Questionable resurrection doesn't detract from brilliantly revived 'Alien' series

Thought Ripley was dead? Think again. Sigourney Weaver is reborn as Ripley and she's bigger and badder than ever.

REVIEW
	Alien Resurrection At Briarwood and Showcase

"Alien Resurrection" opens with scientists in space who are trying to breed aliens. They do so by resurrecting Lt. Ellen Ripley and having her carry an alien baby in her womb. Once they have the alien offspring, they could care less about Ripley. She is left to struggle with the idea of being re-created and knowing that it is only a matter of time until the aliens break loose. The makers of the movie did quite a respectable and convincing job of bringing Ripley back to life.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("The City of Lost Children") does well as the fourth director in as many movies for the series. He keeps the "action" shots fresh and new. In fact, his only downside is that he lets the movie tail off badly at the end.

The script is very well done for an action movie. It moves along rapidly and gives the characters room to grow and develop throughout the movie. The dialogue is good, although most of the good lines have already been exploited in the theatrical trailer. Another weak point is that you're not too worried about the outcome of the main character since she has already died.

Excluding Winona Ryder (Call), the supporting cast is made up of unknowns, and none of them do anything to make a name for themselves. Ryder does a nice job with her part, but it is hard to take her seriously when she acts so violently.

Even with a strong performance from Ryder, this is clearly Weaver's show.

"Frankly, my dear, I'm a resurrected part-alien and I don't give a damn how many Oscar nominations you have." Professional alien-buster Sigourney Weaver stars with first-time action heroine Winona Ryder in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Alien Resurrection."

From the beginning of the movie, she owns the screen whenever she is on it. She looks death in the eye and smiles. She delivers her lines with a cool matter-of-factness that leaves others shaking their heads. For Ripley, the behavior of the aliens is so obvious that it's laughable to her how long it takes the others to catch on.

Once the aliens break out of the science lab, Ripley teams up with Call and her gang of space pirates to go up against them. The best sequence of the movie takes place when Ripley and the pirates are trying to make it back to the pirates' ship. They are forced to swim underwater through part of the space ship with aliens in hot pursuit. The expressions of the characters are accentuated underwater as they struggle to fend off the aliens and not lose their breath. They shoot rockets back at the enemy, and the underwater explosions look spectacular.

Another strong point of the movie is its set design. The interior of the spaceship is a maze of sliding doors with who-knows-what behind each one. The sets are also very dark, which helps make the explosions look even more vibrant.

The downside to "Alien Resurrection" is the last 20 minutes, during which we explore the relationship between Ripley and the aliens that came from her.

Ripley has a strange bond with the aliens (which is a little hard to swallow considering the aliens have been chasing her for the entire movie).

"Alien Resurrection" is not for the weak of heart. It contains loads of graphic violence and several shots of decapitated bodies.

There is a great deal of bloodshed and there are a few scenes that involve the dissection of Ripley's new body (that scientists create from blood and flesh samples). So if you're queasy, be forewarned.

But if you can look past the violence and bear with the ending you should be in for an enjoyable movie - with a great performance from Sigourney Weaver to boot.

Weaver's Ripley is back from the dead to seduce and destroy the aliens.

12-01-97