'Alien Romulus' is a powerful sequel

As expected, the highly anticipated ‘Alien’ sequel is a respectable continuation of the series’ masterpieces.

For fans, ‘Alien: Romulus‘ is a wonderful sequel. All the signature elements of the franchise are present, including the usual plot of people trapped on a ship or closed structure by xenomorphs that kill them one by one. Facehuggers, eggs and slime, acid instead of blood, a small mouth inside a big mouth, races through corridors, artificial humans, computer retrofuturism, and an evil corporation have been staples of the bug’s films since the first ‘Alien’ and should continue.

In a sense, Fede Álvarez creates the ultimate ‘Alien’ roller coaster, writing the script with his usual collaborator, Rodo Sayagues. The script features a list of ingredients that appear on screen at a breath-taking speed. ‘Alien: Romulus’ is clearly the product of a fan (possibly for the first time in the series) who refuses to give up on crafting the ultimate ‘Alien’ film. The posters, almost a deck of cards depicting classic moments, show that they want to honor the property rather than change it.

Álvarez is a talented director suited for this position. Remember that his brilliant “Don’t Breathe” is like a series film sans spaceships. As in ‘Evil Dead’, he uses a tight script and studied staging to make the set pieces flow naturally: the scenarios change shape, size, characteristics, and participants, gravity, and threats.

To clarify, ‘Alien: Romulus’ looks like a movie, not a succession of office-designed action sequences patched together by an editor without creative vision. Fede Álvarez’s work, however less effective than ‘Evil Dead’ or ‘Don’t Breathe’, nonetheless exhibits a unique rhythm that rivals larger budgeted genre directors.

The film takes longer to start than expected (although it’s in keeping with the series: the marine badge at the start of ‘Aliens’ isn’t exactly digestible) and the characters aren’t the most charismatic in the saga, except for the defective synthetic, but it doesn’t matter. The film flows well once we get into it, with Fede Álvarez’s use of budgetary constraints and unique sound effects, reminiscent of the franchise’s early installments and unheard of in modern cinema.

Then comes the finale. We won’t spoil it, but Fede Álvarez’s skill is evident in his work, rivaling the explosive turns of ‘Don’t Breathe’ and ‘Evil Dead’. A great ending that confronts the series’ classics and redeems all of its first two acts’ flaws.

The film falls short of the franchise’s best due to a few details. The first is the need to bend to the easy wink and respect Twitter users who only find a film fascinating if they can write a thread referring other films.

For instance, the script contains sentences from previous episodes. Some fit better, while others, like the needless quote from one of the saga’s two or three most iconic lines, feel fake. The other films in the series, including the difficult-to-fit ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Covenant’, must be quoted and coherent. It works sometimes better, sometimes worse.

The worst part is the unjustified existence of a franchise-starting element that is performed poorly. It feels unnecessary and conflicts with the film’s analog charm and well-crafted physical effects. However, it is seen as a superfluous addition and a possible intervention from the studio, which understands these things sell marketing-wise.

‘Alien Romulus’ is a powerful sequel

As expected, the highly anticipated ‘Alien’ sequel is a respectable continuation of the series’ masterpieces.

By knl9j

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