the characters from Aliens sure, but not in the way...say The Last Jedi did with Luke Skywalker. I must say some of the logic was a bit choppy.

[@ArtofLunatik]

Better than resurrection thats for sure lol

[@zaprese]

Yes I loved it and can’t stand it when I see so many people say ‘There are only 2 Alien movies’ as far as I’m convergence, if Ripley is in it, then it’s Alien!!’

[@MrNegativecreep07]

The Assembly Cut is definitely a flawed diamond - it undeniably has its flaws, but still way better than its reputations suggests

[@Clay3613]

Aside from Hicks and Newt dying, yes.

[@TheFluffyDuck]

Alien isolation was awesome, and so well done. I consider it canon.

[@jollygoodfellow3957]

Regarding the differences in the facehuggers, I think A:CM was going by the theatrical version where the opening scene shows what looks like a normal facehugger.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

I actually really like Alien 3, so much so that it's my second favorite after Aliens. I loved the Newt and, especially, Hicks characters, but I get why they didn't fit them into the 3rd story. Ripley needed to be isolated again in order for the story to proceed the way they wanted it to. However, the Assembly Cut is the far better version of the story. And I wish they could have done slightly more along the lines of what they'd fully wanted to do. My only dislike regarding 3 is the digital effects of the xenomorph. I wish it could have been practical all the way through.

[@Barcodum]

Well, using CM:SI’s premise, you could argue that Burke found a “special” egg and hid it in the escape pod assuming it to be the safest way to smuggle it through Gateway quarantine.

[@healthyfire]

I'd rather watch Alien 3 than alot of the stuff comin out now

[@X1M43]

@Hannibal Hyde There were a lot of people who gave it their all - Fincher, Weaver, Dutton, Dance, and many of the cast and crew. I put the blame on Fox. But the Assembly Cut goes a long way toward making a good film out of it. I still don't forgive the pointless deaths of Newt and Hicks, but I can respect the film that came out of it.

[@Dimetropteryx]

​@Hannibal Hyde Alien 3 WAS a good movie and still is the third best in the franchise.

[@MLK-KAEFENTERPRISES]

Not me-Alien 3 sucked.

[@czar225]

@Hannibal Hyde No he's not alone. Alien 3 sucked, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Covenant. Dumbest fucking characters in film history. "Oh hey, I'll trust this android and peek into the creepy egg, even though I just saw said-android trying to make-out with an alien that killed one of my crew-members." People just did stupid shit, that no-one would ever do, just to advance the plot. It was some of the worst story-telling I've ever seen in a movie.

[@williamsond667]

I actually like Alien 3 for what it is and watch it to this day. But when you compare it to the majesty of Alien and Aliens it doesn't stand a chance.

[@grey8940]

Damn, your voice is so perfect for all these Aliens lore videos.. Thanks for the good work

[@nerdprodigy0808]

I love aliens and I love your passion to always bring good content

[@futoijosei]

I love Alien 3. I thought it was atmospheric and pretty well written. Having Ripley die at the end was the best and most true ending to Ripley as a character (in the film universe).

[@Draeka]

Hicks and Stone may break my bones but Turk will never harm me. Cause he's dead.

[@darthsenate9506]

I actually really enjoyed this game and poured hour after hour into it, finding the marines weapons and little Easter eggs and actually being able to look around and explore LV-426 was absolutely amazing hope someday we can get an aliens game that can improve on this formula ten fold

[@chaosiscoming9184]

I just want to see Alien 5. I want to see an alive Queen facehugger, I want to see a baby Queen, and lots of Aliens

[@mohanicus]

the uncut version was very good.. way better than the theatrical release

[@TheOne5872-n3n]

Ok here goes, i love alien CM why!!? I live in a alien franchise desert the offerings r far and few sooo when i heard about ACM, i was so excited, was the game the best ever? for me, i enjoyed it, it looks like alien, sounds like alien your a marine on LV 23, the later patch helped a lot, fixed some things. But its scary everytime i hear the meter counter, i own a ps4 but after a hard day on the front lies during the pandemic on goes the ps3, its my oasis afterwards, i like it ,im a marine on a nuked out xenoinfested rock in the greatest F@$king sci fi franchise ever!!! i enjoy it and dwayne hicks is watching my 6, its kinda cool its cannon to me. Now,follow the queen thats our way off this rock Hoorah!!! For bella!

[@TheOne5872-n3n]

The game is highly underated as a fan of the films its pretty accurate to aliens while adding more details like the inside of the Juggernaut and hadleys hope's top and bottom as well, if your a fan its a fix till the next film, and thats if the mouse ever deems we mortals worthy , i also like the gameplay and story, why has no one gone back to LV-23 or 26?

[@thomasspinola7417]

totally agree i enjoyed the game, is unfair and exagerated the hate has received.

[@TheOne5872-n3n]

Thank you, the hate is from first and third person shooter afficinados, which i understand however if your a fan of the franchise, its super familar, its fun pokeing around the sulocco and i know alien isolation looks far better and is truly frigthening, its great to have choice.A true fan understands that

[@MrElusive79]

I enjoyed the game, I don't need others to tell me if something is good or bad, I can decide that for myself, and I think Aliens CM is a good game.

[@Captain-Jinn]

You guys seem like you completely forget the incredibly horrible launch the game had with endless bugs (the Aliens half the time didn't even move), the really bad facial animations, most of the guns don't even sound right, the gameplay is a straightforward shooter on rails with little interaction or interesting mechanics other than look at motion tracker and pull trigger with the only mildly interesting things being the nostalgic music and set pieces throughout the game. Which that last thing by itself isn't necessarily bad, but everything else on top of that made it so shallow and uninteresting for me. And "only true fans really like it" is such a bullshit defense lol. If it didn't have the Alien name it wouldn't be a game even worth remembering let alone talking about. It's just an incredibly poorly received game that admittedly got some of it's footing back after a massive amount of bugfixes and fan patches)

[@belliott538]

Alien and Aliens are the ONLY Movies... Period! Ripley, Hicks, Newt and Bishop are still Out There! Love Your Channel!

[@noelienoelie8425]

It's good movie I've watched it many times. It was just a disappointing end to the trilogy. If it had of been a lone without Ripley it would have been better and done less damage.

[@stevencohen624]

Agreed, although without Ripley it would have been difficult to introduce the alien to Fury 161. Still, I would have loved to have seen either Charles S. Dutton or Charles Dance portray the protagonist.

[@thomasjmitchell2306]

Terrible movie!

[@williamsond667]

I was one of the many suckered into the hype of Colonial Marines, pre-ordering the £100 collector's edition.... I can't remember the last time I've felt so let down by anything in my life...

[@goncaloproa840]

Aliens is a great movie. It's a shame they never made a sequel.

[@Graves-81_69]

I liked the game. I’ve been a hardcore fan since 91 so I had a blast with the all the new ideas like Hicks being alive but I was let down with how the smartgun wasn’t more available

[@chrisallegre2897]

I love Aliens Colonial Marines. I'm not saying it's a great game but it's the first game I bought and played after my heart transplant. I enjoy the story overall. The A.I. is horrible but I always play co op with my son and he makes a great xenomorph killing companion.

[@alexanderbilstien3471]

"My mommy says that there are no monsters real ones but there are" Gear Box

[@juststained]

..but there are" Randy PItchford

[@desmondkaczynski8190]

"aliens 3"

[@dannymurray2807]

Been busy all year ooooh you have so much new content your a hard working drone a credit to your hive good sir...

[@SpartanRunnerXc]

Hicks is alive and aliens colonial marines is a cannon because if you recall and if you remember alien 4, Ripley the clone get information about how The company Wayland Yutani gets shut down because that movie takes place 200 years after the events of Alien3. And he duck says that a bunch of colonial marines shut them down so I would consider that enough information to consider at Cannon so yes Hicks is alive. And if you look at that guy Who died in the cryo-tube in Alien3 you can see the white bandage on his stomach just like in the game if you look really closely in enough details you can see the similarities.

[@somaticjet2717]

So frustrating that we got covenant instead of blomkamp 3

[@normster9871]

Yeah right...Ridley Scott killed his own creation with covenant. Still i cant believe we didnt get Blomkamps Alien. The idea was so great!

[@CarterJBurke]

Guess it depends. As a fan of FPS games, A:CM was a fun if mindless distraction that I enjoyed, especially as a fan of Hicks. I love the retcon and it's not truly any dumber than the whole "dream" angle or "clone" scenario that Resurrection used to restore Ripley. Cause the truth is...that wasn't Michael Biehn in that pod. Nor was it Carrie Henn. So if someone wants to come along and contrive a retcon that allows both to survive saying it wasn't them in the cryotubes...so be it. And if we're being honest...Amanda Ripley died off screen an elderly-woman and was cremated and interred at Westlake Repository, Little Chute, Wisconsin. So if that game-based retcon can be official and canon...so can Colonial Marines...

[@cutscenecinema9973]

Well this is annoying: I played Colonial Marines (hell, I pre-ordered the limited edition with powerloader statuette... which was actually the best part of the bundle...) and was very disappointed at the game. But the ultimate kicker was that the original version just ended with the reveal that Hicks was still alive. Because the bloody game wasn't finished. I didn't realise that they later finished it in DLC as I had no idea the Stasis Interrupted DLC existed. It wouldn't have saved the game from being pretty awful but it would have at least had an ending!

[@jordanwright2313]

I bought the collectors edition as well, but I played with a buddy so it wasnt to bad

[@pinkacid]

This was my first true wake-up call to never blindly preorder something- f*ck gearbox and randy pitchfork for butchering a promising game that never existed to begin with.

[@jordanwright2313]

@@pinkacid I did 2 pre orders from gearbox haha. DNF and Aliens, after aliens havent bought a gearbox game since

[@janstan8407]

The extended cut that was over 2 hours was great! It really filled out the plot, and the movie made more sense.

[@cgi2002]

Sad part is it still had one huge glaring plot hole in how things occured. The Suloco was a marine assault ship, the escape pod was from a military warship. Logically a military escape pod would have weapons aboard, you know, incase it landed in hostile territory. Hell for an escape pod which was designed to travel to a planet, enter the atmosphere, land, and support its occupants until rescue, it was badly designed as a whole. First it killed one of its occupants by stabbing them with a structural support, drowned a second (pods supposed to be sealed, tubes supposed to be sealed too, both failed) and managed to somehow smash a third to pieces, who shouldn't have even been aboard the escape pod as it only carried 3 cryo tubes anyway.

[@janstan8407]

@@cgi2002 WOW!! AMAZING POINT!! After watching these movies since first they came out, that NEVER dawned on me. Yeah, a drop ship would have at LEAST one assault rifle per pod, plus body armor plus knives and a few grenades. it's not like they are too expensive(for the military). Great catch!!

[@cgi2002]

@@janstan8407 always bugged me. Other part that bugged me is the ship itself had no crew. A 2 person drop ship flight crew is the closest they had to an actual crew, no maintenance staff or even androids for an entire warship, it's not just a marine transport ship, it's a frontline warship too.

[@janstan8407]

@@cgi2002 Another great point!!

[@janstan8407]

@@cgi2002 More great points. You've really thought it through!

[@TookieMacSpookie]

We all know by now.. It was the studios interference that left us with an "ok" alien movie.

[@keithomelvena2354]

"Maybe we got them demoralised" must be my all time favourite movie quote.

[@atomagevampn308]

I think that alien 3 is better than resurrection and both the prequels honestly.

[@mabusestestament]

It's a gem.

[@NavySharkz]

And both of the AvP movies.

[@BigHeadClan]

I'd personally put Resurrection over Aliens 3 although I find both films okay, both are 100% superior to both the prequel films however.

[@atomagevampn308]

@@NavySharkz I always forget the avp movies. That's how bad they are.

[@NavySharkz]

@@atomagevampn308 🤣🤣

[@purplecornstudios]

I’ve done this schpeel often, and honestly, it’s exhausting, so I’ll keep it concise this time. The key to understanding why the folks that keep laser-focusing on specific characters are wrong, is the difference between concept and premise. The concept is what makes the Alien franchise so fascinating. It’s herein that we find the big questions about- and critiques of humanity and corporatism, the biblical references and the moral complexities. When we talk about specific characters, in order to make their stories work, they must overcome a specific external conflict; the premise. It’s those conflicts that characters are pivotal to, but the broader concepts works without them because they are not driven by those characters. When the hook of your story is driven by specific characters, the impact of the concept is diluted and their conflicts become more internal over time, which in turn dilutes their external obstacles. This is absolutely detrimental to good storytelling and exactly why Star Wars and superhero movies, which revolve around specific characters, often don’t work. Discourse revolving around whether to bring back Ripley, which by the way, Sigourney Weaver has no interest in, or other characters like Hicks or Shaw, doesn’t help an already obtuse problem for the franchise. Personally, I’m far more interested in where Ridley Scott would take things without the constraints of uncritical analysis by internet dissenters and the infuriating disconnect of greedy movie studios.

[@robotnoir5299]

I believe after his success in stealing the DNA changing black-goo from District9, Ridley's next plan was to give all the characters black unobtanium suits, that sorta look like panthers, and they would fight over an "eternity glove" with five little colored gems in it. (I'm never going to get over Ridley looting Blomkamps ideas.)

[@comicsgatekeeper9746]

I absolutely loved that game,i had an blast and it really felt like aliens in tone and atmosphere. There were some plot fudging but mostly it's a game i adore and play through every few months

[@Osogladiator]

We know the Alien egg is on the ship at the end of Aliens. You hear it open and the facehugger skitter out after the credits roll.

[@freezetasticvoyage19]

I like this retcon, tbh.

[@zalemdreams]

What is the music used in Alien Theory's videos? The one at around 1:50. It's beautifully haunting.

[@fatherbewithme]

That's my Biggest issue with Ridley Scott he likes to introduce the audience to very well liked characters only to 86 their a$$es in the same movie or in the next film! Smh

[@Hartzilla2007]

Or off screen between the films.

[@BazztheBazz]

If you're talking about Shaw and the Engineers being offed between Prometheus and Covenant, then yeah, I absolutely agree, that was BS. But Hicks and Newt weren't on him, since he didn't direct Aliens or Alien 3.

[@auh2o148]

To be honest, other than Parker, Brett, Yanak, Milburn and Ripley, I don't like anybody else

[@bowlining]

I didn’t like Shaw, but I love Tennessee and Yanek. I just didn’t find Shaw that compelling

[@jonathanEricStaffordRealtor]

Ridley only did the first alien movie then the prequels... what are you talking about

[@TerribleContentz]

I enjoyed the game man, playing as the alien was and still is my favourite thing to do, hunting in shadows, screeching and screaming at marines to come here for a hug. The way you can use your deadly tail to not only kill with oh no but hit lights oooff that's some juicy gameplay right there and being able to go on every surface no matter the what is amazing, when I first played it confused the crap out of me but once I got use to it I couldn't stop. Good video man stay positive and keep it up

[@thedadbod5722]

Honestly any storyline, canon or not, where Hicks survives and fights on is better than being thrown away like garbage at the beginning of Alien 3...

[@rascalszx2]

It makes me wonder if Hicks would have yelled out to Ripley before she fell into the furnace if she would have turned around in time or at least turned around while she fell. Hicks: Ripley! Ripley (as she starts over the edge and turns her head toward Hicks' voice) : Hicks? WTF? Ripley (as she is falling): Well shit. This didn't work out as I planned.

[@formallyknownasj.a.2074]

What up brotha... I put the egg on the Sulaco! Anyways, like it or not Alien 3 will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you pops for taking me to see my first “Alien” movie in theaters.

[@InternetTAB]

I have to wonder if the game would have been better recieved if not for that code tether/teather typo blunder. The code tying the alien AI to the maps , so the AI knows the layout and different ways to approach and stalk in them, was undermined by a single fkn typo

[@tootallslim7655]

ALIENS: Colonial Marines will forever stand out in my memory as one of the biggest disappointments in gaming history. Only made worse by the fact that I paid full price for that piece of trash game.

[@bigwhopper6501]

It looked like a remastered ps2 game

[@rdxredrock]

So much went wrong. Development limbo, crappy graphics, the Xenos A.I. was dumb due to lazy programmers. An amateur programmer was able to fix the A.I. which was caused by a typo. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZPHqoyHgqirf8U

[@Bushprowler]

certainly the biggest fraud in gaming history.. remember all the lies? the propped up E3 footage? @@rdxredrock and it wasn't really fixed.. AI was shit even when fixed.

[@TeKnoVKNG23]

There was a lawsuit, 2 gamers sued Gearbox and Sega eventually settled out of court. Everyone got a full refund for the game if you were signed up for it. Been a long time though, but yeah the game was an utter disaster that I was so hyped for. The story of the game's development is fascinating to watch. Gearbox put up this strong front, did all these vidocs about how much they cared about ALIENS, while in the shadows they had pawned the game off to a 3rd party studio to finish while they worked on Borderlands. They got the game back 4 weeks before launch and it was apparently so shit they had to try to re-do it and shoehorn stuff into it, which is why it was such trash at launch. It was also discovered that they used a high end PC to "fake" their E3 footage to get people hyped and the footage and story mission shown at E3 wasn't even in the game. It was a complete shit show and SEGA wound up having to pay for it while Gearbox got away with it and went on to get lauded for all their borderlands games. One of the reasons I will never buy a Gearbox game as long as Pitchford is at the helm.

[@SirJungleBunny]

Duke Nukem would like a word with you.

[@saibot293]

Easily Best aliens channel. Very informative - love this franchise

[@michaelpeterson9254]

The game should be cannon and Dark Horse was the bomb.

[@ElimGarakSpoonHead]

The game was marred by a very terrible bug that should have been fixed with simple troubleshooting. On top of it Randy Pitchford really pissed off players. Gearbox’s name was on the cover but they subbed out the development to 3rd parties. So what they initially presented to gamers was NOT what they ended up getting. Many people were HIGHLY disappointed by the games state at release, and to make it worse that game shattering bug was a simple spelling error that when fixed, made the game far more interesting and fun to play.

[@chrissherrill6524]

Earth hive should have been alien 3.

[@alexandriacollins7119]

That may explain how the facehugger got on the ship, but not how it got into Ripley's stasis pod without setting-off the 'stasis interrupted' alarm.

[@shainewhite2781]

I would love to have seen a fifth Alien Movie with Ripley coming back, but ignoring events of the 3rd and fourth film in the series.

[@Bushprowler]

Ridley Scott made sure that we'll never get to see this movie.

[@CordellPotts]

Even with the trailers for Alien 3, I just didn't get the hints. I was so excited about my favorite franchise and a new movie that I didn't notice there were no shots of Newt or Hicks. The reveal during the opening of the movie was heartbreaking. I loved Alien 3 but it's for damn sure the darkest and saddest Alien film. I've always wanted it retconed, Even though I love the film... I loved Hicks & Newt more. Newt would have been the perfect character to watch grow up, learn , and then Excell at smashing bugs. Newt could have been... Should have been our new strong female lead.

[@aglazcano4047]

I'm still waiting to find out what the hell happens with David and his damn baby face huggers. I also miss Hicks and Ripley but get a grip, you gotta let em go. RIP Cpl. Hicks, Lt. Ripley and traumatized Newt.

[@stevencohen624]

Half the fans are attached to those characters. Unfortunately, Alien 3 severely damaged the franchise. It will never recover. It’s a pity. Aliens was a blockbuster hit when it came out. The series would have gone out on such a high note had Twentieth-Century Fox stopped making sequels at that point. But, it’s the nature of the industry to make sequels until the franchise collapses. A pity. That being said though, I’d love to see how David’s story plays out. I suspect that we would see an interesting retelling of the old Frankenstein story, with David’s creations turning against him.

[@markmorrison5671]

I really liked Alien 3. Just a shame Newt and Hicks weren't in the movie. It was good seeing Bishop even if he was all mangled up.

[@alaric_]

To me, Hicks and Newt are dead. The actual fact that they died gave more determination for Ripley, aliens had took something precious directly from her life. We have to remember that not counting the cryo sleep periods, Ripley haven't really been that much awake since the first encounter. Sure she missed her daughters life but she DID get to live. Whereas Newt was deprived of it at very young age, just as Ripley had began to accept Newt as her foster-child. And Hicks being something positive, something to like, amidst all the death and despair is still taken without her being able to do anything about it. I don't know why but i prefer it when movies actually make you feel something. Like losing a character that you grew to like. Life in the Alien-universe is *NOT* a happy happy joy joy life with everyone surviving who you like. Life in the actual universe is not like that. And the first two movies in the franchice showed that, characters with personality were killed without a chance to do anything. If Alien3 and Resurrection were just a dream, it would just mean that if you care something enough, it will survive. Even an alien. And exactly because of this i like Alien3. Your thoughts may vary.

[@themcadamsminute8494]

Alaric Balthi thank you for this outstanding comment!!!!

[@pinkacid]

Well said, you’re better at articulating the message this film conveys than I ever could.

[@tiltil9442]

That Cutter-Slade-looking guy in the thumbnail just makes for all kinds of inspiring associations...

[@contoscarvalho9848]

Alien 5, Neill Blomkamp movie pleeeeeeeaaassseeee....

[@Bushprowler]

Ridley Scott made sure that we'll never get to see this movie.

[@FM-mtgln]

тише танечка не плачь

[@pinkacid]

Pick your poison Ridley’s crap or Neil’s crap- trick question, neither was a good idea.

[@TheAkuma78]

Ive been an avid Alien fan for over 35 years and while Alien and Aliens were both masterpieces, the 3rd and 4th ones were always troubling. I preferred to think of 3 and 4 as dream sequences because they just did not get it right with those two. When Aliens: Colonial Marines offered to fix so much of the problems of Alien 3's sloppy writing I found it refreshing. Sure the game and story have some issues and is by no means perfect, but it is a rather enjoyable playthrough and experience for fans. However, weather you like it or hate it, it is established cannon by 20th Century Fox. Thank you for the video, I enjoy watching your channel. You have a lot of Alien Universe knowledge and I enjoy your uploads.

[@AM1780]

I don’t even accept Alien 3 or Resurrection as canon

[@Octavianus08]

Aliens is over after Aliens. I don’t understand how the studios can mess up all our franchises.

[@Punmaster9001]

I think alien 3 needs a retcon, but not that pathetic excuse for a game.

[@slim420-e8v]

It's a great game for fans when it's maxed out at 4k with ray tracing kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqurhGugfcSLqJo

[@carmenhernandez1321]

Thank you for doing this. I like this story. I am a big fan of all the alien movies. ❤❤

[@themcadamsminute8494]

Why can’t people get over the deaths of Newt and Hicks! They’re characters in stories who can change at any time. Get over it! Alien 3 is not a bad movie. It wrapped up the Ripley story well. Move on!

[@skylx0812]

No.

[@themcadamsminute8494]

Film Buff Bishop could have put the egg on there or the queen still could have had extra eggs.

[@pinkacid]

Film Buff It’s the Alien we’re talking about, an ever adapting, ever changing monstrosity..how has this long debated topic made folk so redfaced still to this day - The design changes to the cryo pods however...

[@shainewhite2781]

10:20, yeah the game was not well received, but it looks pretty promising, despite its supposed to ignore the events of ALIEN 3.

[@BioGoji-zm5ph]

I feel that this retcon is one of the few things that people LIKE about ACM, but I also feel that, had ACM been a much better game upon release, then this retcon would be much more widely known and accepted as well.

[@TheCandiDandi]

For me that awesome alien 3 audio drama with lance henriksen and michale bein is cannon