Anyway, Alien: Romulus is the seventh film about these particular monsters. According to the producers, the film takes the franchise ‘back to its roots’. So we get a group of grimy crew-mates piloting a big rust-bucket of a spaceship who pick up an extraterrestrial stowaway and end up having to use their wits and courage to survive as it gobbles them up, one by one.
And it’s not a bad film. It’s nicely creepy, the special effects are good, the acting is perfectly serviceable. In fact, I could give you a normal review of Alien: Romulus, but just writing this is making me feel a little crazy. It’s not a bad film, but it’s also a direct copy of a much better film that already exists. That film is called Alien, and it came out in 1979. It had Sigourney Weaver in it. It hasn’t vanished. If you have a Disney+ subscription or a torrent client, you can watch it tonight. Why have we made it again? What’s the point? Why have we spent the past 45 years – which is longer than I’ve been alive – making seven different versions of the same film? What on Earth is going on?
Facehuggers are Disney princesses
Since Disney owns the rights to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” so is…
I fully and wholeheartedly support this
God FUCKING dammit I hate Disney
If you watch the new Aliens movie they can kill your wife. Read the ticket!!
And this Disney princess doesn’t get pregnant, YOU do!
I thought the first action set piece with the facehuggers in Romulus was the films highlight. The corridor section, not so much.
I mean yes, totally. I haven’t seen it, yet, but will likely be going to the cinema for this one.
But, to just throw an idea out there … covers of and homages to songs are normal and sometimes awesome in music, and fundamental in live music.
So maybe the same isn’t so bad in film, especially if they’re not done badly, as it seems to be here.
Maybe “the problem” is more the lack of properly original works, the copious unashamed cinematic universe slop and faithless reboots?
In the same way that Bond films and Disney films find ways to manifest and apply to each new generation or era, why not other classic forms?
But, to just throw an idea out there … covers of and homages to songs are normal and sometimes awesome in music, and fundamental in live music.
So maybe the same isn’t so bad in film, especially if they’re not done badly, as it seems to be here.
The film does a lot of things I liked but those call-outs are often so clunky it spoiled what could have been one of the great Alien films (it’s still better than most).
Are we reading the same article? The text was bashing anything that has a scary alien in a rust bucket spaceship killing ppl. The callbacks are corny sure but not the point. To say no one should make a film that puts a xeno in a space ship and have it hunt down ppl anymore because they did that 50 years ago is insane.
No, it wasn’t bashing anything that has a scary alien in a rust bucket spaceship… It merely says, “we already have that movie and it’s great”. It literally praises the original…
It’s not a bad film, but it’s also a direct copy of a much better film that already exists. That film is called Alien, and it came out in 1979. It had Sigourney Weaver in it. It hasn’t vanished. If you have a Disney+ subscription or a torrent client, you can watch it tonight. Why have we made it again? What’s the point? Why have we spent the past 45 years – which is longer than I’ve been alive – making seven different versions of the same film? What on Earth is going on?
The article is literally saying we should not be making alien movies if there’s already a good one. It’s saying they should have never even attempted to make Romulus because alien exists. If that not bashing it idk what is.
It also said every movie in the franchise is just a remake of the first…
The Bond franchise is an interesting one because they’ve essentially been remaking the exact same movie since Doctor No, and although there are definitely ups and downs, on balance it’s still a good franchise! Virtually no continuity. Only occasional meta nods. In essence, every single Bond movie consists of…
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Bond goes to exotic location
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Bond engages in romantic shenanigans with one or more partners
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Bond faces a threat ranging from personal to world-ending
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Bond is menaced by a villain with some personal quirk
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Bond engages in a popular extreme sport
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Bond deals with a number of nameless goons plus at least one ascended chief goon, probably named, with their own particular quirk
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Bond foils the plans of the bad guy and has an epilogue with a romantic partner
Change some variables, rearrange the furniture a little, but this is basically every single James Bond movie for the last sixty two years, and we still love them! It makes me think that originality is overrated.
a fresh coat of paint on an old house is a good thing.
trying to remodel the damn thing to fit whatever is trendy here and now, ruins the whole house.
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I’m with you on the covers analogy, but I feel the best covers take the source material and do something different with it to set it apart.
I haven’t seen aliens Romulus yet myself, but it sounds like the ‘cover’ here doesn’t really stand out or do anything different to the original.
Don’t disagree. Sometimes though a relatively straight cover of something people like but in a more modern style can work well too. Bond films are maybe an example of that.
Why have we spent the past 45 years – which is longer than I’ve been alive – making seven different versions of the same film?
If you watch Alien, Aliens and Alien3 and come out with the idea that they are “different versions of the same film”, maybe the whole movie critic gig thing isn’t for you. Hell, they are not even the same genre.
Spectator journalist incapable of perceiving nuance
In other news, the sun rose today
Kinda surprised the author could tell the difference between Alien, Predator, and Aliens v Predator at this point.
yeah that take is completely absurd.
What about please stop making BAD Alien movies?
Exactly! Romulus is not without its faults, but damnit if it isn’t a worthy follow-up to the first two films.
They should make alien movies but not Alien movies. Try something new, leave Alien alone, they fuck it up everytime!
“Covenant” and “Prometheus” would’ve been killer movies to kick off a new IP.
I might be the old man shouting at clouds, but I’ve been turned off to all franchise “reboots”. Just sick of rehashes and revisits and the cute little “winks” these movies do to the previous installments. Have an original thought, damn.
Seeing some sort of integration of Prometheus and Raised by Wolves would have been bad ass.
But fuck HBO.
Yes! The whole time I was watching Raised by Wolves I was waiting for some kind of Prometheus tie in! It felt imminent.
The interesting thing is that I almost always hate remakes and reboots, but I love the Alien series. I think Covenant and a couple others were bad but generally they’re all still worth watching for me. I really enjoyed Romulus and I loved Prometheus. I do not get all the hate that movie got.
Because it was bad movie. Bad characters, nonsensical plot, and did nothing creative or interesting with the mythos. Sure, it was shiny and had need effects, but it was forgettable and empty otherwise. Just another big budget Hollywood movie.
People were looking for something memorable and epic and that expanded the mythos… Promethus was none of those.
Ugh yeah ok
Hollywood has retold so many stories they’re running out of things to come up with. Hence all the reboots and remakes :(
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meh, I enjoyed it.
What’s the point?
Um, same point as any franchise or reboot or remake: money. It’s easy too. Story is already there in one form or another; just add a few modern tweaks. You get the nostalgia kick from the original fans, and you get a boost from the younger fans who have heard all of the hyper from the OG fans. People have short term memories, so they get to rinse and repeat every few years.
Edit: for example… 🙄
Hey, I have an idea, let’s make another Spiderman/Batman/nope not going to continue this even as a joke…
Only if you can tell me their origin for the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the film.
Maybe if a radioactive spider bit a photographer… and then he grew up to become Batman!? (Bc he likes bats, what’s to question about that?)
And then a rich billionaire son loses his parents, becomes a ninja… and buys a costume to become Spiderman?! (again, he’s rich, he can buy whatever costume he wants!)
and not a cool spider man outfit, but some weird fursuit spider suit that immediately makes everyone feel awkward to be around.
Use the tweaks as springboards to make it truly different. Make the audience empathise where they weren’t expecting, feel something different.
This is the way…
Haven’t seen it yet, but if it’s got xenomorphs I’m in. I like all the Alien movies, even the “bad” ones like 3 and 4. I even liked the original aliens vs predators.
Then you’ll love this!
Are you me?
You’re gonna have a blast then. I can already tell you’re gonna have a blast when it comes to all the facehuggers
Everyone here is cynical and hates on everything. Coming from a huge alien/aliens fan (like these are my #1 jam) it was an amazing movie. Best one since aliens imo. I think alien is better but this one had amazing pacing in comparison, as soon as shit hits the fan it’s intense until the credits roll.
Go see it. If you liked 4 (my god even I hated that one lol) go see it dude, guarantee you will love it.
No one. I repeat: NO ONE is hating on this movie for its own merits. No one is even under that illusion except you weirdos taking offense at people not liking the same things you do.
If you like anything the color blue, OFC you won’t agree with those saying, “yea but I like a little more color in my life.” Ya’ll are genuinely sad, not even respecting others’ opinions enough to understand where they’re even coming from…
I’m so surprised at how much people liked this movie. I thought it sucked out loud. Alien and Aliens FTW!
This movie was overall damn good, brother those first two are such a high bar that is impossible to clear let’s be real
Alien and Aliens FTW but also I loved this movie! I love all three. First is the best one, but this is the first sequel that actually felt like a direct sequel in tone and style and worthy follow up to the original. Aliens is an amazing movie and I love it, but it is a totally different feel from the original.
This article would maybe have a point if they hadn’t finally released a good Alien movie for the first time in like 30 or 40 years.
I mean, the fact it took them SEVERAL DECADES to finally make a good repeat kinda’… actively reinforces the point of the article…
How many interesting new ideas could we have gotten instead without Hollywood morons chasing that virtually unattainable goal for several decades?
It’s not like they were pushing Alien hard for several decades. There’s more superhero shit in 2 or 3 years than Aliens in 50.
I haven’t watched the new film yet, but saying that 7 remakes of the first movie have been made is total bullshit.
Anyway, Alien: Romulus is the seventh film about these particular monsters.
That’s not the same.
Why have we spent the past 45 years – which is longer than I’ve been alive – making seven different versions of the same film?
Why have we spent the past 45 years – which is longer than I’ve been alive – making seven different versions of the same film?
uhm… my bad
The problem is, Alien: Romulus was pretty good. It gives the original a run for its money in my opinion.
Counterpoint: please make another actually good work in the universe.
I have my fingers crossed for the HBO (I think) series set to release next year.
Capitalism: No
Also capitalism: We’re threatening a lawsuit for even saying that because we can, and you can’t afford the legal fees
No. Keep making them because Alien: Romulus was fuckin rad. It didn’t reinvent the wheel, I got kind of annoyed with the callbacks towards the middle/end part of the movie, but I want to see it again, if not in the theater I’ll rent it on streaming. It’s the 3rd best Alien movie imo, that’s high praise for such a robust franchise. Anyway, the writer of this article is an industry hack, Furiosa is great too. I’m out 🤟
I’m with you. I can’t wait to see Romulus again.