Customer Reviews

Alien: Resurrection - The Novelization

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Most novelizations of films are little more than breathless descriptions of what happened on screen. They had more of a place years ago when people did automatically buy videos or DVDs, and once your favorite film left the cineplex, you might not see it again for years...so the novelization would let you "relive" the film. That's not necessary anymore, so the only function they can have is to fill-in information that might have been left on the cutting room floor.

A.C. Crispin makes a sincere effort with "Alien Resurrection", and it doesn't read too badly. It does fall short of a real novel in it's dramatic structure and characterization. She makes a token attempt to fill in backgrounds, even first names, for characters who in the film often are killed off before we get a chance to know them. (Personally, I think this is a flaw in the movie, as we can't possibly care about the death of a character we have barely been introduced to.)

Since the novelization came out at virtually the same time as the film was released, I am guessing that it had to be written before viewing the finished film and that it is largely based on older versions of the script and maybe rough cuts of the movie. There are numerous deviations from the finished film, none of them cosmically important but if you enjoy certain bits of dialogue -- especially some of the very humorous throw-away lines -- it is disconcerting to see them stated differently or clipped or just dropped entirely.

What I was hoping for WAS that the novelization would fill in some of the critical information gaps in the film -- especially Call's motivation in joining the smuggler crew of the Betty and heading out to the Auriga to destroy the alien breeding experiment. This is confusingly told in the film. If Call is so concerned about the Betty crew, why doesn't she do something to prevent them from ever kidnapping the cryo-sleepers BEFORE they reach the Auriga? Why does she allow all the cryo-sleepers to be impregated and killed? Wouldn't it have been simpler for her to have joined the crew of the Auriga and sabotaged the experiement from within the military? Anyways, I will have to live with the ambivalence (or Joss Whedon's slightly wobbly, undercooked script) because the novelization provides no real answers.

Still, most novelizations I have read are complete and utter dreck and this one definitely is not. I think it's a serious attempt to create a companion piece to the film. I just wish the author had stuck with the details a little more clearly.

I have to agree with the majority of the people.This is an excellent book.My goodness it tops the movie 100%.To be in the minds of the aliens was chilling.I was so sad when the book ended.It's good to see people enjoying it as much as I did.

I can only reiterate what has already been written . This is a great novelisation . His intertwining of aspects of previous movies was fantastic. I loved Sigourney Weavers characterization of Ripley in Resurrection and I probably enjoyed it more after reading subtext that is included in this book. Her performance seemed even more on target and it was perfect to begin with . This book is a must read for fans of the series. Intelligently written . It's based on Joss Whedons screenplay , but Crispin makes it feel original.

A.C. Crispin's novelization of "Alien Resurrection" is a thought-provoking, well-written book that provides a surprising amount of depth to its characters. While many novelizations have a tendency to be poorly written, Crispin has managed to adapt Joss Whedon's screenplay in such a manner that it practically appears to be an original work. Set 200 years after the events of Alien 3, "Resurrection" continues the story of Ellen Ripley and her battle against the biomechanoid monsters from the previous "Alien" outings. The novel begins with an interesting look at the cloning process, as scientists use DNA and tissue samples to grow a "new" Ripley and extract the alien embryo she was carrying at the time of her death. Crispin provides the reader with a thoughtful look at each of the characters' motivations and backgrounds, particularly the Ripley character. Ripley's struggle with her alien side and her subsequent reconciliation with her human characteristics are an enthralling subtext to the story, well-crafted and carefully thought out. Another interesting aspect of the story explored is the mother/child relationship that was a cornerstone of the second entry in the series, "Aliens." The author expounds on this subtext quite masterfully, making the reader balance his/her feelings of revulsion and horror of the alien species (particularly Ripley's "child" The Newborn) with the tender feelings of human compassion and the strength of the maternal instinct. It is doubtful that even the film will be able to provide these details, which only serve to enrich the story and provide a deeper psychological layer to the suspense and tension of what is admittedly an action piece. The writer also pays homage to the previous entries in the series, providing the reader with relevant flashbacks and snippets of memorable dialogue and scenes that fans will appreciate. Even the minor characters benefit from Crispin's profound characterizations, lending a more significant tragic quality to the story and providing a more heroic element to the proceedings. Also of note is the fact that Crispin infuses new life into key elements of the "Alien" saga, such as in a tense scene where kidnapped cryotube sleepers wake up, only to make the horrible discovery that they are about to be impregnated with alien embryos by the parasitic facehuggers. Though this is a scene which the reader has experienced before, Crispin's detailed description and attention to claustrophobic elements actually make this scene tense and frightening. It's quite obvious that A.C. Crispin feels right at home in this type of story, and is equally adept at pulling the reader in and satisfying his/her expectations. "Alien Resurrection" delivers, and is a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable read. The perfect companion piece for those planning on seeing the film! "In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream" but thanks to A.C. Crispin, "they can see you sweat!"

Talk about making the best of a bad job! This book is definitely - no offence to the scriptwriter, Joss Whedon - an improvement on the screenplay. In the film there are some gaps you could put the Titanic through, but the book fills them in admirably. Alien3, in my opinion, detracted from the sweep of Aliens, but Alien: Resurrection redeems the series somewhat, and the novelisation is an epic in itself. A.C. Crispin and Kathleen O'Malley, I salute you.

After seeing the movie, I didn't know if I could bring myself to read this book. All those flawed places, complete with a flawed ending, really left a person wanting. Still, the book was a gift and I really do need my Xeno-Xip, so I decided reading it would be for the best. Yes, I read and read and wondered exactly why this was so good and the movie was so bad. The book filled in most of those huge holes that the movie left open, and it made me wish I would have just jumped here instead of burning money at the movies. That couldn't happen, though, and I'm glad the book was there to pick up those poor, sequel-shattered pieces.

I loved the movie, and the book is even better. It gives us a more indepth view of the characters, by getting into their minds. Perfect!

One question...who can write a novelization that is better than the movie it's based on? Answer...A.C. Crispin and Kathleen O'Malley, of course. Crispin did it before in her practically epic novelization of V years ago, and now she's back, with her wonderful co-author from Silent Dances and Silent Songs, to write another. I was blown away after reading this book. Ironically, the movie didn't give this book enough credit. The book gave a lot more insight into Gediman and Wren's motives for conducting the experiments, and made Perez, Distephano and Purvis more than just meat. The story is not only given to us from the point of view of the prey (us, that is), but also from the point of view of the Aliens. Which was very unsettling, and wonderfully wicked of Crispin and O'Malley. The descriptions of the deformed cloans and the Newborn were especially vivid, and actually put the ones on screen to shame. Having read the book before seeing the movie, I cared more for Ripley and Call than I would have after only seeing the movie. Don't get me wrong, Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder were brilliant. The best parts were what they didn't say (don't take that the wrong way either). I love it when a sequel refers to its predecessors, because it ties eveything together making you think. And the book contained more of a connection with the previous movies than the movie did, which was odd. There were references to Jonesy (Ripley's cat, that was killed in the first one), Newt (the little girl, who Ripley basically adopted in the second movie, and died somewhere between Aliens and Alien3), and also Ripley's own daughter (who died not being able to see her mother again while Ripley floated in deep space for 50 years). Crispin and O'Malley took Joss Whedon's screenplay and ran with it, making it their own story, and adding things that would never have been able to be done on screen because of time restrictions. That's what's great about novelizations, though, isn't it? This book is just more proof of the fact that Crispin and O'Malley are masters of their craft and should be given more shelf space in the stores. This book is wonderfully written with skill and vivid details. A wonderful addition to a series in need of a story like this. It was fun to read, and at the same time made you stop to think about cloaning, and what role humans play in the universe, and how much control we have over nature. Bravo to A.C. Crispin and Kathleen O'Malley for another wonderful novel! Here's hoping for more!

She died to save humankind from a species that would have destroyed it. She died with an embyronic queen alien growing inside her, knowing it was the only way. So how can Ellen Ripley be alive again now? Decades later, aboard a laboratory ship in Pluto orbit? And what's become of her unwelcome passenger?

I can't believe I read this book through to the last page. Its gore and grossness factor goes far beyond my usual tolerance, which is why I found myself unable to watch the movie on which it's based. But I picked the novelization up anyway because of A.C. Crispin's other work, and she hooked me before I finished the first chapter. Her villians are the kind any reader will love to hiss, her Ripley is the most poignant of heroines, and each of her secondary characters is a memorable individual. Even the aliens themselves gain a certain creepy sympathy in the hands of Crispin and co-author Kathleen O'Malley. Add to this a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping story line, and you've got a winner of a book. Media tie-in or not, it makes no difference.

This was my first novel written by veteran Star Wars and Star Trek author Anne Crispin, and with this book she gained my full confidence in terms of producing page-turner novels. Unlike the majority, I had enjoyed the fourth movie in the Alien franchise but also thought it had lacked an intelligent script and mystery factor. Crispin delivers on both fronts. While there are few or no extra scenes in the book that didn't appear in the movie, Crispin gives very detailed descriptions of what is going on in the heads of the main characters, including the Aliens. The action scenes are also described in a very exciting manner. It also made me realize a lot of things that I missed in the movie (for example telepathy between Ripley and some of the Aliens). All in all, I really enjoyed the writing of Crispin with the little material she was given to work with, and I am looking forward to reading her other novels specifically within the Star Trek Universe.