Alien Romulus – REVIEW

As a lifelong fan of the Alien franchise, I must confess that my heart skipped a beat when I heard about Alien Romulus. Having grown up with the terrifying xenomorphs and their relentless pursuit, I’ve seen the highs and lows of this iconic series. After the rather disappointing Alien: Covenant, I was eagerly anticipating a return to form.

In a new twist, could Alien 7 or Alien Romulus potentially revive the esteemed Alien movie franchise, which has had its ups and downs, following the commercial flop of Alien: Covenant?

Directed by Fede Alvarez, known for his gruesome style seen in Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, this film is set in a mining colony planet shrouded in eternal darkness. The employees are bound by contracts they cannot break, and the story could have taken place in an Amazon warehouse. However, our protagonist Rainn (Cailee Spaeny) yearns for freedom, and together with her android father’s gift, Android Andrew (David Johnsson), she plans to escape along with her brother. Along with her former lover Tyler (Archie Renaux), his sister Kay (Isabela Merced), and a couple Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and Navarro (Aileen Wu), they manage to flee the planet for Romulus, an abandoned space station equipped with hyper sleep chambers. During their nine-year journey to a better world, they unknowingly awaken frozen xenomorphs on the station who have different plans for their new visitors. Needless to say, this isn’t going to end well.

As an enthusiastic admirer, I’d say that in a deliberate return to the foundational elements of the first two movies, Alien: Resurrection (2017) consciously distances itself from the weighty philosophical undertones of Prometheus. However, director F. Javier Gutiérrez cleverly incorporates nods to the earliest films, even Alien Resurrection and the video games, creating a treasure trove of Easter eggs that dedicated fans will relish discovering – making this film an exciting choice for multiple viewings.

There’s plenty to appreciate in this movie, particularly its youthful cast led by Cailee Spaeny, who has been gaining momentum since ‘Priscilla’ and this year’s impressive performance in ‘Civil War’. As the story unfolds, she steps into the shoes of Ripley. However, it’s David Johnson as android Andy that truly shines. His portrayal mirrors Ian Holm’s android from the original film, navigating through complex directives bestowed upon him by the sinister Weyland-Yutani corporation, a foe almost as menacing as the aliens themselves within the franchise.

Similar to the initial movie, this tale unfolds in a haunted space station, delivering multiple suspenseful deaths involving gooey substances. The plot builds up its grandiose scenes, reaching an over-the-top, though somewhat hard-to-believe, climax that features a remarkable zero-gravity sequence on the spacecraft. Despite some complaints about excessive callbacks, Alien Romulus revitalizes the franchise and should appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Director Fede Alvarez talks about the making of the film…

When facehuggers attack at the London premiere – Fede Alvarez and cast save the day….

Here’s the Alien Romulus trailer…..

2024-08-16 02:23

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