I still vividly remember sneaking into a cinema screening of Ridley Scott’s “Alien” in 1979. The famous chest buster scene both terrified and fascinated me, showing just how chilling sci-fi can be. Now, 45 years later, Fede Alvarez has given us “Alien: Romulus,” a film that bridges the gap between “Alien” (1979) and James Cameron’s “Aliens” (1986).
The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers face the most terrifying life form in the universe.
I’d heard quite a few mixed reviews about this latest movie in the franchise being a fan of both the Alien franchise and Alvarez’s work I couldn’t wait to see Alien: Romulus in IMAX at my local Cineworld, but due to some time constraints it took me up Tuesday after its initial release to see the movie.
I tried not to watch the trailers before the release and so I went it not knowing that much about the movie other than it is set 20 years after Alien and 37 years before Aliens so a big gap was being filled in between the movies.
Alien: Romulus starts with the company looking for what has been lost after Ripley blew the original Alien out of the airlock in the first movie, we are treated to an opening sequence that is silent and rather unnerving before we are given a glimpse of the Nostromo’s wreckage which is the first connection that we have to Scott’s sci-fi/horror masterpiece from 1979.
We are introduced to a new “crew” on a mining colony that is looking to get off-world and make a new life somewhere that is better, they discover that there is a ship in orbit that has what they need. They set plans in motion to head to the ship to salvage what they need but you just know that they are going to be taking on more than just a salvage mission!
Alien: Romulus has plenty of Easter Eggs, or should that be Alien Eggs, that pay homage to the franchise such as the “dunking bird”, Geiger’s Necronomicon, Rain in a spacesuit similar to Ripley’s and so much more. These all add nice touches to the movie although some give you the feeling that they were slotted in to please die-hard fans (look out for a character called Rook) and there are a couple that you see/hear and think, “Really, why would you add that?”.
For me, Alien: Romulus is a film that has to be seen in IMAX, it’s shot in a 1.90:1 ratio using the entire screen to immerse you in the movie, the film also brings back the FX team from ALIENS (1986), so we get some truly brilliant creatures in this feature that sit somewhere between throwback and update.
The IMAX screen brings out all the details of the superb cinematography by Galo Olivares and the colours and depth are crystal clear, even in the moments of the darkness you can pick up on things in the background that are just out of full sight but give you an uneasy feeling that you may be picking on something that could be there. This works brilliantly throughout Alien: Romulus and makes the movie feel more like the first movie than its predecessors.
The sound in IMAX works well, from the opening with the silence to the loud explosions and sound effects of the ship’s systems, the IMAX sound system brings the movie to life much more than your standard screen. You get the feeling that you are smack bang in the middle of everything that is going on.
The film stars Cailee Spaeny (“Priscilla”), David Jonsson (“Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“The Last of Us”), Spike Fearn (“Aftersun”), Aileen Wu. Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe 2”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. “Alien: Romulus” is produced by Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”), who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss (“Boston Strangler”), and Walter Hill (“Alien”), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (“Charlie’s Angels”), Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), and Tom Moran (“Unstoppable”) serving as executive producers.
Being a fan of the franchise I enjoyed Alien: Romulus, yes it has some moments that did seem to be forced to bring all the franchise together, but the film is a fun ride. I found myself being pulled in from the start and unlike the later movies in the franchise, this one gave me chills similar to the ones I still get every time I watch Alien.
Does Alien: Romulus Have a Post-Credit Scene?
No Alien: Romulus there aren’t any extra scenes during or after the credits. But that’s no excuse to leave the cinema, sit back and enjoy Benjamin Wallfisch’s superb music.
Taking a Journey Through the Alien Timeline and Seeing Where Alien: Romulus Fits in!
If you ignore the AVP (Alien Vs Predator) movies, the timeline for the Alien Universe is quite a simple-to-follow one as you can see from below.
Prometheus (2089 – 2093)
Ridley Scott takes us back to where it all started, but this is the origins and DNA of the alien species and though some would be waiting to see the Alien itself most would be surprised with an actual lack of The Alien, or is there?
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of man on Earth, which in turn, leads them on a journey to the darkest corners of the known universe. Where they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race
Alien: Earth (2092)
Alien: Earth is an upcoming science fiction horror television series written and directed by Noah Hawley, based on the Alien franchise. The series will serve as a prequel and will be set three decades before the events of the 1979 film Alien.
Alien: Covenant (2104)
Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, members (Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup) of the colony ship Covenant discover what they think to be an uncharted paradise. While there, they meet David (Michael Fassbender), the synthetic survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition. The mysterious world soon turns dark and dangerous when a hostile alien life-form forces the crew into a deadly fight for survival.
Back when the movie first came out in 1979, we were all perhaps getting used to the wonders of space with the like of Star Wars showing us how amazing space travel was and adventures that space opened up to us and the fantastic new worlds and creatures that may be out there for us to enjoy, but then Alien came along, showing us another side to the vast void of space, the side that would shock audiences into submission!
The power of Alien was not only shown in the critical acclaim that it received on its release back in 1979 but also the box office success that the movie had, audiences had heard about certain scenes and shocks and wanted to see it for themselves and they were loving every moment of it.
Alien: Romulus (2142)
The latest instalment in the iconic Alien franchise, directed by Fede Álvarez. Set between the events of the original Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986), this standalone film follows a group of young space colonists who stumble upon a derelict space station while scavenging for resources. The station, named Romulus, harbours a terrifying secret: the deadly Xenomorphs. As the colonists navigate the eerie corridors, they must confront these fearsome creatures and fight for their survival.
Aliens (2179)
The film follows Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, who is the sole survivor of the Nostromo incident. After being in hypersleep for 57 years, Ripley is awakened and reluctantly agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines to the moon LV-426, where contact with a human colony has been lost. The team soon discovers that the colony has been overrun by Xenomorphs, leading to intense and relentless battles against the deadly creatures.
Alien 3 (2179)
Directed by David Fincher, continues the harrowing journey of Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver. After escaping the horrors of LV-426, Ripley crash-lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak and desolate penal colony inhabited by male inmates. The colony’s lack of weapons and technology leaves Ripley and the prisoners vulnerable when a new Xenomorph begins to hunt them down. The film explores themes of isolation, survival, and sacrifice, as Ripley once again faces the terrifying alien threat12.
Alien: Resurrection (2379)
Set 200 years after the events of Alien 3, the film follows a cloned version of Ellen Ripley, known as Ripley 8, who is brought back to life by military scientists aboard the spaceship USM Auriga. The scientists aim to extract and breed the Xenomorphs using human hosts, but things go awry when the aliens escape their containment. Ripley 8, now possessing enhanced abilities due to her mixed human and alien DNA, teams up with a group of space pirates to prevent the aliens from reaching Earth.
Release order plays a little differently:
- Alien (1979)
- Aliens (1986)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
- Alien: Earth (TBD 2025)
In an IMAX Screen No One Can Hear You Scream!
Movie title: Alien: Romulus (2024)
Movie description: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonists come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
Date published: August 21, 2024
Country: UK
Duration: 1h 59m
Director(s): Fede Alvarez
Actor(s): Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux
Genre: Monster Horror, Sci-Fi, Horror, Thriller
Summary
Alien: Romulus in IMAX is certainly the way to see the movie on a big screen, it looks and sounds great and has some nice Easter eggs pointing to other films in the Alien franchise.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
