Alien: Romulus
release year: 2024
genre: sci-fi/horror
viewing setting: theater 8/15/24 (opening day)
synopsis: A group of young adults who have no prospects or future on a mining planet hatch a bold plan to get away...which involves going to an abandoned space station and collecting a few things (some of whch they didn't plan on and are lethal.)
impressions: This was predicted and hoped to be the best film in the franchise since the 1980s...so was it? Well, it had good suspense, great sets and effects, a simple plot which yet linked to multiple other movies in the series, and homages/shoutouts to all of those other movies. My biggest (and really only) problem was that one homage was just fucking stupid. To borrow my brother's words, "why did they choose the worst part of another Alien movie and use it here?" I don't want to spoil anything, but the one thing I most hated about Alien: Resurrection was also the one thing I hated most about this movie. Coincidence?
acting: This time it's a bunch of young people. Cailee Spaeny is the main protagonist, and generally does sensible things. David Jonsson is her android buddy who has two different personalities (brain-damaged simpleton and highly-efficient thinker) at different points in the events. Archie Renaux is the ringleader of the plan to escape the shitty mining planet. Isabela Merced is his sister and possibly the most victimized of the people. Aileen Wu is the tough pilot. Spike Fearn is the jackass of the group, who does some stupid things and pays the price.
final word: Good but not great - but either way it definitely evokes the best parts of the original 1979 movie.
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