Review Detail

This is virtually the Alien 3 you're looking for. The story depth of the Assembly Cut along with the best parts of the Theatrical cut makes this probably the best edit of the movie available so far.

The editing and SFX improvements are fantastic.

There are a few sections of booming audio after I'd turned up the volume to hear but otherwise no issues with audio or video rendering.

Editing wise, I suppose the only small niggles are that I'm not a fan of watching the opening credits scene flick between two different locations simultaneously - but by the same token this scene is vast improvement on the Theatrical cut intro, and the scene flick is an aspect of the scene with prayer and cutting away to the dog . I also would only hint at the Facehugger being in the escape pod until you see the later scene with the Dog and the scarred face. It makes it more suspenseful if the audience only had a (probable) suggestion that the Alien may have been on board.

I quite like some of the scenes of Alien and Aliens where you see some of the scenes of the living spaces uninhabited before you see people within - almost as if the audience is being told "This is the location the protagonists are living in" . It lends itself to knowing exactly where the characters are trapped - all three movies have this aspect - but it does seem a bit easier for the prisoners to escape from the Alien without it really being explained why it's so hard. Perhaps a few shots of the space unlived in, would add some atmosphere.
There's a scene which has always bugged me you kept in where Pete Postlethwaites chracter says he's found traces of Vince - it's never actually established who Vince is..... I suppose it could be another background character .

I also was really hoping that the line with Ripley saying "For the last time" like in the Alien 3 trailer would be included - but that is only a minor fan service want!

All in all - I have no other complaints. A lot of the good stuff done is hiding bad points which I have forgotten, which is to i's credit. This edit is otherwise seamless. This is was a great edit. Love the work that has been done here, and with the quality of acting talent available the editing really throws open the great performances by Charles Dance, Charles Dutton, Paul McGann, Sigourney Weaver, Ralph Brown, Brian Glover (I think I hate his character more than even Burke!) and Pete Postlethwaite. The ending scenes have been really done well and I liked the longer linger with Ripley's final decision to Bishop and the extra CGI on the ending scene.

This is the version of Alien 3 you should see, and this is now my go-to version of Alien 3.