3. Everything Comes Full Circle
The logo, which features an alien going in a circle, is a really fitting image, because that's exactly what this movie does. Alien 3 serves as the perfect ending to Ripleys story, because everything comes full circle. Both the alien and Ripley go on this journey throughout the film, and they go through it together (yes, I know its a different creature in each movie, but just bear with me). The first movie establishes Ripley as young, by-the-book, and in the end, a survivor. Theres this thing she knows nothing about, and she tries following protocol, and that same protocol ends up betraying her when she finds out Weyland-Yutani want the creature for themselves. Then in Aliens, Ripley is wiser, and the struggle becomes more personal since she lost her daughter. The final battle between her and the Queen when shes in the power loader is a great, personal showdown. And in the third movie, Ripley and the alien are now one. Theyve gone from strangers to arch-enemies and where else to go, but to combine them? Her family has been destroyed by the aliens not once but twice, and in return, theyve brought her into
their family, as shes carrying the new Queen. Thats a powerful theme. As Ripley tells the alien when shes going to find it to test her theory that it wont kill her, Im part of the family now. The line is haunting. When Weyland arrives and offers Ripley the chance to have a new life with children, you can see theres fear on her face at that prospect. Shes outlived both her biological and her surrogate daughters and the daughter shes now pregnant with has the potential to wipe out all of humanity. Ripley knows her journey has come to an end, and she takes her own life to spare the rest of the universe. Ripleys story is and always has been a tragedy. She was never going to live happily ever after as Aliens suggested. Alien 3 just takes the tragedy to its logical conclusion.