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#REDIRECT Spoiler
Alien: Resurrection takes place 200 years after the events of Alien³. Ellen Ripley has been cloned using "blood samples from Fiorina 161, on ice" so that the United Systems Military can extract the alien queen embryo that was inside her from Alien³. It is not explained exactly how the alien's DNA would have been mixed with Ripley's in order to allow this to take place. After eight tries, the scientists manage to recreate a Ripley with a viable Alien inside of her. Of the former seven tries, all apparent failures, six of them are deceased and are contained in fluid-filled preservative chambers, while the seventh, horribly deformed, remains alive to be discovered and mercifully euthanized by Ripley later in the film.
A new capacity of the aliens is revealed in this film, being their ability to transfer memory genetically. It is this capacity that allows the resurrected Ripley to retain memories of her former self. It also piques the curiosity of the scientists and leads to their decision to keep her alive for further study. Having her DNA mixed with the aliens' has given Ripley other capacities as well, such as increased strength and acid blood. At the end of the film, it is revealed that the alien queen has also received a gift from Ripley's DNA: The ability to give birth to live young directly.
A rogue ship full of freelancers arrives with captured humans for the aliens to multiply on. However, before this can happen, the aliens (expectedly) escape and wreak terror across the ship. Ripley, who is also part alien, teams up with the freelancers to help destroy the ship before it reaches home base, Earth.
The film opened November 26, 1997.
Winona Ryder won the Blockbuster Entertainment award for her role in the film. In spite of this, the film is considered the least successful in the series, being poorly received by many fans and critics. It grossed only around $45 million at the US box office.There was also controversy surrounding proper credit for the alien design. H.R. Giger, the artist famous for creating the original alien design, was openly displeased that the film did not give him a credit for this (which even Alien³ had done) and sent a letter to the studio complaining.
In the 2003 Alien Quadrilogy DVD box set, Jeunet included an alternate version of the film with extended opening and closing scenes.