RoboCop (1987) Unrated Director's Cut Blu-Ray Review

Unrated (Theatrical Version Rated R)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 43 Minutes

Cast:

Peter Weller-Officer Alex J. Murphy/RoboCop

Nancy Allen-Officer Anne Lewis

Ronny Cox-OCP Vice President Richard 'Dick' Jones

Kurtwood Smith-Clarence J. Boddicker

Miguel Ferrer-OCP Executive Robert 'Bob' Morton

Daniel O'Herlihy-OCP CEO/The Old Man

Robert DoQui-Sergeant Warren Reed

Ray Wise-Leon C. Nash

Paul McCrane-Emil M. Antonowsky

Jesse Goins-Joe P. Cox

Calvin Jung-Steve Minh

Directed by Paul Verhoeven

Dead or alive, you're coming with me!

Note: Part of the "RoboCop Trilogy" Blu-Ray set.

Sometimes when I get really bored, I hold my TV remote like it’s a gun and pretend I’m RoboCop. What, do you think that’s stupid? Well, I don’t care what you think! “RoboCop,” released 24 years ago in 1987 and directed by Paul Verhoeven, is another one of those films that I grew up with. Come to think of it, my mother let me watch way too many films that were wildly inappropriate for my age but I turned out fine. Originally a stand-alone Blu-Ray released in 2007, the film is now packaged with the other two installments as part of the “RoboCop Trilogy” box set. Despite a silly name and premise, “RoboCop” attacked and satirized American capitalism to gleeful effect in addition to providing plenty of explosions, making it one of the best action films ever made.

In a dystopian future, the city of Detroit, Michigan is teetering on the brink of collapse due to unchecked crime and financial ruin. Mega-corporation OCP (Omni-Consumer Products) privatizes the city’s police force, planning to destroy ‘Old Detroit’ and replace it with a supposed utopia called ‘Delta City.’ Unable to proceed due to rampant crime, the company looks into building a robotic replacement for law enforcement. Vice president Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) presents a large, bipedal robot named ED-209 in a board meeting but during the demonstration, an executive gets accidentally killed. Another executive, Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), reveals that he has a backup plan and is given the go-ahead to proceed by OCP’s CEO (Dan O'Herlihy). Meanwhile, Alex J. Murphy (Peter Weller) has joined the Metro-West precinct and with his partner Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen) chases a group of criminals led by Clarence J. Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith) to an abandoned steel mill. The two officers split up but when Lewis gets knocked out, Murphy is surrounded by Boddicker’s men, who brutally dismember him with shotguns before being shot point-blank in the head by Boddicker himself. He is pronounced dead by the hospital but OCP recovers his body’s remains and use him for Morton’s backup project, dubbed ‘RoboCop.’ Murphy’s memories are wiped and he is rebuilt as a powerful cyborg to clean up Detroit’s crime-ridden streets. His first patrol is a success but he soon begins suffering nightmares of his death and subconsciously remembers his wife and son. RoboCop must reconcile his human and machine counterparts while dealing with corrupt elements within OCP.

At first glance, “RoboCop” looks ridiculous but you should never judge a book by its cover. The film opens with a commercial about buying a mechanical heart replacement (extended warranties included!) and then a newscast depicting civil unrest around the world. A number of these would pop up throughout the film and it was Verhoeven’s way of poking fun at our capitalist society while exploring a dystopian future run by corporate politics. Other commercials had a family board game called ‘Nukem’ where the goal is to impose sanctions and force regime change until a player gives up and launches a nuke. Why, that sounds awfully similar to our situation with Iraq, except there were no nukes found. Finally, there’s the hilarious car commercial of the 6000 SUX, with its terrible gas mileage of 8.2 miles and yet everyone wants one! What’s surprising is that despite being made over two decades ago, “RoboCop” remains surprisingly relevant. OCP privatizes Detroit’s police force because the city government can no longer support it financially. Didn’t former president George W. Bush speak about privatizing Social Security at one point? Wasn’t the financial crisis, which we are still feeling the effects of, due to corporations being unchecked and unregulated? It’s like Verhoeven went to the future, came back and made this movie as a warning! Besides the social commentary, RoboCop himself takes on a Frankenstein aspect as he is literally a corpse remade. His subconscious memories of Murphy’s former life are his way of exploring human emotion. When he faces a hail of gunfire from OCP’s security force, it is reminiscent of Frankenstein being chased down by the townspeople. The film also goes over-the-top with the gore and it originally received an X-rating (this was before it was replaced with NC-17 in 1990) eleven times before the MPAA gave an R-rating. The scene with Murphy being shot at repeatedly might be hard to stomach for some as his whole arm gets blown apart. Some of the violence is presented tongue-in-cheek, such as when RoboCop encounters a rapist holding a woman hostage and he shoots between her legs, hitting his genitals. The one action scene that really takes me back is when RoboCop busts up a cocaine operation, guns down over 20 armed men with nothing but his modified Beretta and proceeds to beat the crap out of Boddicker. I absolutely felt giddy!

The acting won’t be winning any awards but the cast certainly do not phone it in. RoboCop is Peter Weller’s most memorable role and despite being covered in a cumbersome suit, he still allows Murphy’s humanity, his sense of honor, duty, and vengeance, to shine through. Wearing the suit wasn’t exactly a picnic as he lost up to 3 lbs. a day due to water loss, and eventually an air conditioner was installed inside. Nancy Allen is fine as his partner Ann Lewis. She was required to cut her hair as Verhoeven wanted to desexualize her character. Kurtwood Smith (Eric Foreman’s Dad!) does an incredible job making Clarence J. Boddicker as despicable as possible and when he gets his comeuppance, I practically cheered! Finally, there’s Ronny Cox as corrupt OCP vice president Dick Jones, who represents the worst aspects of corporate politics, literally eliminating his competition and valuing profit above all else. He would feel right at home at Weyland-Yutani.

As part of the “RoboCop Trilogy” box set, this release is virtually the same as the 2007 release. Picture quality is a mixed bag with certain scenes looking sharp but others are marred by excessive grain. The increased resolution also reveals the aged special effects with the obvious stop-motion of ED-209 and the literal rag-doll effect as Jones falls to his death at the end of the film. Audio is impressive as we’re treated to loud explosions and gunfire but at times they drown out Basil Poledouris’ excellent score and it lacks that sense of clarity in modern films. This is bare-bones release so there are no special features besides the trailer, which is really disappointing.

“RoboCop” was released on July 17, 1987 and received positive reviews with 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it ‘over-the-top and gory, [but] is also a surprisingly smart sci-fi flick that uses ultra-violence to disguise its satire of American culture.’ A box office success, earning $53 million domestically against a $13 million production budget, Orion Pictures immediately approached Verhoeven and the writers to make a sequel but he wanted to wait for a proper script. Typical of Hollywood, the studio went ahead without him and the next two sequels only served to sully the reputation of this film…but that is another story for another day. “RoboCop” introduces one of the most iconic characters of the 80’s and what made it a great film was that it had something meaningful to say in addition to all the action on display. They sure don’t make action movies like they used to!

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"Come quietly or there will be...trouble!"

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Red Special Edition Blu-Ray Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Action Violence and Brief Strong Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 51 Minutes

Cast:

Bruce Willis-Frank Moses

Mary-Louise Parker-Sarah Ross

John Malkovich-Marvin Boggs

Helen Mirren-Victoria

Morgan Freeman-Joe Matheson

Brian Cox-Ivan Simanov

Karl Urban-CIA Agent William Cooper

Richard Dreyfuss-Alexander Dunning

Julian McMahon-Vice President Robert Stanton

Rebecca Pidgeon-Cynthia Wilkes

Ernest Borgnine-Henry, The Records Keeper

James Remar-Gabriel Singer

Directed by Robert Schwentke

A warehouse...it always ends in a warehouse.

Helen Mirren wielding a submachine gun while mowing down a group of Secret Service agents isn’t something that we see every day. Loosely based upon the DC Comics/Wildstorm limited series of the same name created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner, “Red” is a lot better film than it should be thanks to its all-star ensemble cast. While there’s certainly room for improvement, the fun of watching these respected thespians gleefully shooting up hordes of bad guys in style makes “Red” worth a look.

Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a former CIA black ops agent who is now living a quiet, yet dull, life of retirement. He frequently rips up his pension checks as an excuse to ‘phone call-flirt’ with a customer service representative named Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker). While asleep one night, Frank wakes up to find a hit squad infiltrating his home and makes short work of them despite being armed with nothing but a handgun. He makes his way to Kansas City to protect Sarah knowing that his phone lines have been tapped. She reluctantly goes along after some resistance and Frank gathers up the rest of his old team, which includes Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman), Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), Ivan Simanov (Brian Cox) and Victoria (Helen Mirren), to find out who is trying to kill him. Meanwhile, he is being pursued by a young and ambitious CIA agent named William Cooper (Karl Urban).

You ever wonder what would happen if your favorite secret agents like James Bond or Jack Bauer were in their twilight years and forced to come out of retirement for one final mission? If “Red” is any indication, these people would still be whupping ass despite drinking Metamucil. 2010 saw the release of a number of ‘men-on-a-mission’ movies such as “The Losers” (also a comic book adaptation), “The A-Team,” and “The Expendables.” While “Red” still deals with the same tropes such as a black ops team forced to become fugitives and secret government conspiracies, what makes it a better film is the A-list cast that has been assembled or else this would’ve been a passably entertaining flick. There are a few glaring flaws with the pacing being on the slow side in the first hour as all the characters are introduced and then it rushes toward its climax in the second. The action isn’t particularly memorable nor is it realistic but there are some standouts including a big fist fight between Moses and Cooper at the CIA headquarters, Boggs shooting down an RPG with one bullet, and the novelty of seeing Mirren mow down bad guys using a large machine gun turret! Much of the comedy is derived from the eccentric and obsessively paranoid Boggs but nothing is really laugh-out-loud hilarious. With the exception of its cast, “Red” is just average yet also a fun, often time’s silly, action movie.

Bruce Willis isn’t a stranger to films of this type and he’s still engaging to watch as the soft-spoken yet deadly Frank Moses. The title is actually an acronym for “Retired, Extremely Dangerous.” Mary-Louise Parker is Sarah Ross, a customer service representative who handles Frank’s pension checks and flirts with him on the phone to get through her dull work routine. At first terrified, she eventually enjoys the adventure of it all but her screen-time gets reduced as more characters start popping up. John Malkovich is just crazy as he leaps out of the bushes in a guile suit while wielding a crossbow (does it shoot explosive bolts?!), carries a stuffed toy pig which happens to have a grenade launcher and pulling a gun on an innocent bank teller. His instincts prove correct when that same bank teller shows up again dressed like Rambo and insults him for being old. During an interrogation, he pulls out a series of torture devices and asks his friends to choose: ‘nuts, nipples, or potty trainer?’ Helen Mirren brings some extra class to the proceedings as a former MI6 agent turned contract killer with Brian Cox as her lover. Unfortunately, Morgan Freeman disappoints as his role is very limited and not as large as the initial trailers made it out to be. Karl Urban is playing the straight role as an up-and-comer CIA agent. The rest of the cast includes Richard Dreyfuss as Alexander Dunning, Julian McMahon as Vice President Robert Stanton and Rebecca Pidgeon as Cooper’s amoral handler Cynthia Wilkes.

The picture and audio quality for the Blu-Ray is excellent. Flesh tones lean toward an orange hue but the color is often vibrant and textures are detailed. From small ambient noises to loud assault rifle fire, “Red” engages the senses like no other. Despite bearing a ‘Special Edition’ on the box, the extras aren’t all that expansive but they include an audio commentary from former CIA agent Robert Baer who served as a consultant and an informative picture-in-picture which includes cast interviews and a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made. The rest is just the usual deleted/extended scenes fluff.

“Red” was released on October 15, 2010 and received positive reviews with 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was also nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Picture—Musical or Comedy category but lost to “The Kids Are All Right.” Critics admitted it wasn’t ‘the killer thrill ride you'd expect from an action movie with a cast of this caliber, but Red still thoroughly outshines most of its big-budget counterparts with its wit and style.’ Going up against the idiotic “Jackass 3D,” the film came in at #2 at the box office and grossed $165 million worldwide against a $58 million production budget. “Red” never takes itself too seriously with its outlandish situations and while the action and comedy elements are average, the cast fully invest themselves in their roles, and their fun repartee makes the film a cut above average.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"Frank, I never thought I'd say this again. I'm getting the PIG!"

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007 Die Another Day Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Action Violence, and Sexual Content including Innuendo)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 12 Minutes

Cast-

Pierce Brosnan-007, James Bond

Halle Berry-Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson

Toby Stephens-Gustav Graves

Rosamund Pike-Miranda Frost

Rick Yune-Zao

Judi Dench- M

John Cleese-Q

Samantha Bond-Miss Jane Moneypenny

Colin Salmon-Charles Robinson

Michael Madsen-Damian Falco

Will Yun Lee-Colonel Tan-Sun Moon

Kenneth Tsang-General Moon

Emilio Echevarría-Raoul

Lawrence Makoare-Mr. Kil

Rachel Grant-Peaceful Fountains of Desire

Madonna-Verity

Directed by Lee Tamahori 

Pierce Brosnan remains in top form as James Bond but "Die Another Day" represents the franchise's worse aspects.

I may prefer Daniel Craig but Pierce Brosnan was an excellent James Bond, which makes his fourth and final outing in the role all the more disheartening. “Die Another Day,” released in 2002, is the twentieth Bond film and to mark the series’ fortieth anniversary, it included references to the previous nineteen installments. Unfortunately, the film’s heavy reliance on loud action, dodgy CGI, and excessive gadgets turned Bond into a poor parody of himself. With a formulaic and outlandish plot to appeal to younger audiences, “Die Another Day” marks the lowest point in this storied franchise.

007, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) infiltrates a North Korean military base led by Colonel Tan-Sun Moon (Will Yun Lee), who sells weapons in exchange for African conflict diamonds. Bond’s cover is blown when someone within MI6 informs Moon’s comrade-in-arms, Zao (Rick Yune), of his true identity and a firefight ensues. Moon is killed when his hovercraft runs off a waterfall but Bond is captured by his father, General Moon (Kenneth Tsang). For fourteen months, Bond is imprisoned and tortured for information but eventually he is released in a prisoner exchange for Zao, who has now become a terrorist. His 00-status revoked, Bond goes rogue to find out who betrayed him and his investigation takes him to Havana, Cuba, where he meets the beautiful Giacinta ‘Jinx’ Johnson (Halle Berry). After a night of passion, Bond tracks Zao to a gene therapy clinic but he escapes during the confusion, leaving behind a necklace containing diamonds bearing the mark of Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens), a wealthy British entrepreneur. Graves is planning to unveil a satellite code-named Icarus in Iceland and while there, Bond runs into Jinx once more, who is revealed to be an NSA agent when she is captured by Zao. Bond rescues her and discovers that Graves plans to harness the power of the sun through Icarus for world domination.

Before “Casino Royale,” Bond films have always been ridiculous in its plots and offered weak character development but “Die Another Day” takes the cake. The film initially shows promise with Bond imprisoned and tortured, which is something new but it then devolves into the franchise’s worst aspects. Graves uses a mirrored satellite that shoots a giant beam of sunlight in order to detonate the one thousand landmines strewn across the demilitarized zone to allow the North Koreans to attack the South. Now, that scenario is sound (if needlessly complicated) but the execution is awful and turns this Bond film into bad science-fiction. Much of its running time is padded by action scenes which seem to grow louder and dumber. Still, they are enjoyable but it turns Bond into a generic action hero. One has him racing across the ice to escape the satellite’s concentrated beam and when he falls over the edge, Bond uses a makeshift surfboard and parasails across the resulting waves. Unfortunately, this entire sequence is CG and it's poorly done. When it cuts to Bond up-close, the green-screen is painfully obvious. As if that wasn’t enough, Bond gets into his Aston Martin (now equipped with a cloaking device!) and engages in a chase with Zao, whose car comes with a mini-gun attached in the trunk. I wonder if that accessory will come with my first car. Many explosions occur and I kept thinking how it was possible to even fit a driver’s seat with all the rockets and grenades stowed on each of their decked-out cars. For the record, the cloaking effect for Bond’s car is terrible as well. This all leads to big climax where Bond fights hand-to-hand with Graves, who is wearing a corny mech suit that controls his satellite. All that was missing is a jet-pack! To add that ‘cool-factor,’ the camera often goes into slow-motion but it’s just annoying. The action will come off as enjoyable in any other generic action film but for “Die Another Day,” it’s just excessive and turns Bond into a caricature of himself.

Pierce Brosnan is still at the top of his game and is one of the film’s few saving graces. As Jinx, Halle Berry makes a memorable entrance that pays homage to Ursula Andress’ Honey Ryder from the first Bond film, “Dr. No.” However, her line readings sound confused and she always looks unsure of what to do during the action scenes. Rosamund Pike fares a lot better as the cold-hearted Miranda Frost. Toby Stephens smirks and revels in his evilness, which adds to the cartoon aspect of the film and his henchman Zao, played by Rick Yune, is like any other disfigured Bond villain. He even wears a trench coat to let you know he’s bad! The opening theme is hard to sit through as it’s sung by Madonna. Now I have no problem with her but it’s a pop song that belongs in an album for fourteen-year-old girls. It has no business being in a Bond film. She even has a cameo in the film where she shows off her ‘amazing’ acting talent. Fortunately, David Arnold’s score is fine and serves as a reminder that we’re still watching a Bond film.

“Die Another Day” was released on November 22, 2002 and received mixed reviews with 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it was ‘pure formula, but it has some nifty elements.’ It continued the trend of having higher box office grosses with $431.9 million worldwide. The problem with this film is that it panders to the ADD generation by going overboard with the action and the gadgets, losing the core essence of what Bond was about. Fortunately, the producers seemed to have realized this and when Bond returned, he was back in a way no one expected and for the better, as 2006’s “Casino Royale” abandoned all of the franchise’s crazy elements. As an action film, it’s okay but as a Bond film, “Die Another Day” is mediocre. The formula is still the same but the method seems to get more ludicrous. Watch it for the sake of completion, nothing more.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"You see Mr. Bond, you can't kill my dreams. But my dreams can kill you. Time to face destiny!"

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007 The World Is Not Enough Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Action Violence, Some Sexuality and Innuendo)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 8 Minutes

Cast-

Pierce Brosnan-007, James Bond

Sophie Marceau-Elektra King

Denise Richards-Dr. Christmas Jones

Robert Carlyle-Viktor Zokas/Renard

Judi Dench-M

Desmond Llewelyn-Q

John Cleese-R

Samantha Bond-Miss Jane Moneypenny

Michael Kitchen-Bill Tanner

Robbie Coltrane-Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky

Colin Salmon-Charles Robinson

Ulrich Thomsen-Sasha Davidov

David Calder-Sir Robert King

Clifford Joseph Price-Mr. Bullion

Maria Grazia Cucinotta-Giulietta da Vinci

Directed by Michael Apted

Women and their contraptions!

1995’s “GoldenEye” successfully revitalized James Bond but with Pierce Brosnan’s third outing in 1999’s “The World Is Not Enough,” the franchise once again descended into formula. With no new creative direction to take the character, the film is an average Bond flick that suffered from a weak plot, poor casting, and an overabundance of action. There’s still fun to be had but its business as usual.

007, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is at Bilbao, Spain retrieving a large sum of money from a Swiss bank for a personal friend of M’s (Judi Dench), an oil tycoon named Sir Robert King (David Calder). However, when Bond presses the banker about what happened to his partner, the assistant kills him before he can reveal any information. Bond takes the money back to MI6 in London but when King collects it, he is killed as the bills had been laced with an explosive compound. The banker’s assistant was the one that detonated the bomb and Bond chases her on an armored, rocket-fueled speedboat through the Thames. She tries to escape on a hot air balloon but Bond latches on, pleading with her to cooperate and promising protection. The assassin refuses and commits suicide by shooting out the helium tanks, therefore blowing up the balloon. M vows that whoever is behind the bombing will be brought to justice and the money is traced to a former KGB agent-turned-terrorist named Viktor Zokas, otherwise known as Renard (Robert Carlyle). He once held King’s daughter, Elektra (Sophie Marceau), for ransom and Bond is assigned to protect her as she is suspected to be the next target. He later tracks Renard to an ICBM base in Kazakhstan but Bond is unable to prevent his escape and stealing recovered weapons-grade plutonium from a nuclear bomb. The base is destroyed and Bond escapes with a nuclear physicist, Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards), in tow. However, it turns out that Elektra may not be as innocent as she claims and when M is kidnapped, Bond has to do everything in his power to save her and the world’s oil supply.

“The World Is Not Enough” deals with the usual Bond tropes but there are some subtle changes. The tone is noticeably darker and in a nice change of pace, the primary villain is a woman. The final confrontation is shocking to say the least and Brosnan here is more in tune with how Fleming wrote Bond originally. Renard, however, comes off as a second-rate thug. He has a bullet lodged in his brain that is slowly killing him and dulled all his senses, making him an unfeeling killing machine but by the time he goes up against Bond, he is beaten way too easily. The story feels padded by a number of overlong action scenes, which are still thrilling but at times require too much suspension of disbelief. The opening boat chase through the Thames is the most memorable set-piece while another has Bond going up against Renard’s henchmen on parachuting snowmobiles but the most ridiculous involves a helicopter with a giant saw-blade attached. Here, Bond almost seems superhuman as everything gets shot up and explodes around him, and he escapes with nary a scratch. As always, the film takes place in a variety of locales but Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan seem like any other generic barren landscape. Gadgets include a watch that can shoot a grappling hook, x-ray vision sunglasses, and a winter coat that can turn into an inflatable cocoon tent. There’s not much to be said about “The World Is Not Enough,” it’s got everything you need for a Bond film, nothing more and nothing less but this strict adherence to formula has begun to grow stale.

Pierce Brosnan fills into James Bond’s shoes like an old glove and he’s still enjoyable to watch. However, the biggest problem I (and the fans) have is Denise Richards as Christmas Jones. She’s playing a nuclear physicist, which is hard to swallow with her tank top and short shorts. That's like having Megan Fox play a college professor! Every line of dialogue Richards utters feels stiff, as if she’s unsure of what she’s saying. Due to her casting, this was the first Bond film to win a Golden Raspberry for Worst Supporting Actress. Sophie Marceau fares much better with her exotic look, seductive eyes and sexy accent. Robert Carlyle is criminally underutilized as Renard and that’s a shame, because he had the potential to be a memorable Bond villain. Judi Dench plays a larger role as M; Desmond Llewelyn makes his final appearance as Q before his untimely death in a car accident with John Cleese as his protégé, R. The theme song, written by David Arnold and Don Black and performed by Shirley Manson of the alternative rock band Garbage ranks as one of the best, although I wasn’t feeling the oil theme with the opening credits. Arnold’s score is also a great listen with liberal use of the Bond theme playing throughout.

 “The World Is Not Enough” was released on November 19, 1999 and received mixed reviews with 51% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics felt the film ‘focuses a little too much on action, with a plot too weak for the movie's length.’ It became the highest grossing Bond film at the time, with $361.8 million at the worldwide box office so audiences didn’t seem tired of watching the same old formula. “The World Is Not Enough” is neither bad nor good and is somewhere in the middle. Brosnan is still engaging to watch but the first signs of franchise fatigue is beginning to show and ‘business as usual’ can only take Bond so far.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"There's no point living, if you can't feel alive."

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007 Tomorrow Never Dies Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Action Violence, Sexuality and Innuendo)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 59 Minutes

Cast-

Pierce Brosnan-007, James Bond

Jonathan Pryce-Elliot Carver

Michelle Yeoh-Colonel Wai Lin

Teri Hatcher-Paris Carver

Judi Dench-M

Desmond Llewelyn-Q

Samantha Bond-Miss Jane Moneypenny

Colin Salmon-Chief of Staff Charles Robinson

Joe Don Baker-Jack Wade

Götz Otto-Richard Stamper

Ricky Jay-Henry Gupta

Vincent Schiavelli-Dr. Kaufman

Geoffrey Palmer-Admiral Roebuck

Julian Fellowes-Minister of Defense

Directed by Roger Spottiswoode

Pierce Brosnan and Michelle Yeoh proved to be a strong pairing in "Tomorrow Never Dies."

Thanks to director Martin Campbell and Pierce Brosnan, 1995’s “GoldenEye” made James Bond relevant once more, injecting some much needed life back into this venerable franchise. Unfortunately, the producers didn’t keep up the momentum and it was back to business as usual with “Tomorrow Never Dies,” the eighteenth Bond film released in 1997. The action is loud and the villains are evil but the film is let down by a rushed script and a ridiculous premise.

007, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is infiltrating a terrorist arms bazaar on the Russian border with M (Judi Dench) and Charles Robinson (Colin Salmon) providing communications support. Before he can finish his reconnaissance British Admiral Roebuck (Geoffrey Palmer) orders a missile launch to take out all the terrorists in one strike. Bond discovers Soviet nuclear warheads mounted on two L-39 Albatros fighter jets, which would cause untold radioactive contamination if destroyed. With the missile launch unable to be aborted, Bond hijacks the jet and escapes just before everything is blown up. Unbeknownst to him, one of the terrorists has escaped with a GPS encoder made by the American military. Elsewhere, a stealth ship sinks the HMS Devonshire off the coast of China and shoots down a Chinese J-7 fighter jet sent in to investigate. MI6 suspects media mogul Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce), head of CMGN, as behind the attack and Bond is sent to Hamburg, Germany to investigate. He seduces Carver’s wife Paris (Teri Hatcher), who happens to be an ex-girlfriend, for information and manages to steal back the GPS encoder at CMGN’s newspaper headquarters. During the ensuing gun fight, Bond crosses paths with a Chinese agent named Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh). Together, they discover that Carver wants to dominate the world’s media by instigating a war between the United Kingdom and China.

“Tomorrow Never Dies” does not deviate from the usual Bond formula but there are a few wrinkles, especially with the villain, Elliot Carver. He’s still a megalomaniac but instead of world domination, he wants to have…higher ratings. Since China refused to grant exclusive broadcasting rights to his media company CMGN, he intends to make up the news by sparking World War III! Honestly, it’s ludicrous, even for a Bond film, and comes dangerously close to rivaling 2002’s “Die Another Day” in absurdity. All that was missing is a satellite shooting giant beams of sunlight. There’s a weak attempt to explore Bond’s loneliness and how he keeps all the women he sleeps with from getting too close but eventually this is pushed aside in favor of the action. Despite the abundance of explosions and gunfire, I found the action scenes strangely lacking. As always, Q grants Bond a new car, a BMW 750i, equipped with rockets and can be remote-controlled through a touchpad cell-phone. Later, Bond and Wai Lin find themselves captured by Carver at his Saigon headquarters (actually filmed in Thailand) and escapes by leaping off the roof while holding onto a large banner. A big chase ensues with them on a motorcycle with a pursuing helicopter, explosively brought down when a clothesline gets caught in one of the rotors. The script was subject to numerous rewrites and was originally set during the July 1997 transfer of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule. This was dropped in order to avoid a ‘life imitating art’ fiasco and rewrites continued even as filming began in January, 1997. Surprisingly, it all ends up coherent, if a little paper-thin. Although it rarely breaks any new ground, “Tomorrow Never Dies” remains an enjoyable affair.

Pierce Brosnan settles in comfortably into his role as James Bond, charming with the women but cold-hearted with the villains. Played by Hong Kong action star Michelle Yeoh, Wai Lin is a nice change of pace from other Bond girls. She’s not a helpless damsel-in-distress and being a secret agent herself, can more than hold her own against a group of bad guys. Yeoh and Brosnan have great chemistry and have an enjoyable repartee. Lin is also one of the few Bond girls who do not sleep with Bond, at least not until the very end right before the end credits roll. Unfortunately, Teri Hatcher disappoints and even admits she wasn’t happy with her role. Jonathan Pryce goes way over-the-top as insane media mogul Elliot Carver, a not-so-subtle satire of Rupert Murdoch. He would feel quite at home in a 60’s comic book. Götz Otto is Carver’s right-hand man Richard Stamper, who is the very definition of Übermensch. Bond stabs him multiple times and it doesn’t even slow him down. This time the theme song is sung by Sheryl Crow but it’s very low-key and lacks a feeling of grandeur. I wasn’t enamored with the opening credits which had women covered in circuitry and television screens hovering around. David Arnold also begins his long relationship with the Bond franchise, taking over the score and he does not disappoint, making liberal use of the Bond theme.

“Tomorrow Never Dies” was released on December 19, 1997, going up against James Cameron’s “Titanic.” As a result, it didn’t open at number one at the domestic box office and had a lower worldwide gross with $333 million, which is still impressive. Reviews were mixed with 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. After “GoldenEye,” Brosnan’s run as Bond in the next three installments devolved into formula and loud action, which is a shame since the actor was handicapped by less-than-stellar scripts. Still, ridiculous premise aside, “Tomorrow Never Dies” is an enjoyable if unremarkable entry.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success!"

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007 GoldenEye Review

Rated PG-13 (A Number of Sequences of Action/Violence, and for Some Sexuality)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 10 Minutes

Cast-

Pierce Brosnan-007, James Bond

Sean Bean-006, Alec Trevelyan

Izabella Scorupco-Natalya Simonova

Famke Janssen-Xenia Onatopp

Judi Dench-M

Desmond Llewelyn-Q

Joe Don Baker-Jack Wade

Gottfried John-General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov

Alan Cumming-Boris Grishenko

Robbie Coltrane-Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky

Tchéky Karyo-Defense Minister Dmitri Mishkin

Samantha Bond- Miss Jane Moneypenny

Michael Kitchen-Bill Tanner

Directed by Martin Campbell

"She always did enjoy a good squeeze."

With MGM finally emerging from bankruptcy in late December, 2010, pre-production has finally resumed on “Bond 23,” set to be released on November 9, 2012 with Daniel Craig returning as 007, James Bond. As a way to celebrate, I decided to take look back on the Pierce Brosnan era, starting with his first appearance as Bond in 1995’s “GoldenEye,” the film that introduced me to Ian Fleming’s titular spy. The James Bond franchise has remained as one of the few longest continually running film series in cinema history, having been in constant production for the most part since 1962 with a total of twenty-two films released; the last one was 2008’s “Quantum of Solace.” The sixteenth Bond film, 1989’s “License to Kill”—and the last to star Timothy Dalton—flopped at the domestic box office with only $35 million, barely covering its $32 million production budget, though it did better overseas with an additional $122 million. Although it received generally positive reviews, moviegoers were turned off by the darker, more realistic tone and perhaps it was just too soon to go this route until the series was rebooted with “Casino Royale” in 2006. While Dalton was set to return for a third film, he quit the role in 1994 due to the ongoing legal dispute between MGM/UA, which was sold to Australian broadcasting group Quintex, and Danjaq, the Swiss-based parent company of EON Productions. Pierce Brosnan was cast to replace Dalton and the media made a huge fuss, proclaiming that he was ‘born to be Bond.’ Six years after “Bond 16,” production finally began on the seventeenth film and it modernized the character in the wake of the Cold War. The changes largely proved cosmetic as the formula remained unchanged but “GoldenEye” was still an excellent revitalization of an aging franchise thanks to Martin Campbell’s confident direction, and Brosnan’s suave and charismatic performance.

In 1985, MI6 agents 006, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) and 007, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) infiltrate a Soviet chemical weapons facility at Arkhangelsk. During their attempt to destroy the base, Alec is captured and shot dead by Colonel Arkady Ourumov (Gottfried John) but Bond manages to steal an airplane and escape. Nine years later, Bond is following Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), a suspected member of the Janus crime syndicate. Onatopp is working with Ourumov, now a General, and together they steal a prototype helicopter that is immune to electromagnetic pulses. They fly to a bunker in Severnaya, where they massacre the staff and steal the control disc to a dual satellite weapons system dubbed ‘GoldenEye,’ which detonates a nuclear weapon in orbit and the resulting EMP knocks out all electronic devices on the ground. One is activated to destroy the complex but unbeknownst to them, a lone survivor, Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), manages to escape. M (Judi Dench) sends Bond to investigate, who discovers that the head of Janus is an old friend, seemingly back from the dead.

For the most part, the plot of “GoldenEye” is standard Bond fare but Campbell sure does a great job in making it all seem fresh and exciting at the time of its release. The character itself was so closely associated with the Cold War that critics felt that it was better to leave Bond in the past but one thing you can always count on in life (besides death and taxes) is that he always returns. There’s a heavy dose of action with a large shootout in the first ten minutes, leading to a thrilling escape involving Bond riding a motorcycle off a cliff and diving toward an unmanned airplane. The most memorable set-piece is when Bond steals a T-54/55 series tank and plows through the streets of St. Petersburg, causing untold amounts of property damage while the famous theme plays. When two police cars crash into him, he looks back to see if the officers are okay, adjusts his tie, and continues on his way. There’s the usual amount of gadgets, though it's thankfully nowhere near as outlandish as the later installments. They include a watch equipped with a cutting laser, a ballpoint pen that detonates after three clicks, and a belt that doubles as a grappling gun. The most disappointing aspect is that the script could’ve explored Bond’s internal conflict with having to kill his former best friend and while we get the feeling that he harbors regrets, nothing is ever made of it. The more things change, the more they stay the same and that’s the best way to describe “GoldenEye,” a successful modernization but with an unchanged formula. Still, the one-liners come fast, the Bond Girls are gorgeous, and the action scenes are expertly choreographed, making the film a fun ride.

Pierce Brosnan completely nails the role in his first outing as James Bond, displaying a confident, charismatic wit with a hint of vulnerability. When Onatopp gets crushed in-between two tree branches, he quips, ‘She always did enjoy a good squeeze.’ Famke Janssen is sexy as the sadomasochistic Xenia Onatopp, who has a penchant for killing people by crushing the life out of them between her strong thighs while screaming in orgasm. In contrast Izabella Scorupco’s Natalya Simonova plays a more homely Bond Girl who seems to enjoy being bossy but for the most part, ends up doing very little. As the main villain Alec Trevelyan, Sean Bean plays him as a dark mirror of Bond, without the moral center and fueled by petty revenge and greed. The rest of the cast includes Judi Dench as M, Desmond Llewelyn as the gadget-making Q and Samantha Bond as the flirtatious Miss Jane Moneypenny. The theme song, titled after the film, is sung by Tina Turner with the surreal opening credits depicting the fall of the Soviet Union.

Released on November 17, 1995, “GoldenEye” received largely positive reviews with 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, although the film does have its fair share of detractors who found that despite the new coat of paint, the series still seemed stale and tired. Bond had an explosive comeback at the box office after a six-year hiatus, earning $352.2 million worldwide, proving that Bond was still a relevant character in an increasingly changing world. With “GoldenEye,” Campbell successfully mixes everything you would expect from a Bond film: humor, exotic locales, gorgeous ladies, and stunning action in the name of fun, reintroducing him to old fans that had grown tired of him and gaining new ones. This is simply one of the best Bond films made.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"Good, because I think you're a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War, whose boyish charms, though wasted on me, obviously appealed to that young woman I sent out to evaluate you."

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The Exorcist Blu-Ray Review

Rated R (Strong Language and Disturbing Images)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 2 Minutes (original), 2 Hours & 12 Minutes (extended)

Cast-

Ellen Burstyn-Chris MacNeil

Linda Blair-Regan MacNeil

Jason Miller-Father Damien Karras

Max von Sydow-Father Lankester Merrin

Kitty Winn-Sharon Spencer

Jack MacGowran-Burke Dennings

Lee J. Cobb-Lieutenant William F. Kinderman

Father William O'Malley-Father Joseph Dyer

Mercedes McCambridge (voice)-The Demon Pazuzu

Directed by William Friedkin 

"What an excellent day for an exorcism."

You know that unmistakable theme, the one that still sends chills down your spine even after thirty-eight years. Yes, I’m referring to the infamous Tubular Bells from William Friedkin’s 1973 horror masterpiece, “The Exorcist,” adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty. Hailed as ‘the scariest movie of all time,’ the film finally made its debut on Blu-Ray last October. Although there have been many great horror films, the genre has remained virtually ignored by the Academy Awards, with some extremely rare exceptions. “The Exorcist” received an unprecedented ten nominations in 1974, including Best Picture, and is one of two horror films to have been a major player at the Oscars, the other being 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs,” which remains as the first and only horror film to have taken home the top prize. Some may argue that it was a ‘psychological thriller,’ but that’s just pointless semantics and it shows how increasingly irrelevant the Academy Awards have become. While its impact and shock value has waned since its original release, “The Exorcist” continues to be regarded as one of the most influential horror films of all time and manages to convince us that a truly incomprehensible evil can exist in our world.

During an archeological dig in Al-Hadar near Nineveh in Iraq, Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow) discovers the strange demonic statue of Pazuzu. Meanwhile, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), an actress filming in Georgetown, begins to notice strange and disturbing behavioral changes in her twelve-year-old daughter, Regan (Linda Blair). During a routine check-up, the doctor explains that it’s just ‘nerves’ but Regan’s condition continues to worsen. She is subjected to a number of unpleasant medical exams but the doctors continue to find nothing out of the ordinary. Unexplained paranormal events occur at home, such as a violently shaking bed and strange scratching noises. The director working on Chris’ film is later found brutally murdered. When all medical explanations have been exhausted, the doctors recommend Chris to seek an exorcism and she consults with Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller), who is both a priest and a psychiatrist. Karras is suffering from a crisis of faith after the sudden passing of his mother and initially doubts that Regan is possessed. However, it soon becomes increasingly clear that something malevolent has taken hold of Regan, forcing Karras to look within himself if he is to combat this unseen force.

“The Exorcist” works on so many levels due to its realistic take on the supernatural and focuses as much on the human drama as it does on the horror. Both the novel and film is based on a now-disproved exorcism that was performed in Maryland in 1949. Although the pacing can be slow at times, it is necessary as it shows how the fates of these seemingly disparate individuals are intertwined. The film’s focus is on the unending struggle against evil, not just with Regan and the demon that has taken over her but also as Father Karras grapples with his own doubts about his faith in God. When his mother suddenly passes away, Karras is devastated and questions why the God he has served unquestioningly could allow this happen. During the exorcism, the demon attempts to manipulate Karra’s guilt and it is only when he accepts that such evil can exist that he reaffirms his faith and makes the ultimate sacrifice. Father Merrin and the demon personifies the struggle with good against evil and in the film’s most famous scene, we see the aging priest looking up at the MacNeil’s bedroom window in what could be his final battle. The horror aspects are what struck a chord with the audience and the buildup is gradual but throughout the first hour, there’s this creepy sense of unease that something just isn’t right. Flashes of a demonic face are sprinkled throughout. We get small outbursts but the turning point is the infamous spider-walk scene where Regan’s body is unnaturally contorted as she runs down the stairs with blood streaming from her mouth. This was actually deleted in the original theatrical release due to the visible wire-work and was only added back in the 2000 extended version thanks to advances in CG. The most controversial scene is when Regan bloodily masturbates with a crucifix while screaming ‘Let Jesus f*ck you!’ When her mother attempts to stop her, she shoves her face down her crotch and smacks her, sending her flying across the room. Combined with the extremely coarse language and its unsettling atmosphere, “The Exorcist” affected audiences to the point where paramedics had to be called for people who fainted or went into hysterics. Nowadays, it’s unlikely a horror film would have such an effect as we have become desensitized.

The acting is superb and although the cast was comprised of largely unknowns, they explored their respective characters in a way that we could relate to. Ellen Burstyn is Regan’s mother, Chris MacNeil, who enjoys a close relationship with her daughter but as the situation spirals out of control, desperation sets in and when she pleads with Father Karras for help, we ask ourselves how this can happen to such good people. As Father Karras, Jason Miller’s subtle performance conveys the conflict and doubt he feels over his faith in God. Of course, the standout is Linda Blair and “The Exorcist” depends so much on her that if she was less than convincing for even a second, the film would’ve failed. Although Blair was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, this role proved to be both a blessing and a curse, as it became the defining moment of her career which unfortunately never took off. The only known actor was Max von Sydow as Father Merrin, who only appears in the prologue and the final thirty minutes of the film. He brings a sense of weariness to his character, one who has fought too many battles that has taken its toll on him. Unfortunately, as he was only forty-three years old at the time of filming, makeup was applied to make him look older and he sometimes took on a waxy appearance. In contrast, the make-up for Blair transformed her from a sweet young teen to a frightening visage with yellow-red eyes and rotting teeth. The voice of the demon, provided by radio actress Mercedes McCambridge, is chilling. Friedkin also went to extreme lengths to get the genuine reactions he wanted and both Burstyn and Blair suffered back injuries. The climax with the exorcism in Regan’s bedroom was actually built inside a freezer!

“The Exorcist” was released on December 26, 1973 to initially mixed reviews but opinions have changed over time and it is now regarded as a classic among horror films. It currently has an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus that it ‘rides its supernatural theme to magical effect, with remarkable special effects and an eerie atmosphere, resulting in one of the scariest films of all time.’ Roger Ebert compared it to Ingmar Bergman’s “Cries and Whispers” in that both films force ‘us to look inside, to experience horror, to confront the reality of human suffering.’ At the box office, the film earned a worldwide total of $441 million, including re-releases. The Blu-Ray contains the original theatrical cut and the extended 2000 version on separate discs and while both have their fans, the former is the definitive one. The extended cut, made at the insistence of Blatty and dubbed ‘The Version You've Never Seen’ when re-released in 2000 is ten minutes longer and contains more exposition but these scenes prove to be extraneous. Although the film is close to four decades old, the video quality is excellent and is the best it will ever look. Some scenes appear soft or extremely grainy but this is the way it’s meant to be. Audio is fine but some sound effects come off as too staged and muffled. Whether you feel it is scary or not, “The Exorcist” will remain as an unsurpassed horror masterpiece, an experience that will stay with you long after the end credits have rolled.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5

“Especially important is the warning to avoid conversations with the demon. We may ask what is relevant but anything beyond that is dangerous. He is a liar. The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. The attack is psychological, Damien, and powerful. So don't listen to him. Remember that—do not listen!”

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Alien: Resurrection Special Edition Blu-Ray Review

Rated R (Strong Sci-Fi Violence and Gore, Some Grotesque Images, and for Language)

Running Time: 1 Hours & 56 Minutes

Cast-

Sigourney Weaver-Ripley #8

Winona Ryder-Annalee Call

Ron Perlman-Johner

Michael Wincott-Frank Elgyn

Gary Dourdan-Christie

Kim Flowers-Sabra Hillard

Dominique Pinon-John Vriess

Brad Dourif-Dr. Jonathan Gediman

J.E. Freeman-Dr. Mason Wren

Dan Hedaya-General Martin Perez

Raymond Cruz-Vincent DiStephano

Leland Orser-Larry Purvis

Steven Gilborn (voice)-Father, Ship's Computer

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet 

"Alien: Resurrection"--a wholly unnecessary sequel.

Note: Part of the "Alien Anthology" Blu-Ray box set.

Despite the finality of “Alien 3,” 20th Century Fox still saw some dollars left to be squeezed and made a fourth film, “Alien: Resurrection,” released in 1997 five years after the third installment. This one is the oddball out of the franchise and feels like a ‘what-if’ scenario or fan fiction. A strange eroticism permeated the film and it didn’t seem to take itself too seriously, often veering off into grotesque territory. “Alien: Resurrection” is certainly watchable but while Sigourney Weaver remains in fine form, everything else feels clichéd and tired, and the well of ideas seems to have run very dry indeed.

Two hundred years after her death on Fiorina 'Fury' 161, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is revived as a clone by scientists working for the United Systems Military on the spaceship USM Auriga. They successfully extract the Alien Queen embryo implanted before her death and the clone, dubbed Ripley #8, is kept alive for further study. The scientists plan to collect the Alien Queen’s eggs in an effort to tame her offspring. As a result of the cloning process, Ripley now has both human and Alien DNA, possessing enhanced strength and reflexes, acidic blood, and a telepathic link to the Aliens. A mercenary ship called the Betty, led by Frank Elgyn (Michael Wincott) docks with the Auriga carrying kidnapped humans in cryo-stasis, which the scientists use as hosts for the facehuggers. Among Elgyn’s crew is Annalee Call (Winona Ryder), who, upon learning about Ripley, attempts to kill her but the Alien Queen’s matured offspring quickly escape from captivity and begin killing or harvesting anyone they find. The ship’s computer executes its default emergency command by setting a course for Earth which would prove disastrous if the Aliens escape. Ripley teams up with the remaining surviving mercenaries to escape and destroy the Auriga before it reaches its destination.

“Alien: Resurrection” feels outlandish at times and ultimately devolves into clichéd science fiction tropes. It actually feels more at home as a comic book than an actual film. Ripley is brought back through cloning, which is hard to swallow after her trip to the furnace at the end of “Alien 3.” Although Weyland-Yutani no longer exists (they were brought out by Wal-Mart?!), the scientists working for the United Systems Military hasn’t learned a thing after two centuries and get their just comeuppances. The franchise’s formula has also grown stale but that hasn’t stopped Fox from making more movies. Written by Joss Whedon, the mercenaries bore a strong resemblance to the crew in his future television series “Firefly”. He later remarked that director Jean-Pierre Jeunet made the film ‘all wrong’ but it felt like a flimsy excuse to not take responsibility for writing a sub-par script. The most interesting aspect is the Ripley clone, which, besides appearance, bears little resemblance to her original in terms of personality. She’s still tough as nails but lacks a strong moral compass, walking with an air of sensual superiority and has a strange fondness for caressing people, such as when she and Call first meet. The real Ripley does break through but only for a moment when she meets her horribly mutated copies and breaks into tears. The tone is noticeably goofy with the characters frequently sprouting one-liners, especially Johner, played by Ron Perlman. Aspects of the film veered into grotesque territory, such as the birth of the Alien/Human hybrid, who meets a rather messy demise that might disgust some people. The film made up for its lacking story with a strong visual style and the action packs a visceral punch but the horror aspect is virtually gone at this point. With its brighter color palette, we get to see the Aliens in full view and the gore is sometimes too gratuitous. The underwater sequence is a highlight but very implausible considering all the characters hold their breath for way too long to actually survive. “Alien: Resurrection” has a feeling of been there, done that but it is still watchable if nothing else.

Sigourney Weaver plays a more sinister Ripley and she’s quite good, sexy even with her slick hair. The rest of the cast don’t make much of an impression. Winona Ryder, who is a fine actress, is miscast in this film as all her dialogue sounds forced and she never quite fits into this world. Ron Perlman seems to have the most fun in his role with his macho-man attitude that recalls Private Hudson from “Aliens.” Everyone else, however, is largely forgettable.

“Alien Resurrection” arrives on Blu-Ray as part of the “Alien Anthology” set and like “Alien 3,” the picture is a little soft at times but close-ups show fine detail and shadows are solid. Overall, it looks great if lacking the extra care of the first two films. For audio, this is the loudest “Alien” film with John Frizzel’s booming score and most of the cast shouting half their lines.

Instead of the summer, “Alien: Resurrection” was released during fall on November 26, 1997. With its pricey $75 million production budget ($11 million went into Weaver’s salary), the film flopped at the North American box office with $48 million, but made up for it internationally for a total gross of $161 million. Reception was lukewarm at best with 54% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although I enjoyed certain aspects of “Alien: Resurrection,” it was a mistake to make this film as it is a wholly unnecessary addition that adds little to the universe or Ripley’s character. To be honest, it isn't a terrible sequel, just a mediocre one.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"There's a monster in your chest. These guys hijacked your ship, and they sold your cryo-tube to this...human. And he put an Alien inside of you. It's a really nasty one. And in a few hours you're gonna die. Any questions?"

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