Scotty D Sigel

I watched Alien Romulus in the theatre over the weekend. Let me state that I'm a long time Alien fan, having seen all the movies in the franchise multiple times over the years. Like a lot of rabid Alien fans, my two favorite movies were the first two installments in the series. Everything that came afterward, including the prequels (Prometheus as confusing and bloated as it was, at least did attempt to break new ground and take the franchise in a different direction) just did not measure up to the brilliance of Alien AND its first (and best) sequel Aliens, which were both such uniquely, groundbreaking films. Based upon the prior positive reviews (along with all the hype that came with it), I went into Romulus with very high expectations. I thought the young actors were capable and held my attention, especially the two lead characters of Andy & Rain. The set pieces, lighting, music, creature designs, special effects and cinematography were top notch. Mood, suspense, pacing and action checked all the right boxes. Overall, this was a very solid effort (and a good looking film to boot) by Fede Álvarez. Where this back to basics movie fell flat for me, besides the obvious plot holes, was that it leaned too heavily on nostalgia to get it to the finish line (for example the spoiler CGI cameo appearance of Ian Holm making a return), as it added nothing new nor advanced the viewer's understanding of the alien mythos in any significant way as the director essentially played it safe by rehashing and inserting similar plot points (including signature dialogue) from Alien, Aliens, Alien Resurrection & Prometheus into this latest installment. It was as if the makers of the film intended to re-introduce and excite a new generation of movie goers, hoping they will give a second look to what has become a flailing franchise by enticing them back into the theatres with a shiny new movie loaded with the greatest hits of its predecessors without getting too heavily into the weeds. I thought this latest installment had a little lighter tone given its lame attempts to insert humor into the proceedings compared to its predecessors (which would allow it a more broader appeal) and I would describe it as a watered down Alien(s) 2.0. If I had to grade it, I would give it a C+ - B minus and rank it as a solid third best (after Alien & Aliens) in the series.