Alien: Romulus

8/16/2024

<em>'Alien: Romulus'</em> is actually very good. Of the more modern day releases from this franchise, this is the one I've enjoyed the most. When I was immediately coming out of the cinema I was just plainly thinking of it as being solidly good, however the more I think about it the more I had fun with this seventh installment. The plot, or at least the set-up to it, is quite uncreative, as in I feel like so many films - from this series included - have a crew make-up of similar people and similar characteristics/motivations; <em>'Crater'</em> and <em>'I.S.S.'</em> (both very good, don't get me wrong) are recent examples that spring to mind. Happily, though, the rest of the flick makes up for any weakness in that area. Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are the great performers in th

8/20/2024

I gather director Fede Alvarez made a conscious - and probably expensive - decision to keep the use of CGI to a minimum here and it really does work. "Rain" (Cailee Spaeny) and her "brother" are looking to get off-planet but she can't get travel papers from the all-powerful mining company. Desperate, she and "Andy" (David Jonsson) are offered a chance by wide boys "Tyler" (Archie Renaux) and "Bjorn" (Spike Fearn) to raid a decrepit old spacecraft that appears to be in a decaying orbit, so they can pinch it's cryogenic pods and enable them all to escape to another planet out of reach of their enthralling taskmasters. Off they set onto the "Romulus" and that's where, well you just know what's going to happen now, as they inadvertently turn the central heating on and find themselves in mortal

8/21/2024

Whilst not as awful as the Aliens franchise films that came after the excellent first and second films, starring Sigourney Weaver, Alien Romulus is not without its shortcomings. Whats immediately noticeable, in spite of the rugged, industrial setting, is a cast that look like they just escaped from the set of Beverly Hills 90210. Youthful, fresh faced, physically unimposing, with not a grease stain or blemish in sight, they feel badly out of place. If you can put the sense of disbelief regarding the casting aside (I couldn't) the actual story fares only marginally better. It feels like a borrowed affair, where its taken aspects of the first two successful films and tried to craft a newer iteration. The results an alright, if at times, somewhat ridiculous story, punctuated by mom

9/2/2024

Color me thoroughly surprised at how much I was delighted by “Alien: Romulus,” a highly creative, beautifully executed, pulse-pounding science fiction film from director Fede Alvarez. This sequel is a rare gem in the world of big budget franchise flicks because it not only respects its predecessors with thoughtfully well done homages, but also pushes the boundaries of the universe it inhabits with inventive set pieces and a plausible story. Fans of the series and the genre are in for a real treat. Going back to the roots of the “Alien” franchise, the film tells the story of a group of young space colonizers (Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Aileen Wu, and Spike Fearn)who are looking for a way out of their current situation as hard laborers on a sunless planet

9/7/2024

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/alien-romulus-review-an-audiovisual-triumph-held-back-by-reverence-to-the-past/ "Alien: Romulus is an impressive technical spectacle that highlights Fede Álvarez's talent in creating an atmosphere of tension and horror, raising the audiovisual standard of the saga to new heights through immersive sound design and Galo Olivares' stunning cinematography, which deserves countless accolades. However, its excessive reliance on references to the past prevents it from reaching its full narrative potential, as well as achieving a thematic impact similar to the franchise's best installments. Despite this, the captivating performances of Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, along with a third act filled with insane entertainment, make t

10/15/2024

Well, it was done appreciating the first Alien film, but it’s still offered nothing new for me.