0
0
Alien, Predator, Terminator. What do all these sci-fi franchises have in common? Well, if your keen to all the IP’s as I am then I’m sure you guessed that all of them have stellar first two films followed by subpar or disastrous follow up installments. I won’t lie when I say that even the worse of the bunch of each franchise I still watch and enjoy for some reason or another, but nothing will never compare to films one and two. Alien is an iconic franchise to say the least as the first film ushered in a new age of blockbuster and essentially crafted a new style of sci-fi/horror. Director Ridley Scott created a title that enveloped huge budgets, scope and unfortunately failure. I consider Alien and Aliens as two of my favorites all time films with the latter being arguably my ultimate movie of all time. It’s essentially my go to when someone asks me what my favorite film is. After all, it’s the perfect merging of genres as James Cameron took Scott’s original and turned it upside down on its head (in a good way) and made what I consider the perfect sci-fi/action/horror movie ever.
Alien 3, Alien Resurrection and Scott’s subsequent reimagining of the franchise with Promethius and Alien: Covenant are a mixed bag for me as none of them have ever remotely come close to the first two and the latter movies, I feel, took the franchise in the wrong direction. If it were up to me, I would have let filmmaker Neil Blomkamp direct his direct sequel to Aliens that would have seen Sigourney weaver and Michael Biehn return as Ripley and Hicks respectively but that was nixed by Scott who wanted to do his Prometheus films. I’m not the only one who feels this way and when Alien Romulus was announced, I must admit I was far from excited as it essentially sounded like a sci-fi slasher movie with a bunch of young people becoming fodder for the Xenomorphs. However, as more info and images and eventually footage was released, I jumped on the train as it seemed that director Fede Alvarez was paying mass respect to the films that came before and with-it taking place between the first two pics, the last two entries would be forgotten. Also, Alvarez mentioned how Romulus would be a mixture of both Alien and Aliens with his film once again blending the best of both world with it being one part spine ripping horror and second parts bombastic action with practical effects infused with the gorgeous looking CGI special effects. One big highlight for me was that Alvarez used performers in costumes for the Xenomorphs which brought an old school, throwback feel to the earlier movies.
So how does Alien Romulus rate within the franchise and this immersive world? Did I like it or love it as a longtime superfan of the franchise? Well, to answer the first question, Alvarez has delivered a worthy successor to the first two flicks while at the same time I have a love/hate relationship with the finished product. Now let me stress that I have more love than hate for it with most of my disdain centered on the last act and 15 minutes of the film. Alvarez, who puts his own vision into his movies like his Evil Dead movie, does so again with Romulus while still paying homage and respect to Scott who did have a hand in the movie which unfortunately led to my aforementioned disdain.
Is this one worthy to be added into the Alien franchise? Absolutely and without question and while there are flaws involved (once again mostly dealing with the finale), this installment nails the what’s around the corner, jump out of your seat horror elements while infusing some kick ass action sequences involving star Cailee Spaeny (Civil War) who plays the lead heroine Rain. Spaeny and co-star David Jonsson, who plays her brother Andy, are the heart and soul of the movie and they carry it on their backs to the finish line.
Plot wise, Alien Romulus’ action takes place 20 years after the destruction of the Nostromo, and during these events, Ripley (Weaver) is still floating around somewhere in space as this one takes place smack dab in the middle. We learn that Rain and Andy are indentured workers for the infamous Weyland-Yutani corporation, and this pretty much means that their future is futile. Rain works does her job as a terraformer on a depressing and bleak world with hopes of working enough for a chance to leave the planet for a better one. Andy is the most interesting character of the small cast as we learn that he is a damaged android that Rain’s father found in a junkyard and programmed him to be a companion for Rain. Andy is practically Rain’s father as his personality is engraved into his programming which allows him to tell all of her deceased father’s bad jokes. We learn early on that even though they are not blood, they are still inseparable and are family.
Rain receives bad news in that she is not eligible to leave like she thought, and she has six more years to work off before she can finally vacate the planet. This forces her to join a ragtag team of scavengers led by Tyler (Archie Renaux) who are illegally planning to take off to a better destination that is eight years away. The bad news is that the trip requires the crew to use cryotubes for hypersleep and they do not possess even one. Fortunately, there is a derelict space station named Romulus circling above the planet that should have what they need so they hatch a plan to infiltrate the station and steal the chambers for use. There is a timeline though as the station is falling out of orbit and withing hours it will crash into the rings of the planet thus destroying it. The clock is ticking.
So sets the events into motion and when the crew arrives on the station, they find out that the crew were killed by something horrible and it’s still lurking about. Best laid plans and all. Things go terribly awry when the evil is unleashed in the form of facehuggers which we, as an audience, all know too well that they are the instrument to the Xenomorphs’ creation. Of course, our unfortunate young crew know nothing of what is about to happen.
The Alien movies have set the standard for genre filmmaking and Alvarez does his best to immerse the audience in this familiar world of strange worlds, deadly lifeforms and corporate greed at its most evil. He has created a beautiful looking film that Scott should be pleased with filled with breathtaking visuals, cinematic and atmospheric music that takes its cues from the earlier films and a sense of dread because we know what’s coming. Romulus is similar to the first movie as the characters are reminiscent of the iconic crew of the Nostromo although they are younger and more naive and Alvarez spends the first half of the movie letting us get to know them, so we care more when certain individuals meet their ghastly fates. The look and feel of what Scott created is all there with the ugliness of the blue collar and grungy worlds and ships make way for interstellar wonderment. The second half is where Alvarez pays tribute to Cameron by delivering a roller coaster ride of thrills, scares and action that will induce the sweats out of the audience.
In the lead, Spaeny was the right choice to lead the way as she channels a little Ripley in her performance. Make no mistake, Ripley is iconic as a genre character so no one will ever come close, but Spaeny sure does an admirable job as she conveys a sense of loneliness while at the same time being capable, tough and her look displays that of a young woman in a hopeless situation. When the shit hits the fan, Spaeny’s Rain rises to the occasion like Ripley and rolls her sleeves up in a full-blown effort for survival. Rain is essentially an ordinary person thrust into an extraordinary situation against even more extraordinary foes and she does just fine in her execution.
Jonsson compliments Spaeny so well that their chemistry is what really engulfs the audience to care when terrible things happen. Jonnson’s Andy is the next in a long line of iconic androids of the franchise with Lance Henrikson delivering a masterclass in Aliens. His character arc is the most standout as he goes from broken to formidable and eventually heroic when he has to be. You never know where his character is going so it’s a real treat to watch and Jonnson delivers one of the best performances in a movie this year.
The rest of the cast is disposable although they do an admirable job, and I’d say that Isabela Merced () Kay is the most tragic out of the lot as she experiences the worst of what the Aliens have to offer. Kay figures into the finale also and it’s her character that sets the climax in motion with dreaded results. Renaux’s Tyler almost achieves hero status as he is a good-hearted person who could be a leader, but he falls too soon to make any kind of impact. There’s also Aillen Wu as Navarro but you know her fate if you saw the trailer, so her character is just the steppingstone to unleash more creatures. Rounding out the team is Bjorn (Spike Fearn) who starts to develop but ultimately is just fodder for the aliens.
From first frame to last, Alien Romulus looks gorgeous, and it really harkens back to the first two movies with its striking effects both computer and practical and some shots are straight up homages to the first two and if you know, then you know. Romulus, as we know, is a near perfect blending of the first two installments and Alvarez hits the target with the right amount of balance between them. While watching the film. I kept thinking of the originals and how this one was like a child born of two parents. While it takes from earlier films, it still walks on its own and that is the best compliment I can give it. The cinematography by Galo Olivares is fantastic and it carries a large portion of the movie and that’s great as a movie like these lives or dies by it.
The horror elements are downright spine ripping while the action comes fast and brutal with gory results that should scratch the itch for genre fans. It’s jump scare inducing fun and seeing Rain unload with a niftier version of the pulse rifle in one of the film’s breakneck moments is worth the price of admission alone as she takes a stand against a horde of Xenomorphs that are the best looking that I have ever seen. It’s a true pulse racing and imaginative moment for the franchise in how it plays out and zero gravity really nails the sequence, and you’ll know what I mean when you see it. and it signals that Alvarez knows the best elements of what Cameron brought to the table.
Where Alien Romulus stumbles is the constant homages that Alvarez stuffs into the film’s running time. There is essentially something from every movie but at times it all feels forced and the addition of an older character could have been more of a win if the effects to create them weren’t suspect. He was shown in promotional material which again takes away from the surprise factor, but his look is shoddy to say the least. We even get one of the franchise’s most iconic lines said again but this is a cringe worthy moment, and it takes away from the coolness that happened before it. It’s just lazy writing and I would have preferred to hear a new line that would be destined to be spoken by fans for years to come. Alas we get what we get.
Then there’s the addition of the elements from Prometheus and Alien: Covenant that I really wasn’t expecting and could have done without. It’s this factor that takes away from my enjoyment of the last 15 minutes and I left severely disappointed as the first 100 minutes is spot on. I won’t spoil anything, but I’ll just say…remember a time when the Xenomorphs were menacing enough that they could carry an entire movie as the foe? Alas, those days are gone and here we get a new threat that I could have done without and it’s almost like Scott was looking over Alvarez’s shoulder and telling him, yes Fede you can make an Alien movie but you have to include my initial ideas. Would someone tell Scott that while he is a true maestro of filmmaking, these plot points are not welcome. At least in my eyes but what do I know seeing as I saw Alien when I was merely six years old. It’s this addition that almost makes the Xenomorphs seem like the secondary threat while they should be the main one. The climax should have had more of them but instead we get…well. I’ll let you see for yourself.
Overall. I liked Alien Romulus and felt that this is the best entry since Aliens. It’s miles ahead of the third and fourth film and especially the two Scott spin-offs but it still is a mixed bag that keeps it from being the movie it could have been. Cailee Spaeny as Rain is the best female character since Ripley and her performance along with Jonnson’s seriously carries the film. The supporting cast are good as well, but we all know what fate is ahead for them and this leads to a more underwritten scope for them.
When Alvarez is allowed to do what he does best, this is when the movie is at its best and it’s the best Alien movie since 1986, but Scott’s interference really hampers it and I’m a fan that could really, really let go of the mythology from Prometheus. I admire Scott and all that he has done but he’s really fumbled his own franchise in recent years The first three quarters of the movie is waisted by a finale that comes out of left field and left me scratching my bald head. Until then, this is truly a sensational fever dream of spine ripping and scream inducing horror, mixed with bombastic and chaotic action and true heartfelt human drama that is merged with a real love of the material. I give a chef’s kiss to the beginning, middle and almost end and then I would like to dump the very last part into a dumpster fire. It’s that plain and simple.
I’m a hardcore fan and I will always show up for future installments and I’m still hopeful for FX’s Alien Earth TV series. I even love the AVP movies as well for their cartoonish carnage and cheese factor and even though I complain, there are elements from Prometheus and Covenant that I do gravitate to and I still rewatch them to this day. What can I say but I’m complicated. Alien Romulus is a really, really, really good Alien film while it could have been a great one and that’s the bottom line.
VERDICT: 3.5 Out 0f 5 Stars
Fede Alavarez delivers the best Alien film in years with respectful fan service, spine ripping horror and sensationally bombastic action that ultimately suffers from a lackluster finale.
