Just got back from watching *Alien Romulus* in theaters, and I thought I’d do a quick reaction video to share my thoughts. At the outset, let me just acknowledge the fact that I enjoyed this one **a lot more** than the previous two outings, *Prometheus* and *Alien: Covenant*, so that’s a definite plus for *Alien Romulus*...
Transcript
Just got back from watching *Alien Romulus* in theaters, and I thought I’d do a quick reaction video to share my thoughts. At the outset, let me just acknowledge the fact that I enjoyed this one **a lot more** than the previous two outings, *Prometheus* and *Alien: Covenant*, so that’s a definite plus for *Alien Romulus*. For those of you who may not know about this franchise (which is slightly hard to believe, but then again, if you don't), the original franchise is something of an **icon in cinema history**. Sigourney Weaver played the main protagonist, Ripley, and she’s possibly one of the most badass main characters—not just badass female characters, but **main characters**, period. That's how iconic she was. To explain the franchise in one line: it's about a group of people who encounter this alien species and then spend the rest of their time **running for their lives** while trying to figure out how to either escape or kill the creature. That’s largely what it is, but it’s so enjoyable—at least for me. Personally, I’ve enjoyed almost every outing, even the mutation into *Alien vs. Predator* and that storyline. I’m a sucker for *Alien* and *Predator* films.
A Definite Step Up From Prometheus and Covenant As I already mentioned, *Alien Romulus* is genuinely better than the last two films. The film begins in a poetic way, drawing you into its world. It starts with a blank space where you can only see stars, then a spacecraft slowly comes into view. The camera follows the spacecraft until it enters a lab, where it's cut open. The camera moves under the lid, and you see the outline of—you know who. Then the background score kicks in, and you immediately know you're in for the **thrills** you came to see. The film is set in a **dystopian world** where much of the population lives under the thumb of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. The story follows a group of young characters, some of whom have already lost their parents to mining accidents and health problems caused by mining. They just want to leave the planet, but the corporation won’t allow it. They find out there’s an **unmanned spacecraft** belonging to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation floating in space nearby, and no one's really paying attention to it. So, they take a small aircraft and head to the space station because they’ve figured out there are enough cryopods for them to escape the planet and move elsewhere. A simple enough plan—but little do they know, that station was deserted **for a reason**.
A Fine Line Between Homage and Rehash For fans of the original franchise, there’s always the debate on how much homage a film can pay to its predecessors before it starts feeling like it’s just **borrowing**. *Alien Romulus* walks that thin line. It recreates so many iconic moments and dialogues from the original franchise that some hardcore fans might find it a bit too much. Personally, I enjoyed it. I spotted a few of those nods to the original, but I’m sure diehard fans will spot a lot more.
Standout Characters: Andy and Rain Two characters that really stood out for me were Andy and Rain. Rain, in particular, is often likened to a young Ripley, and I didn’t mind that. In moments where they try to show Rain as **badass** as Ripley, it worked for me. I really enjoyed her screen presence, and there was enough depth in her character to keep me invested in what would happen to her and Andy. That was a huge difference compared to *Prometheus* and *Covenant*—I didn’t feel for the characters in those films, so it didn’t really matter what happened to them. But in *Alien Romulus*, I was genuinely invested.
Production and Action Sequences The background score and camera work are **top-notch**, with just the right amount of creepy moments to keep you on the edge. There’s one scene in particular that I think will go down as one of my favorites for a long time: an **anti-gravity scene** where Rain starts shooting up aliens. The way that scene is written and executed is beautiful. It starts with no gravity, and then gravity suddenly kicks back in. Those two scenarios are handled with such panache and meticulous execution. ### Final Thoughts Overall, *Alien Romulus* has more than enough to keep you **hooked** if you enjoy these kinds of films. I had a lot of fun watching it, and I think fans of the genre will too. Let me know what you thought of the scene I mentioned and any other moments you loved! I’d be happy to chat and discuss.