As a long-time fan of the Alien franchise myself, I must say that watching Alien: Romulus felt like a trip down memory lane, albeit a rather bumpy and unsatisfying one. The filmmaker’s undeniable love for the series is evident, but it seems they were so enamored with paying homage to their favorites that they forgot to create a compelling standalone story.
In a possible shift for franchise filmmaking, the movie “Alien: Romulus” could signal an important juncture – a time when one might question if creators deeply attached to a franchise are always the ideal choice to manage it. The response, as depicted in the film “Alien: Romulus,” is increasingly leaning towards a firm “No.” This film serves as a stark illustration of how a franchise’s rich history and complex lore can become entangled thickets that stifle any new growth attempts.
As a gamer, I’d rephrase that as:
Unbeknownst to Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), her band of young colonists living in the polluted and impoverished mining settlement of Jackson’s Star, are oblivious to the machinations of Weyland-Yutani Corporation. As they grapple with the memories of their parents who perished in the mines, they strive for a better life, but when the corporation alters the terms of their service contracts, it becomes apparent that their pathway to freedom is merely an illusion. To compound matters, Rain’s adopted brother Andy (David Jonsson), an artificial being with malfunctioning programming, faces hostility and discrimination from bigots and bullies.
In the story, Rain’s associate, Tyler (or perhaps more than just that), encourages her to involve Andy in a daring heist. They seize control of a spaceship and guide it towards the deserted twin-structured space station Romulus/Remus. Their objective is to discover cryo-stasis chambers capable of sustaining them during their long journey, which spans nine years, to a lush, verdant planet in a distant colony. Initially, their plan seems to succeed; the tubes are indeed present. However, they encounter trouble when it’s revealed that they must penetrate further into the station to retrieve the cryo-fuel necessary to energize the tubes. Unfortunately for this group of youths, reactivating the ship inadvertently awakens dormant xenomorphs and facehuggers hidden within. In an attempt to flee this terrifying ship, Rain installs new programming into Andy to aid their escape – a move that might unknowingly amplify the danger to their lives.
The film “Alien: Romulus” is helmed by Fede Alvarez, a director renowned for his meticulousness when it comes to choosing projects, having previously directed only four films – “Evil Dead” (2013), “Don’t Breathe” (2016), two critically acclaimed horror movies, and “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” (2018), which seems to have put a dent in the Lisbeth Salander series. Regrettably, “Alien: Romulus” adds more weight to the argument that Alvarez’s skills may be confined to a narrow spectrum of intense horror, as this latest genre venture appears to be as unimpressive as “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” was.
There is no denying that ?lvarez is a major fan of the Alien franchise – but ironically, the proof of his fandom that he packs into the screen is also the very thing that holds the movie back. Romulus has a slavish fascination with Ridley Scott’s original Alien, it’s stylistic design, tone, and aesthetic – but there’s also plenty of love for James Cameron’s action-packed sequel and all the fun sci-fi gadgetry and world-building it offered. But ?lvarez (along with his collaborator Rodo Sysagues) can’t stop there – they have to acknowledge the expanded mythos that Ridley Scott added with his prequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant – and even wayward child of the franchise get nods – such as Alien 3 (with its dystopian vision of colony life) and Alien: Ressurection, with the latter getting a major head-nod in a make-or-break third act that will leave fans deeply divided.
In the heavy burden of nostalgia and franchise expectations, the original storyline, characters, and their struggles seem overshadowed. The final act attempts to intertwine every aspect of the Alien franchise, but it becomes evident that an overemphasis on fan nostalgia has morphed into a strange amalgamation of callbacks and reminiscences, lacking fresh ideas or enthusiasm for future Alien tales. The scenes appear more focused on incorporating Easter eggs or reintroducing older set pieces, props, and special effects than on the aesthetics, coherence, or functionality within the film. Instead of immersing audiences in the world of Alien, director ?lvarez constructs a museum of Alien franchise memorabilia, offering little new excitement. If not for ?lvarez’s exceptional visual skills as a filmmaker, this movie might not have been suitable for a theatrical release.
The actors in the movie “Alien: Romulus” deserve recognition for making the most out of their roles, despite the fact that the relationships and character development could have been clearer. Some actors, such as Isabela Merced, Aileen Wu, Spike Fearn, are mostly one-dimensional or serve as background characters. Cailee Spaeny and Archie Renaux mainly function as lead characters with subtle romantic undercurrents. However, it is David Jonsson who seems to take the main role, as his character Andy’s awakening process and internal struggle about handling the situation are the most intriguing aspects of the movie (although these elements still pale in comparison to the complex synth characters portrayed by Michael Fassbender or Ian Holm in previous Alien films).
Alien: Covenant could mark a significant advancement for the series, but unfortunately, it seems more like a retrospective glance rather than a leap forward. It also might serve as the definitive evidence that only Ridley Scott possesses the key insights into what truly defines Alien as a timeless horror masterpiece, and he may be the only one capable of propelling the storyline further.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Alien: Romulus is in theaters now.
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2024-08-16 21:10