The much longer and more favored version of David Fincher’s Alien 3 was quietly released onto HBO Max on Monday.  Alien 3: The Assembly Cut clocks in at two hours and twenty-five minutes, adding thirty minutes to the original runtime of one hour and fifty-four minutes.

While Alien 3 was harshly received by critics and audiences alike, with Rotten Tomatoes ratings from both categories in the 40s, the extended cut added scenes that “directly” affected the story and filled in numerous plot holes and fates of characters otherwise left unknown. Various critics prefer the Assembly Cut to the theatrical version, citing that the emphasis on character development and themes in those extended scenes affects the story of Alien 3 as a whole.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Richard Newby spoke to this in his own 2024 article ranking all the Alien franchise films, explaining,

While the theatrical version is fine, it’s the Assembly Cut that makes a strong case for the essential existence of Alien 3, placing an emphasis on character development and highlighting the film’s religious themes, which are crucial as Ripley finds herself in a manifestation of hell, complete with maze-like layers that evoke Dante’s Inferno.

Den of Geek’s Ryan Lambie also wrote in the Assembly Cut’s favor, stating,

Compared to the messy, curtailed theatrical release, the Assembly Cut of Alien 3 is undoubtedly the better one: a clearer expression of Fincher’s original intentions and a more coherent rendering of a script that was flawed to begin with. Some of the criticisms rightly leveled at the movie still apply.

Steve Wandling of Horror Obsessive said the extended cut gives a more satisfying conclusion to the ground-breaking sci-fi horror franchise, explaining,

Alien 3: Assembly Cut restores the proper narrative of the David Fincher directed Alien 3 to as close as possible. Not everyone goes down the darkest chapter of the franchise to its conclusion, but those that do will be richly rewarded with a more satisfying cinematic experience.

Fans looking to add to the debate can find both Alien 3 and Alien 3: The Assembly Cut now on HBO Max.