When Ridley Scott’s ALIEN hit theaters in 1979, it changed the way we look at Science Fiction, and in some ways horror movies in general. James Cameron’s ALIENS in 1986 did a great job of expanding on the story, and taking the genre more into action thriller territory. The sequels that followed met with mixed reactions, and Scott attempted to expand the lore with the prequel PROMETHEUS, which while beautiful and sporting a great cast was a bit of a mess script-wise. The newest sequel is yet another prequel, in that ALIEN: ROMULUS takes place after ALIEN but before ALIENS, and even has ties with PROMETHEUS.
Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her android Andy (David Jonsson) are stuck on a mining colony with a few thousand other occupants, and sadly don’t seem to be getting anywhere as the company Rain works for gives her more work days instead of the time off she was promised. She meets up with friends in similar situations, and a plan is hatched to raid an abandoned ship in orbit, steal the pods left on it, and travel to another planet for the hopes of a better life. There’s just one problem, in that this abandoned craft is drifting toward the planet’s asteroid belt where it will be destroyed within mere hours. Once on board, these friends discover yet another threat, in that this ship (is actuality a large abandoned docking station) is also home to several alien creatures. They also discover a damaged android named Rook (Ian Holm’s likeness and voice by way of AI, playing a sort of twin version of the Ash character from the original ALIEN), and it pushed them to retrieve harvested samples to take back to his superiors. Now their heist has become a fight for survival.
Director Fede Alvarez (EVIL DEAD) does a great job of recapturing the look and feel of the original Ridley Scott film (Scott serves as producer on this film as well), and really makes this feel like a spiritual companion for it. Little touches are done so lovingly and exact, it’s clear the filmmakers adored the first movie and wanted to pay tribute in the best possible way. The inclusion of the Ian Holm character for example, it’s not just a quick cameo but rather a fully-realized supporting character that lasts throughout the entire film after being introduced. The film also finds ways to add to the lore of the franchise, like establishing how the face huggers sense their prey in a way that makes sense and doesn’t take anything away from what came before. There are also some smart ties to PROMETHEUS here, particularly in the final moments of the film, which are easily some of the most disturbing of the franchise. There is also a heavy use of practical effects and prosthetics to give the visuals a classic and organic feel that frequently matches the original film’s aesthetics. Even the pulse-pounding score by Benjamin Walfisch has a retro sound that reads like a classic horror movie in the best possible way.
The cast is a mixed bag, mostly filled with very young faces, so much so that I wished there was at least one or two “older” guys in the shot… the sorts of character who have “seen some things” instead of just kids. Cailee Spaeny is pretty solid in the lead as Rain, a girl who longs for a better life, but is haunted by her past and nervous about taking risks. Her android Andy is played smartly by David Jonsson, a flawed simpleton who at times must step up to help his friend, and is still quite dangerous if not kept in check. There is a strong sense of “machines will be the end of us” here, and it parallels a lot of modern concerns with technology and how it can turn on us if not handled well. Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu all do a fine job as the various gang of misfits who picked the wrong mission, and Alvarez does a nice job giving each of them moments to be memorable.
In many ways I enjoyed ALIEN: ROMULUS for what it was, and it’s definitely one of the better sequels, though it probably could have tightened up its pacing a bit toward the start and finish. The last act is reminiscent of the ending to ALIEN: RESURRECTION, only more effective and done better. In some ways ROMULUS feels like a course correction for the franchise, a step in a better direction perhaps. It’s also a step back into the “horror” side of things, something in which Alvarez has proven himself a force to be reckoned with. If you liked the original ALIEN, chances are you going to appreciate ALIEN: ROMULUS a great deal.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
