Alien: Romulus delivers bloody chills and horror-like thrills, and fan fables rise to the occasion.
Space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life-form in the universe while scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station.
The first Alien movies were groundbreaking, but modern technological advancements have brought the world to life in even more amazing ways. The combination of fantastic graphics and practical effects has created a horrifying world that feels lonely, cold, and dangerous as our “heroes” progress. The various forms of the aliens move fluidly, and the attention to detail emphasizes the Xenomorph anatomy to a higher degree.
Add some impressive technical effects to the station to create a flooded field using water and light manipulation. This makes the world of the film feel more realistic. It was also a personal victory to pay enough attention to detail to ensure the graphics didn’t interrupt those of the previous films, which was a nice touch for fans. The level of carnage is pretty intense, which is great for fans who love getting fully immersed in the visceral destruction.
Regarding the story, Director Fede Alvarez pleasantly surprised me with his ability to blend the universe into a cohesive yet different take on Ripley’s campaigns. The characters are well-developed and easy to root for, with enough depth to their backgrounds to create tension. The strong acting from the main leads, particularly David Jonsson and Cailey Spaeny, really sells the characters and their interactions. They do an excellent job of embodying their characters’ mannerisms and creating chemistry with the other characters.
It was a solid balance for me, combining toughness, vulnerability, and emotion while maintaining containment. This is something I haven’t seen in this franchise in a very long time. The plot has interesting angles, taking a seemingly simple synopsis and developing it into something that expands the universe, drawing inspiration from other films that complement the lore well. It includes good details and is grounded in the scientific premise that the series has thrived on.
However, the scientific aspects do not take away from the intense survival experience that this movie promises. Alien: Romulus delivers plenty of the classic Alien thrills as characters strive to achieve their objectives within the abandoned space station. The film features gripping action sequences, intense scare elements, and the iconic Xenomorph finesse that fans have come to adore. It incorporates a bit of everything from various films, which adds a nostalgic touch that fans like me appreciate.
Overall, Alien: Romulus achieves much of what I had hoped to see in the film. It returns to its origins but adds a splash of modernization to enhance the graphics and chaos present in the series. The carnage, action, thrills, and horror all come together in this film, and with a story that has more depth than I expected, it’s a welcome addition that surpasses most of the recent Alien films. However, the story is very predictable, the full utilization of everything, and everyone falls short. But, the film does accomplish a lot, which gives me hope that the Alien franchise may have more stories to tell in high-quality detail if given the same attention to detail as this one and Prey.
Alien: Romulus is now playing in theaters
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