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| Images courtesy 20th Century Studios |
The Alien legacy receives its latest chapter in the form of a continuation that pays tribute to Ridley Scott’s original film but also interconnects all iterations of the decades long Xenomorph saga.
Alien: Romulus returns us to the survival horror sub-genre that Scott visualized and plays hard and fast with the rules, constantly world building and introducing a stockpiled amount of cold industrial luster and grit to the massive saga. Not fully abandoning the grandiose schemes of Scott’s prequel films, Romulus brings the series back to its roots while digging deep into the terrifying magnitude of science unleashed on the galaxy. This latest entry builds upon the existing lore while giving us a larger view of the universe.
Kicking off with hard visual cues to the 1979 classic, the setup introduces a rag tag crew with a mission to escape the corporate clutches of the Weyland Yutani corporation. They’re seeking freedom outside the confines of their otherworldly colony and have discovered a way out. Unfortunately for them, their plans will bring them face to face with the acid bleeding Xenomorphs and a bevy of alien horrors that brings all the movies into one cohesive storyline. Despite some repetitious plot points that are obviously ripped from the other films, this serves as a great sequel that never treads on the Ripley story as it converts much of the videogame Alien: Isolation directly to the screen. In fact, this film will satisfy the gaming crowd with its obvious influences, nods and plot devices.
Cailee Spaeny is the main focal point, taking up the new female heroine role in the dramatic space vacated by Sigourney Weaver some decades ago. Each set of Alien films have been centered on a female protagonist, and Spaeny fits in perfectly, bringing a much-needed innocence and modern charisma to the franchise. Some will take aim at the young adults that round out the cast, but for all intents and purposes, it works very well. Despite the film’s constant nostalgia baiting with repeated lines and some uncanny valley effects work, this sets it apart from the other movies which centered on older, vetted crew members. This post-teen band of scavengers is a fresh spin, making their ignorant choices more so uneducated than just straight idiocy. Their decision making is terrible, but they haven’t had years of experience yet. And the reaches of space are ready to rip them to shreds.
Director Fede Alvarez has spent the majority of his career building an impressive resume of horror films that ooze gore and unrelenting violence. Alien: Romulus gives him another chance to work in someone else’s sandbox adding his own twist on an established brand. Barring some uncomfortable annoyances and nostalgic retreads, his work here brings the Alien brand back to its core focus. Over time, the franchise lost much of its grandeur, spiraling into lesser entries like Alien: Resurrection and Alien: Covenant.
Romulus, for all it’s worth is a respectable film that’s cloned Ridley Scott’s DNA from front to back. From the onset, Romulus has that old school look and feel. The practical effects are seamlessly mixed with digital. The aesthetics match perfectly with its predecessors. Nothing here is ever distracting. Nothing is overdone or forced for the simplicity of the wow factor. It's lustrous to look at, bringing audiences back into the future that Ridley created and has now passed on to a new generation of creators. Even in its worst moments, this is definitely the best straight up Alien film we've had since 1986.
In less capable directorial hands, this could have been a total misfire. Fortunately for audiences, the Xenomorphs are back and the franchise may continue on.
-CG