A much maligned opening, but a distinctly bold one as well. David Fincher's Alien 3 was a tonal shift from Aliens and this brief sequence conveys that immediately. The death of Newt and Hicks has angered many, most famously, Simon Pegg. Yes, Ripley did go through a lot to rescue the Aliens crew, but this film is going in a different direction and there is no cleaner break (and more effective way to set the mood) than to kill Newt and Hicks.
A much maligned opening, but a distinctly bold one as well. David Fincher's Alien 3 was a tonal shift from Aliens and this brief sequence conveys that immediately. The death of Newt and Hicks has angered many, most famously, Simon Pegg. Yes, Ripley did go through a lot to rescue the Aliens crew, but this film is going in a different direction and there is no cleaner break (and more effective way to set the mood) than to kill Newt and Hicks.