As a lifelong fan of the Alien franchise, I must say that Ridley Scott‘s return to the series with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant has been nothing short of exhilarating. His ability to weave complex themes of science, technology, and spirituality into the heart-pounding horror of the xenomorphs is truly unparalleled.
The latest addition to the Alien movie series, titled “Alien: Romulus,” is now playing in cinemas and has sparked renewed enthusiasm for the franchise, amassing over $100 million globally during its opening weekend. However, not all fans have been enamored with “Alien: Romulus.” The most frequent complaints center around director Fede Alvarez’s film, which critics say leans too heavily on nostalgia, and some even question whether it delivers the terror that other Alien films have provided.
Each individual spectator may respond differently to the movie “Alien: Romulus”, but for this discussion, we’re focusing on a different aspect. Since the last Alien film, directed by Ridley Scott, was released in 1997 (excluding the Alien vs Predator crossover films), Alien: Romulus serves as strong proof that only Sir Ridley Scott possesses the unique ability to continue and grasp the distinctive sci-fi/horror franchise he initiated.
In contrast to numerous science fiction tales about terrifying extraterrestrial beings, the Alien franchise stands out as unique. The 1979 film “Alien” was a chilling exploration of life’s potential dark side, where the horrifying Xenomorph creature emerged from an unsuccessful biological experiment. When Ridley Scott decided not to pursue sequels for Alien, the franchise was taken over by directors like James Cameron and David Fincher. In Cameron’s vision, the Xenomorph became simply “The Xenomorph,” with him establishing that these nightmarish aliens were an entire species exhibiting characteristics akin to a hive (a queen controlling drones and constructing a nest). Later installments such as “Alien 3” or “Alien: Resurrection” experimented with the possibility of Xenomorphs undergoing mutations based on their hosts, like a Dog Xenomorph or a hybrid human-Xenomorph. However, these films still primarily focused on a single type of monster.
In the 2010s, when Ridley Scott returned to lead the Alien series, fans were deeply connected to the Xenomorphs as the franchise’s emblematic symbols. This might explain why the release of Scott’s Prometheus was so disconcerting for fans: Prometheus fundamentally altered the Alien mythos, offering a sprawling prequel narrative about an advanced race of humanoid aliens called The Engineers and the lethal bio-weapon they created to destroy worlds and induce random biological transformations that could foster life. Many longtime Alien fans were disappointed that the film was not a direct prequel to Scott’s original; by the end of Prometheus, Scott hinted at fans that the Engineers’ bio-weapon fluid could lead to the creation of monstrous mutations similar to the Xenomorph seen in Alien (1979), but without explaining how an Engineer ship encountered a xenomorph outbreak and crashed on LV-426, where Ellen Ripley’s crew would later discover it.
The movie “Alien: Covenant,” a follow-up to “Prometheus” directed by Ridley Scott, provides additional information about how the character David, a rogue AI played by Michael Fassbender, destroys an alien race and uses their planet as a lab to create the first Facehuggers. This film offers hints for future stories that will connect to the original “Alien” (1979) while also developing the Alien Universe with new terrifying mutations. The films of Ridley Scott, including “Prometheus,” “Alien: Covenant,” and “Alien (1979),” feature intelligent and educated female protagonists like Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), Daniels (Katherine Waterston), and Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). These characters face challenges not only from the alien creatures but also from skeptical crewmates, untrustworthy synthetics, and corporate greed. The themes of gender in these films are subtle, with the stories often criticizing male arrogance while praising female courage, resilience, and intelligence. However, when sequels brought Ripley back multiple times, her heroic status lacked the same depth or commentary as Scott’s original films.
The directors who handled the ‘Alien’ sequels before Ridley Scott returned for the prequels seemed to lack the innovative vision that Scott brought to the xenomorphs and the world they inhabit, with ‘Alien: Resurrection’ being the rare exception that somewhat captures the essence of Scott’s approach to the franchise. Director Fede Alvarez of ‘Alien: Romulus’ might excel in amplifying the biological and body horror aspects of ‘Alien’ beyond what Ridley Scott achieved, but when the climactic battle unveils a human-xenomorph-Engineer hybrid creature, it becomes evident that Alvarez is primarily building on what has been previously imagined rather than introducing fresh ideas. Over time, ‘Prometheus’, ‘Alien: Covenant’, and the original ‘Alien (1979)’ appear to be developing their own distinct ‘Alien’ narratives, while ‘Aliens’, ‘Alien 3’, ‘Alien: Resurrection’, and ‘Alien: Romulus’ seem more like spin-offs derived from the core storyline but not fully integrated with it.
Moving ahead, it seems that only Ridley Scott holds the secret recipe for creating an authentic “Alien” movie. Moreover, if there’s any justice, Scott should have another opportunity to complete the Prometheus Trilogy, wrapping up the narrative in a way that brings the story back to where Alien (1979) starts.
Alien: Romulus is now in theaters. The other Alien films are streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
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2024-08-19 23:10