The studio, formerly known as 20th Century Fox, was home to many successful science fiction franchises, from Planet of the Apes, star Wars and even Avatar. With the acquisition by Disney, many of these franchises are being revived by the house that Mickey Mouse built, although the Foreigner series before losing the breathtaking spectacle. After he released the horror masterpiece with the simple title ForeignerRidley Scott has regained control of the franchise since 2012 Prometheusand now Scott is working as a producer with director Fede Álvarez to breathe new life into the Xenomorph in Alien: Romulus.
Between the events of Scott’s own Foreigner and James Cameron’s Aliens, Alien: Romulus It centers on Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), an orphaned young woman, and her synthetic adoptive brother Andy (David Jonsson). Both are desperate to leave the mining colony where they have worked for years. They are asked by other miners to recover cryopods from an abandoned spaceship. However, they discover something far more terrifying in the form of alien creatures.
The franchise has changed so much over the decades that different directors have put their own stamp on this science fiction world, which is the opposite of the lighthearted space adventures of . star Wars. Especially after 2017 Alien: Covenantthat went too deep into explaining mythology, Álvarez and his co-writer Rodo Sayagues decide to return to horror, as the original did. Foreigner Was The old dark house in space. Considering that Álvarez has made a name for himself in the horror genre with his evil Dead to reinvent and Don’t breathe, Romulus follows the formula of a horror film by Fede Álvarez, even the miners themselves are in their mid-twenties and could appear in a typical slasher film.
Despite good performances from everyone and an attempt to create an emotional connection, the characters are not particularly well developed. The only dynamic that interests one is that between Rain and Andy, whose relationship changes throughout the narrative. David Jonsson delivers perhaps the most outstanding performance – although that is clear, as the artificial person is the most entertaining character in these films – Cailee Spaeny holds her own in a role that recalls the iconography of Ellen Ripley but does not attempt to replicate what Sigourney Weaver achieved.
Watching this latest installment, it’s clear that Álvarez is a huge fan of the franchise, for better or worse, with plenty of throwbacks to previous films, including even the most recent Scott-directed ones. With its specific timeline, the narrative ties in with Ridley Scott’s original without giving too much away, to a rather jarring effect, particularly the appearance of a familiar face.
Since the fan service awakens the desire, Romulus worked as a standalone thing, Álvarez’s remix of the established mythos leads to some intense scenes, particularly with the facehuggers, that get under your skin. It may not reach the slow-burn horror of the 1979 original, but you have to be impressed by the insanity Álvarez displays, especially in the third act, which brings in blood, weightlessness, and a truly unexpected last-minute final boss.
Review of “Alien: Romulus”: A nice return to science fiction horror
Alien: Romulus
It’s hard to predict what the future of the Alien series will hold, at least as far as the films are concerned, but the return to the horror theme makes “Alien: Romulus” a worthy addition.
The strong emotional core between “Rain” by Cailee Spaeny and “Andy” by David Jonsson.
Well-made set pieces with which director Fede Álvarez nicely revamps the myth of this franchise …
…still, fanservice can be distracting, especially when it impacts the storytelling in an unpleasant way.
Despite the good performances of the young cast, the characters themselves are underdeveloped.
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