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Well..., why? Alien:Romulus was realy good.
Alien³ has really grown on me; it's atmospheric, well-shot, and an intriguing debut for Fincher. It delves into psychological descent and isolated madness. But its somber, depressing tone reduces my overall enjoyment of the film.
Alien Resurrection, in my view, ranks among the weakest in the series. Despite its ambitious ideas and a talented cast, the execution falls flat with a lack of tension, unsuccessful attempts at humor, and a disappointing climax. Jeunet is a skilled director, but his collaboration with Joss Whedon doesn't quite hit the mark. The film's color palette—reminiscent of pea soup green, brown, and yellow—is just ugly, as if Jeunet was making another 'The City of Lost Children'.I am always happy to see Winona Ryder, though.
AvP bores me, and its lead character doesn't engage me much. Controversially, AvP2 has some appeal due to its gruesome content, but the dark tone makes it difficult to watch, literally.
Prometheus, by Scott's own admission, isn't quite an Alien film. It's visually stunning but lacks substantial plot development. Watching the crew wander aimlessly through a derelict spaceship for an hour, decades after Alien did it too, and better, left me disappointed.
In a surprising twist, Covenant is a film I can appreciate. I love its design, sound quality, and return to intense horror scenes. The cold yet effective music and enjoyable cast add to its appeal. It's frustrating that some concepts from Prometheus were discarded so easily, and the unresolved David/Walter twist still deserved closure, either in a sequel or comic form.
Romulus feels like a 'greatest hits' compilation, drawing heavily from the series' older material. Audiences have long criticized sequels for not capturing the essence of Alien or Aliens, sometimes favoring games and comics over the later films. The '90s sequels received mixed reviews, and Prometheus and Covenant were polarizing for their 'arthouse' approach. It's no surprise that Fede Álvarez's film echoes the classics, creating a nostalgic 'greatest hits' vibe. Whatever our personal opinions, Romulus succeeded critically and commercially, proving its strategy effective. To me, it felt like a 'Force Awakens' moment for the Alien series—a refreshing return to form after years of anticipation. I do expect something else next time, though. But for now, it was a perfectly satisfying and enjoyable flick.
Just my two cents, of course. :-)
I don't disagree, but I've come to accept that "franchise films" operate by a different playbook. Given their high production costs, their primary goal is securing substantial profits. This dynamic isn't new; Universal's Monster films played it safe after their initial successes. The Bond series has largely adhered to its established formula. And Star Wars seldom ventures into truly original territory. The weight of invested capital discourages major risks and experimentation.
Recognizability heavily influences consumer behavior across music, movies, and other art forms. This isn't just a characteristic of our era; it's long been a driving factor in how most consumers choose their entertainment. Genuine originality occasionally breaks through in popular entertainment, but it's rare for these films to turn a profit. Without financial success, backers are hesitant to invest further. Also, can anything ever be truly original? I often wonder.
As for "original" films, they do exist but often outside mainstream series. If you're looking for originality, @LucknFate, it might be worth exploring beyond the usual suspects. Many A24 releases, for instance, are celebrated precisely for their unique approach. Their output is impressive, with various new titles each year. But if we're looking for a truly original "big" film, like an Alien, Bond, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, ... film, we may have to be very patient. I'm not particularly happy about that, but I see the commercial logic behind that.
The seventies look works, something that didn't seem possible and Cailee Spaeny is a star, that's for sure.
I hate the fan service but you can't have everything.
For me, it really does sound like an Aliens greatest hits tribute. Ripley-lite battles Alien. Evil corporation. Space. Used up used future vibe.
What's the chef got fresh?
I can't tell if you've seen the movie. FWIW, there's a CGI tour-de-force scene near the end where a debris field shreds a space station and it's truly cinematic. That and the world building in the beginning were good Alien movie. The rest was just service. Fine if you like it, but I don't. Maybe just google the destruction scene if you haven't seen it.
Perfect
Alien; Aliens
Great
Alien 3; Resurrection; Romulus
Good
AVP
Below Average
Requiem
I wish i could erase my memory of all the Alien films, post Aliens in fact.
A common sentiment, and exactly the reason why Alien Romulus returned to more familiar tropes, albeit with a clear freshness. It seems plenty of folks want to see Alien and Aliens rather than the experiments that followed.
Apart from the obvious Xenomorphs does it have any connection to the other films?
If not then i may give it a go...
Buddy have you not been reading this convo? It's ALL just references to the old movies. LOL I think you would regret watching it over just watching Aliens again.
It's a bit like The Force Awakens: similar yet different enough.
I'm not sure I understand this aversion towards a few familiar tropes and a handful of easter eggs, especially considering that we're all Bond fans. 'Romulus' is not an exact copy of Alien or Aliens, but the film plays closer to those than the rest of the post-Aliens films (which were always criticized for being too alien from Alien so to speak.)
I would watch it for the aesthetics Romulus looks great and lines up well visually with the first film.
I'm talking from a story point of view.
For instance if like Prometheus it tries to build on the origins of the Xenomorphs then i won't be interested. I don't mind familiar tropes.
It doesn't do that, rest assured. :-) The film plays on a very small scale. A couple of people walk into a nest, and things go bad. Voila. No big esoteric or philosophical themes in this one. Alvarez does what he does best.
Thanks @DarthDimi
I'll probably give it a go then