It's sad but true in most people's eyes Alien 3 is the worst instalment of the series. But we are all entitled to our opinions, and for me Alien 3 knocks ten bails out of Aliens which some consider to be the best.

Again Ripley has floated through space; except this time something very different has happened. At the end of Aliens Ripley, Newt, Hicks and a very badly damaged Bishop escape the Alien threat destroying both the planet they dominate and the space craft they invaded. Ripley places all her three colleagues in a cyber sleep. The view of this being that when they awake they will have been saved by a recovery team; this however is not the case.

In the cast we have a great variety; Alien 3 launched a great number of careers. Some of the cast although had acted for years had never hit the big time and now were given a chance to shine.
Ripley was again played by Sigourney Weaver this time she was a much tougher and exacting character, she displays no fear to the alien attacks and has clearly had enough.
Charles Dance plays Clemens a disgraced doctor who has committed himself to a prison hell; dance was already a greatly respected and established actor with a fascinating resume that included The Golden Child, White Mischief, First Born and For Your Eyes Only.
Virtually unknown to the screen at least in the States was Brian Glover, a familiar face in the UK with appearances in Doctor Who, Porridge, Minder and All Creatures Great and Small. This was Glover's big break, but was also his last as people came to know him and respect his talent he fell ill and died of a brain tumour. Glover plays Andrews the tough prison governor who believes Ripley is insane, but at the same time somehow displaying qualities that lead the viewr to think that he might just believe her.
Before he became Doctor Who, Paul McGann was best known for his role in Withnail & I. Here McGann plays Golic a low life prison resident who has one concern only, himself.
Morse was played by Daniel Webb, the character Morse is possibly one of the most evil of the inmates, who comes through with a much warmer side, although he earlier plans to rape and murder Ripley he soon becomes her most trusted friend. Daniel Webb had worked mainly as an extra until Alien 3, he has gone on to appear in Our Friends In The North, Still Crazy, Frenchman's Creek, and more recently Hotel Babylon. Alien 3 really launched his career and he has never been out of work since.
Next is Charles S. Dutton who plays Dillon, he is the religious voice of the movie. Everything is bought into a religious context and tried to put into perspective, on Earth Dillon was a rapist and murderer but on his prison planet he had truly found God. Dutton had struggled with his career too, but Alien 3 launched his career and is now a regular face in both Cinema and television.
The real find of the picture however had to be Pete Postlethwaite, although a talented Actor he had never been allowed to shine. Alien 3 spring boarded his career and he had soon moved on to bigger and better things including In The Name Of The Father, The Usual Suspects, and now The Omen. His character of David is one of the most warming, he really cares and really wants to help, and he adds humour and diversity to the film.
Finally we have Lance Henrikson as Bishop, who plays another striking role. In a dual role he plays both the caring android and the uncaring manager of Weyland Yutomi, who created the Bishop android. Weyland Yutomi are the agency that triggered off the whole situation from the first film. The goal for him has always been to get a preserved alien to use in warfare.
I guess I should not forget Clive Mantle who has a very brief role but and went on to play Mike Barrett for several years in both Casualty and Holby.

There is an Audio Commentary, A featurette made as the movie was being made, a multi angle segment allowing the viewer to become the director of a crucial scene of the movie, a documentary on H R Giger's recreation of the Alien creature; Giger explains how he turns the Alien from a sexual object to a close relative in movement to The Panther, we also have Photo Galleries, Storyboards, Trailers, and workshops.