Here we have the black sheep of the Alien franchise. After the disaster that was "Alien 3", it's obvious that producers were looking to go in the polar opposite direction of that film. So this is a bombastic, almost comic book-like horror/action film. It certainly contains more gore and dark humor than any other film in the series, but in my opinion, it's a welcome divergence. Perhaps it was a bit too much for audiences at the time, and it's far from a perfect film, but also far from bad or mediocre. It hits that sweet spot right between "decent" and "good", that's simply fun. Screenwriter Joss Whedon was brought on board, so it's no surprise that the film has the feel of a comic. The direction and artistry of Jean-Pierre Jeunet shines through as well. Jeunut was known for his colorful, artistic fantasy films such as "The City Of Lost Children" and "Delicatessen", and he brings his distinct visual flair to this film, making it easily the most visually stunning installment in the franchise. The effects work is also brilliant. The Xenomorphs are shown far more often in this film than any other, but somehow this works. The focus here isn't so much on suspense or tension, and rather gory, witty fun, so seeing the monsters more often is a given. I'm also of the opinion that the "hybrid" creature at the end of the film is terrifying, and one of the most fascinating monster designs in cinematic history.
The cast helps keep things moving, with a colorful collection of characters. Sigourney Weaver obviously relishes exploring new aspects of Ripley's character, and spouting more sarcastic one-liners. Ron Perlman steals his scenes as, well, himself, and Dominique Pinon gives the most memorable turn as a wheelchair-bound badass with a heart of gold. And the film is at it's best when delivering crazy action scenes and inventive gore. It's not as strong on story, but the Alien franchise has never been about complex mythology, and this one honestly takes it's plot in some more daring, and interesting directions. It doesn't deserve the ridicule it gets, and I always have tons of fun re-watching it. A shame we never got a continuation of this style and story, because it could've taken the franchise to some creative new places.
