Movie Breakdown: Alien: Romulus

Pre-Screening Stance:

Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe, 2013’s Evil Dead) is a good director and I’m very much on the Cailee Spaeny bandwagon after her excellent turns in Priscilla and Civil War, but what really has me excited for Alien: Romulus is the “back to basics” feel that it’s sporting.

Post-Screening Ramble:

Depending on what you’re looking to get out of it, Alien: Romulus may or may not work for you. The story is fairly standard issue for the franchise – a group of people go poking around somewhere they shouldn’t and then they get horrifically killed by Xenomorphs. There are, of course, some finer details to be had, but ultimately, writer/director Fede Alvarez really does play the hits here. And I don’t just mean in regard to the plot, Alvarez also goes super heavy on references and tie-ins to every film from Alien to Alien: Covenant, and this is what I think will put off some of you. Alien: Romulus is paced fine, it’s got some heart – particularly via Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson’s characters – and it’s gruesomely icky in the right ways, but it’s also a bit vapid. There’s just not a whole lot going on in this movie that feels unique or new, it’s pretty much just everything that came before it repackaged and excitedly shoved into your face by Alvarez. Now, maybe that’s the ride you’re looking to get on – something familiar and fun – and I do think that Alien: Romulus works well on that level. If pure fan-service and nostalgia aren’t what you’d like to get out of it though, then you should drop your expectation level a few good notches. The film is in theaters as of today, August 16.

One Last Thought:

There’s a legacy character (of sorts) that routinely pops up in this film and they have one of the worst de-aged CG faces that I’ve ever seen. It looks like it was pulled out of a video game.