Plot: What’s it about?
I was going to start out this review by saying something along the lines of “…it’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 50 years since the original Alien movie…” But I won’t. Or did I just do that? At any rate, one can’t deny the long-lasting success of this particular franchise. We’ve had sequels, prequels and now we’ve got Alien: Romulus, a film that somewhat serves the bridge the gap between the original and its prequels: Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Did we need it? Not really. But much like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, I suppose it’s nice to have some closure on some plot holes that left many scratching their heads. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t reference, at least once, James Cameron’s sequel that many consider superior to the original (not me, but you know…others). At any rate, I could prattle on about the ins and outs of the Alien universe, but I won’t – mainly because I don’t want to. I’m here to discuss the film in question. Was it necessary or just an excuse to cash in on this long-lasting franchise?
We meet Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) who lives and works on a planet with absolutely zero sunlight (see the video section below). Her dream is to make it to Yvaga, a planet that’s a bit more hospitable and one that actually has some sunlight. There’s a chance she can accomplish that goal when her ex, Tyler (Archie Renaux) invites her along with her synthetic android “brother”, Andy (David Jonsson) to be part of his pack. They intend to fly up to an abandoned space station, steal its hybersleep chambers batteries and then make the journey to Yvaga. As we might imagine – things don’t go according to plan. In tow are our favorite face-hugging creatures with acidic blood. And not just one…several. We know the drill as members of the crew start getting picked off and its up to Rain and company to put a stop to it. The question is: can they?
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no scholar when it comes to the Alien franchise. I enjoy the films, but that’s about the limit of my knowledge. I suppose I could go watch all the films in their chronological order and really dig deep, but my perpetual list of “to be reviewed” 4K and Blu-ray discs say otherwise. And I can see why this film was made as it does help provide a segue to some of the later films giving us context and such. But do we really need to craft a feature-length film to explain a few plot holes? Evidently so. To me, and I mentioned this to my wife while watching the film, it was just another Alien movie. We’ve got a ragtag group that gets attacked by aliens. Some make it out alive and others don’t. How far have we really come since the 1979 original? But if you can sell it once, you can sell it again and no one knows this better than Hollywood. For fans of the franchise, it’s more of the same and that’s not really a bad thing. To me, it was another link in the chain.
Video: How’s it look?
I’d have to imagine that if one lived in space and once you got past the allure of actually being there, it’d be pretty bleak. No sunrises or sunsets, just…dark, black and empty. And, to his credit, Fede Alvarez has brought that kind of look to this film that somewhat re-creates the look that Ridley Scott gave us in the original. The 2.39:1 HEVC 4K image has plenty of darkness to work with which could have been an issue, but I saw no signs of defects in any scene. Detail is, of course, off the charts and that may or may not be a good thing when you see folks getting killed by alien blood. Beads of sweat, facial hair and so forth all look stunning. This is one good-looking picture.
Audio: How’s it sound?
I’d have been surprised if this Dolby Atmos track sounded anything less than stellar. And, to its credit, it delivers. Vocals are to notch, surrounds are used often and to great effect and we get a nice, well-balanced mix. The front channels handle the burden of most of the scenes, but “in space, no one can hear you scream…” brings us an entirely new meaning. What do I mean by that – it’s an all-encompassing sound mix that’s sure to please. I was.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Return to Horror: Crafting Alien: Romulus – A four part “documentary” that gives us some insight on various aspects of the film, the cast and – of course – the franchise.
- The Director’s Vision – Discover how one of today’s greatest horror directors, Fede Alvarez, collaborated with master filmmaker Ridley Scott to craft a new, heart-pounding chapter in the Alien franchise.
- Creating the Story – Learn what inspired the story of Alien: Romulus and see the many easter eggs from previous Alien installments that you may have missed.
- Casting the Faces – Meet the stars of Alien: Romulus as they take us inside the hearts and minds of their characters. Explore the parallels between Rain and the iconic franchise heroine, Ripley, and learn how filmmakers brought back a face from the past.
- Constructing the World – Explore the massive, practical sets of Alien: Romulus that hearken back to the futuristic style established in the ’80s and get up close and personal with a hoard of practically built facehuggers, chestbursters, and xenomorphs.
- Inside the Xenomorph Showdown – Experience the film’s climactic zero-gravity sequence from every angle as filmmakers break down what it took to make the moment spectacular. From sets and performances, to wirework, stunts, and VFX, see how it all came together.
- Alien: A Conversation – A special conversation with Ridley Scott and Fede Alvarez for the Alien 45th Anniversary theatrical re-release.
- Alternate / Extended Scenes – Nearly a dozen minutes’ worth of scenes that didn’t make the final cut.
The Bottom Line
Judging by the film’s box office ($350 million worldwide) there’s evidently still plenty of life left in the Alien franchise. I wasn’t that big of a fan of this one not because it was “bad” by any means, it just seemed like…another Alien movie. But there’s a big fanbase out there. The 4K disc sparkles on the technical levels, so if this one is your thing it’ll fit in nicely in your Alien collection.
