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Alien 3

Alien 3

1992
Sci-fi
Suspense/Thriller
1h 54m
After her last encounter, Ellen Ripley crash-lands on Fiorina 161, a maximum security prison. When a series of strange and deadly events occur shortly after her arrival, Ripley realizes that she brought along an unwelcome visitor.
Your probable score
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Alien 3

1992
Sci-fi
Suspense/Thriller
1h 54m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 41.38% from 7520 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(7520)
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Rated 06 Jul 2009
3
38th
This was way better than I expected it to be, at least as a stand-alone film. Okay, so it pisses all over Aliens and invalidates the ending, which is enough to make it a poor sequel. But a poor movie? Nah. Perhaps lowered expectations contributed but I had a lot of fun with this. It's got some great visuals, it's a dark, tense film that returns to the more suspenseful style of the first film instead of relying on balls-out action, and it wraps things up nicely. Maybe I'm a fanboy but I like it.
Rated 19 Mar 2007
49
18th
'Alien 3' may contain the most intriguing plot device of all the films: the characters are trapped on a prison planet with no weaponry and a single monster. Fox Studios sliced and diced the film David Fincher apparently sought out to make and he left the project before editing began--it shows. The movie feels flat, looks tacky (the CGI in this film is awful), and fails to flow from all the cut-and-paste editing. Sadly, this film could've been the most interesting, if not the most suspenseful.
Rated 27 May 2011
70
53rd
A really ballsy sequel to Aliens, DO NOT watch it right after Aliens though you will hate it with a passion for doing what it does. Needed more British accents.
Rated 02 May 2019
70
53rd
The Alien franchise holds an enduring fascination for me - it's like a musical fugue and a fugue state rolled into one. Alien3 is quite literally the Dark Horse - bleak and damp and tense, it looks like shit and the characters are shitty and everyone's covered in shit and it's so depressing it makes you feel like shit. But in the best possible way that shit could allow.
Rated 24 Aug 2021
57
33rd
I actually enjoy it less than Resurrection despite the higher rating which makes about as much sense as killing off Newt and replacing Ripley's motherly instinct with a passion position with prison physician. I don't hold a lot of hope for this Fincher guy, or is this not how you do revisionist history?
Rated 31 Jul 2009
78
80th
One of the most underrated films around in my opinion. Fincher does a great job directing "Alien 3" and I have never understood the dislike aimed at this film. It's fair to say it's not quite up their with the first two movies, and there is a few moments of dodgy visuals and a wooden script, but Fincher creates a claustrophobic and dark thriller, with another great Weaver performance and a solid support cast. A worthy addition to the Alien franchise.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
14
1st
Hello I am a jobbing Royal Shakespeare Company veteran this is my sole scene of character development OH GOD AN ALIEN HAS INTERRUPTED IT BY MURDERING ME (repeat x5)
Rated 25 Jul 2008
70
51st
Terribly overlooked and underrated.
Rated 22 May 2007
73
54th
The assembly cut is where it's at here, a much better film than the theatrical version.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
72
55th
The alien series attempts to get back to it's roots of a future setting with people who are not properly equipped for combat fight an alien. Visually it's got some impressive bits but Alien and Aliens is far better. It's a good film with some decent scares but it's nothing really new. While the director's cut does vastly improve the film ultimately studio interference ruined it.
Rated 27 May 2015
3
45th
An underrated return to form, with a plot founded on a solid and unique premise. It is incredibly dark and grotesque, almost nauseating. The visual design is grimy and industrialized, bordering near steampunk but remaining consistent with the established art direction of the previous films. Unfortunately, it does fall apart somewhat during the final act, which features an elaborate and geographically confusing action set piece, some cheesy Xenomorph-POV camerawork, and bad CGI.
Rated 13 Oct 2009
70
67th
BD SPECIAL EDITION: Finally the movie gets redeemed as extra scenes are inserted to great effect both story- and mood-wise. Though A3 doesn't reach the heights of the previous two masterpieces, Fincher's movie is both bold and aesthetically interesting and serves as a pleasing end chapter to the trilogy. Oh... yeah... they made a forth one... well...
Rated 25 Jun 2019
73
32nd
Cinematography & prod design make appropriately grungy visuals, so its unfortunate the efx are so bad. Most of the time the creature's clearly superimposed over the actors & it often looks more like it's humping victims rather than attacking. The pacing is also too slow & though the premise (Ripley surrounded by males) could be interesting the only themes are the usual liberal tropes: corporations can't be good; criminals can (the irredeemable are all white); women are badass & blacks are noble
Rated 12 Jan 2009
99
92nd
i adore this movie. The cyberpunk madonna with the new born in her hug fall into the fire abyss ....aaargh - i live for movies like that !
Rated 18 Oct 2021
70
34th
While the "Alien" series has never suffered a lack of talent in departments of directing or acting, this one is clearly the weakest link--even in comparison to the following installment. The first two had some killer practical effects, and while the CG here is astounding through the lense of time, it's been thirty years and by now it's downright offensively bad. For completionists only.
Rated 17 Jun 2021
64
28th
ASSEMBLY CUT: This franchise rests on creating both a threatening monster & evil corporation. As with past installments on laborers & soldiers, this one examines the disposability of inmates in the prison-industrial complex. The failure isn't Fincher's fault as much as the infamous script problems. The opening act has the most compelling dramatic scenes of the entire series. But it's let down by the resolution's incomprehensible set piece. Marginal recommendation for fans of the previous films.
Rated 19 Dec 2017
5
73rd
i can't imagine how or why such a fan-unfriendly sequel was conceived, let alone greenlit, but the brutality with which it criticises and devalues its undeniably dumb predecessor is magnificently ballsy. it's bewilderingly committed to this bizarro mixture of unhinged mania and apocalyptic, despairing solemnity, and for all its faults the experience, anchored by arguably weaver's best performance of the franchise and an inexplicably moving turn from charles dance, is personal and unforgettable.
Rated 10 Jan 2010
54
55th
Granted, it does make the ending of Aliens somewhat hilarious.
Rated 14 May 2017
78
80th
The 3rd film in the "Alien" franchise is remembered as the disappointing sequel to two beloved films, but maybe most notorious for its troubled production. Director David Fincher has alluded heavily to there being a sort of "too-many-cooks" problem that is responsible for distorting what he was trying to make. The "Assembly Cut" version was an engaging character story despite the terrible special effects, and as an ending to the trilogy for the character "Ellen Ripley" a dark and somber tale.
Rated 11 Jun 2017
68
43rd
This review is based off the theatrical cut, not the Assembly Cut. Absurdity follows the Alien franchise wherever it goes, and it would be best if future handlers of the franchise learned to embrace this rather than fighting it. Fincher certainly embraces it, offering enough spectacle and dark comedy to make something fairly watchable in the wake of an absolutely terrible production process. I don't think anybody can deny that, despite the flaws, no Alien film is like another. That's rare.
Rated 25 Apr 2015
68
10th
There's good direction from first-timer Fincher (already adept at chiaroscuro), and two decent scenes: a burial into the void of space inter-cut with an alien emerging from a dog, and the fragments of crushed android Bishop reanimated and interrogated by Ripley. Weaver, Hendriksen, Dance and Postlewhaite are good as always, but finally this is just another dumb Walter Hill script almost saved by smart direction. (The usual smart director of dumb Hill scripts being--of course--Walter Hill.)
Rated 25 Jan 2010
80
44th
Unfairly maligned by cast, crew, director and fans. Interesting premise, a the very least. Feels very "blue collar" like Alien.
Rated 25 Mar 2007
66
41st
Worst of the alien franchise. How do you start the film off killing the two most likable characters from the previous film?
Rated 21 Jan 2010
75
71st
This is pretty underrated and is much better than it's usually criticized as being. The bleak tone and super depressing ending puts most people off who want another repeat of Alien and Aliens. It is however definitely the weakest out of the first 3 alien films simply because some of the plot points are a bit flimsy and hardly any of the characters (except for Ripley) are likable.
Rated 28 Oct 2010
60
52nd
I rank this higher than Aliens because I really like how utterly grim it is. The first two-thirds has this amazing atmosphere of doom-laden isolation and utter hopelessness that is not even matched by the first film. Unfortunately the final third pretty much sucks, with bad CGI, gimmicky camerawork and a mish-mash of boring chase scenes and people you don't care about getting killed. On that point, why did they kill off the most interesting character (Charles Dance) so early in the film?!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
73
45th
Fincher does pretty much the exact opposite of Cameron, for better and for worse. There's not a single line of dialogue that made me wince like Cameron's shitty tough talk. It's not a thrill ride, but more of a dark, introspective nihilistic slow burn. But the effects are rather poor and more importantly, Fincher doesn't have Cameron's skill in putting together an action setpiece. The geography of the location is never clearly established, which makes most of the action a confusing clusterfuck.
Rated 14 Mar 2008
84
75th
Not only is this film "not nearly as bad as people say," it's actually quite good. Especially the director's cut, which fleshes out the characters. This is not Aliens part 2 as many hoped it would be. This is Fincher's take on the Alien franchise, and he makes it his own. It's bleak, cynical, and quite suspenseful. I hate using the term, but I'd have to go so far as to call this one of the most underrated films ever.
Rated 10 Feb 2010
85
86th
"Alien 3" manages to do what "Aliens" failed to: scare me. Thanks to both the prison itself, the inmates and the alien, this is a very tense and dark film. You find yourself getting lost in the location, feeling claustrophobic and nervous while watching it. Whilst it largely ignores the plot developments in Aliens, perhaps thankfully, it also manages to bring in new and interesting characters and weave an interesting tale of it's own. In my eyes, this is the definitive sequel to a classic.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
54th
Not great but underrated.
Rated 29 Nov 2009
93
90th
the brownest of the alien films - quite bleak, but rounds the trilogy off well.
Rated 18 Dec 2006
62
25th
This is pretty dark and somewhat interesting visually, but it's hard not to be disappointed with the direction this movie takes after the excellent first two films.
Rated 17 Aug 2009
87
68th
David Fincher's first movie, very dark and not at all like Aliens.
Rated 01 Feb 2009
86
59th
A really well-made movie. Sigourney is absolutely wonderful in this role and I felt this film did justice to the first two, which, in my opinion, are all time classics.
Rated 13 Apr 2013
80
62nd
I really like the setting of this movie. On top of the prison setting, there is the added tension of the convicts also being religious believers in a female free existence. Thus, Ripley landing on the their colony couldn't have been worse for these convicts. I definitely like the second movie the most. The story of this movie, while engaging, was also not as thought provoking as the second movie. The dangling plot point of how the alien came to be inside her was left to the imagination.
Rated 08 Mar 2014
87
78th
The third entry in the Alien series (especially in the superior extended cut) is a quite original, novel take on the creature and characters established in the earlier films, even if its heart doesn't really seem to be in the action scenes which dominate the second half. Weaver brings remarkable style and presence to a potential walk-through, Dance is always a welcome presence in any film, and Glover is also gruff and terrific in support. Fincher's stylish direction also adds plenty of interest.
Rated 21 Jan 2010
82
76th
Maybe I'm a fanboy -- I grew up on these movies, the comics, novels, action figures, etc. -- but even though this throws everything Ripley fought for in Aliens right out with trash, this only contributes to the hopeless, bleak as fuck atmosphere that defines this film and sets it apart from the others, and as such I actually like it quite a bit. It takes the theme of motherhood from the previous film and turns it on its head, returning to the psychosexual body-horror of the original.
Rated 18 Aug 2009
72
43rd
Depending on who you talk to, this is underrated and far from being Fincher's worst film. I appreciate the ballsy opening that kills off some memorable characters from the second film, and it gets even more nasty as it goes on. Maybe this leaves a bad taste in some peoples' mouths, but I like the despair in this film and it differentiates this from the others in the series. The last third of the film is a tad generic, but still enjoyable and it ends very well.
Rated 13 Oct 2016
23
67th
wow you guys are racists against aliens
Rated 25 Sep 2010
68
65th
I really enjoyed the return to the Alien type feel. The film is obviously flawed (partially due to all the confusion in production) but I do love the one smart alien rather than thousands of mindless ones (as much fun as Aliens was).
Rated 26 Jan 2008
72
68th
Back to the dark, one Alien terror.
Rated 05 Mar 2008
84
83rd
Best of the original trilogy. Returns to the themes of the first one without fucking it all up in the end.
Rated 29 Dec 2010
70
62nd
Good cast but the characters just aren't as immediately likeable as in the first two movies, which is pretty much essential if you're making a movie where everyone is just sitting around waiting to get bumped off. Compensates by making some interesting twists on the concept and having a really nice visual style and a uniquely bleak atmosphere.
Rated 22 Mar 2015
78
58th
Not as bad as I was expecting having a distant memory of watching the theatrical version. The Assembly Cut had some good elements although the alien was a bit incedental and the movie dragged a bit in the second half. After you've seen the film read the Wikipedia page about the film's production for some insight into how it turned out the way it did and what it might have been.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
42nd
Nowhere near the punch of the first two. I was almost sad when I saw this after watching Alien and Aliens, which make this look like Plan 9 From Outer Space.
Rated 08 Oct 2010
50
27th
IT'S A LITTLE BABY. GET IT? This movie would have been better if not for the bad sets and the bad computer effects. Why the hell wouldn't they stick with puppet Aliens?
Rated 25 Dec 2012
65
62nd
Underrated, but still not great.
Rated 24 Sep 2013
6
41st
Alien 3 struggles to establish a tone and tries to blend the horror of the first film and the action of the second. Whereas Ridley Scott & James Cameron had creative control over their respective Alien films, sadly the same can't be said for David Fincher's miserable experience. This was a baptism of fire for his directorial career and too much studio influence tarnished what could and should of been a great Alien film. There are moments of brilliance and enjoyment, but it's wasted potential.
Rated 19 Mar 2007
67
71st
At times it is up there with the first two films, but some downs between these action-filled highs keep the film feeling a little inconsistent. Still great though.
Rated 12 Jan 2007
55
39th
Was it just me, or did anyone else not give a damn what about what happened to ANY of the characters?
Rated 22 Mar 2007
80
68th
Well, well, well. I'm not the only person who likes this film after all. Another thing to like about this site
Rated 23 Mar 2011
79
81st
The pay off is its atmosphere of total dread. A brave follow up to the previous two films.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
91st
Underrated, the best one next to the original.
Rated 10 Feb 2015
60
35th
The Assembly Cut actually isn't that bad. It's not *great*, but it certainly has its moments. I'm told the theatrical cut was an unmitigated, jumbled disaster, but I haven't seen it, and I'm also told it's not worth seeing.
Rated 08 Nov 2020
66
70th
I actually enjoyed Alien 3 [Assembly Cut] more than I did Aliens, even though it's not as good technically. The theme of motherhood is jettisoned out the airlock and the notion of exploring forsaken, to instead offer an enclosed game of cat-and-mouse with a cyberpunk aesthetic. The characters are much better this time round, and killed off at a better pace. Most of my problems with this film lie with the lacklustre (and chaotic) action sequences in the last act, though I liked the bold ending.
Rated 01 Dec 2015
61
28th
It's not alien three it's alien cubed so strap the fuck in
Rated 18 Aug 2007
60
34th
Could have been a good movie, but falls flat toward the end
Rated 24 Aug 2023
2
22nd
Watched the special edition aka the assembly cut. Watched it exactly in two equal parts, and it didn't feel too bad until I reflected on it once the movie was done with and could clearly see how supremely weak it was compared to its predecessor. Also most of the things felt outright ludicrous once you do a recap of the movie. 3-star or 2-star---who cares? Just skip it.
Rated 08 Apr 2012
76
32nd
Better than it should be, given the legendarily chaotic production, but it still has major issues, mostly to do with how the script has little regard for building characters, killing everyone the moment you care about them, (if you already care, they're already dead). While it increases the shock value to have developed characters killed off suddenly, the end result is everyone left is indistinguishable cannon fodder rather than fully fleshed out human beings, killing the tension.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
55
53rd
Flawed film that still has moments.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
1
5th
It has some exciting moments, and I like how the alien pops out a dog, but just thinking about the way that this movie hits the reset button on Aliens - one of the singular great sci-fi action movies - and kills off Newt in the opening makes me angry all over again.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
34th
marked the decline of the franchise, yet is still much better than people give it credit for. it has atmosphere that's for sure.
Rated 09 Nov 2011
85
80th
The Assembly Cut
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
94th
Alien 3, the miserabilist conclusion to a series. The alien is back to being a singular personifacation of id vandalism. The religious allegory story also adds an element of punishment to the creatures actions. Ripley is defeated and infected, searching for a worthwhile conclusion. Her craddling her newborn is it.
Rated 08 Mar 2012
70
72nd
This movie is really underrated, sure the CGI looks outdated (thankfully wasn't overused), they had a lot of preproduction problems and it shows, but I like this come back to a more obscure future where you feel the isolation from the first movie where you have no scape and no weapons, also is a lot more believable than Aliens, a lot grimmer, has far more interesting story and characters and Ripley looks really badass, a true fighter scarred in battle from the last two encounters
Rated 09 Sep 2011
55
29th
An okay movie marred by a series of jackass decisions that would hurt the entire series if the first two weren't so got-dang awesome.
Rated 24 Jul 2012
65
66th
[Director's Cut] Great cast and director let down by the utterly shoddy script. Fincher throws every directorial trick in the book at this, trying to make it into a compelling cinema experience, but it falls flat. If this were a standalone movie from a first-time director - not connected to the Alien franchise at all - it would be a good film. As a follow-on to the first two, with all the expectations that implies, it falls severely short.
Rated 14 Jan 2015
3
30th
the religiosity of authoritarian regimentation, with some random heavy-handed gender subtext, david fincher style. okay, so that held my interest for a half hour, then i got bored - the version i watched was 145 minutes for some reason, so that was lame. oh well. definitely better than its predecessor though, and that it pisses on everything that one 'achieved' is great.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
78
69th
This one is my favorite of the series (even though I give the original higher marks), and it pains me to think what could have been as well.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
24th
Not as good as the first two.
Rated 07 Jun 2011
69
57th
Started off quite decent but as it progressed I thought it didn't have the same feel as the previous Alien(s)
Rated 17 Dec 2006
70
56th
Doesn't do sci-fi or horror as well as Alien and it doesn't do action as well as Aliens did, but it's still a damn good film and good entry into the Aliensphere.
Rated 01 Apr 2012
70
71st
This could have been on par with the first film. It certainly has the setting and plot for it. Sadly the behind the scenes struggles shines through and ruins what really could have been a superb film in the franchise. Fincher came close to quitting the industry after his fist fight with 20th Century Fox - Thank god he didn't!
Rated 24 Sep 2021
90
86th
I feel that Alien 3 is a movie that splits the waters however I like it very much for its bleak and ominous atmosphere. It holds up in all areas execept for the cgi special effetcs. Luckily there aren't many of those. If you watched Alien 3 back in the day and didn't like it then consider sitting down and rewatch the "assembly cut".
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
92nd
I believe this would have been better received if it had come after the first than after the second. It's kind of hard to return to one alien in a cold metal factory after seeing a bajillion explode in a flash of flesh-burning resplendence. Still, it's creepy and moody, even if it was ruthlessly raped by the studios.
Rated 04 Nov 2014
59
58th
Not a masterpiece like its two predecessors, but not as awful as most viewers claim it to be either, nor Fincher's worst (that title should go to The CC of Benjamin Button).. a quite enjoyable but rather dreary sci-fi flick to be fair.
Rated 27 Apr 2008
57
25th
Begins with a giant 'fuck you' to everything Ripley struggles to achieve in Aliens. For that alone I choose to ignore its existence.
Rated 20 Jul 2011
70
61st
Although it is much below the first two, the third is a decent movie, in large part because of Sigourney Weaver and his Ripley, who are great in this third film. The downside of this, was the script.
Rated 23 Jun 2012
48
24th
Flashy, flawed sequel that doesn't deliver the chills of the first or the thrills of the second.
Rated 31 May 2017
7
63rd
The story and characters leave something to be desired (aside from Ripley only Clemons really gets developed and his arc is cut short), but the dark and brooding atmosphere is incredible, thanks to the sinister and suffocating prison setting, discomforting sound and camera work (see the brilliant autopsy/alien birth montage), and tense mix of religious and foul language dispersed throughout. A bold ending makes up for the confusing final action sequence, though it's marred by some bad CGI.
Rated 15 Nov 2008
45
21st
Boring.
Rated 08 Jun 2022
75
65th
Aliens was a big departure from the slow-burn horror of Alien, making Alien 3's darker direction seem as good a call as any. Putting aside clear studio meddling, it shows the markings of a director with vision, the crumbs of what could have been, and for that I appreciate it. It has some of the cheapest looking FX of the entire franchise (which aren't CGI btw), but when properly shown in the flesh (suit) the Xenomorph is the best it's ever looked. Assembly Cut for the win.
Rated 22 Aug 2023
88
45th
A poorly constructed sequel with beautiful visuals but little in the way of real thrills, Alien3 takes admirable risks with the series lore, but sadly too few of them pay off. The movie lacks focus and its meandering plot falls short of creating the same amount of tension as its predecessors. Alien3 is a pretty lacklustre instalment in the series, despite having some intriguing ideas and a promising setup.
Rated 18 Aug 2021
6
60th
I must really not be made for Alien, as I liked the vibe of this movie much more than the vibe of the first two. It felt more oppressive, claustrophobic, dire... only to be ruined by the awful decision to use 90s special effects instead of sticking to practical effects. I like how ghoulish and hopeless the ending was... though it was ruined yet again by awful effects.
Rated 19 Mar 2008
69
31st
A lot of people didn't like this chapter in the Aliens movies, I did. I can understand their complaints, I mean it is hard to be any more cool than the Space Marines from the second film.
Rated 22 Oct 2009
70
53rd
[director's cut] It really is an underrated instalment in the TRILOGY (the fourth one doesn't exist for me).
Rated 16 Mar 2012
45
0th
Whats that smell?
Rated 02 Nov 2018
20
5th
If they have a room that the alien can't get in and out of why did they not just get inside themselves??
Rated 14 May 2008
75
67th
More Aliens! AHHHH. I dunno, the series seemed solid here also; plot held up to what was going on.
Rated 16 Aug 2011
40
31st
Alien 3 is a mediocre film taken on its own merits, and a bad one when thought of as a sequel to Aliens and the first Alien. The plot is too simple, the characters too lifeless and the point nonexistent. And if you get sick from riding roller coasters, you'll likely want to avoid this regardless or not if it sounds appealing, because it will likely make you sick. At least you have an excuse other that "it looks and sounds bad" to not watch it.
Rated 14 Jul 2017
62
24th
The movie is mostly just people talking about the same shit over and over. Very little alien action. Feels like it takes place in a studio lot rather than outer space. It's just boring, not funny, not clever, no action. The only saving grace really is Sigourney Weaver, but I still couldn't make it to the end. I fast forwarded to the last scene (you know, the fire pit) and laughed my ass off at the CGI or whatever that was.
Rated 14 Nov 2007
77
73rd
This part of the series catches the atmosphere of the first movie pretty well but it's definitely worst of the first three. It also smells a little too over-producted but is still good. The ending is wonderfully "epic" and should have ended the series.
Rated 08 Nov 2012
61
5th
60.500
Rated 15 May 2012
3
24th
This movie makes me nauseous. A grimy, bald-headed penal colony full of born again rapists? What? Also, what's with the steampunk vibe? This is barely even sci-fi. The music sucks too. This movie is shitty.
Rated 19 Jan 2013
77
83rd
Assembly cut: Its unique and desolate setting makes for a great Alien atmosphere.
Rated 10 Mar 2020
68
49th
67.6
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
40th
Takes way too long to get to the good stuff.
Rated 15 Oct 2008
65
15th
This one goes back to the idea of one single alien from the first movie. However it lacks much of the heart that made that one such a classic.
Rated 04 Jan 2009
80
85th
second best Alien after Alien 1
Rated 16 Sep 2017
5
29th
It was all downhill from here. I guess it's not so bad on its own merits, but in context with the overarching story and lore it definitely did more harm than good.
Rated 10 Jul 2008
84
91st
This movie deserves a second viewing. After watching it again, I grew to like it more.

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