Summary:

Looking to escape to another planet, a group of indentured miners makes a deadly discovery aboard a damaged space station.

Review:

Bringing the “Alien” franchise back to the roots of the first film from 1979 is both a blessing and a curse for “Alien: Romulus.” It’s a blessing in the sense that the fiction no longer links to the burdensome theological allegories that divided audiences on “Prometheus” (review here), or the philosophical complexities that overshadowed action in “Alien: Covenant” (review here). It’s concurrently a curse because the return to a familiar formula focused on fan service puts the film in a fight against creative freedom to stamp a standout mark in the series with truly unique frights or unexpected ideas.

“Alien: Romulus” doesn’t take a single second more than absolutely necessary to deliver essential exposition, creating clearly defined core characters in a matter of minutes. An orphan as well as an indentured worker, Rain is immediately set up for sympathy when she walks into a Weyland-Yutani office expecting to finally be released from her labor contract, only to learn it’s been unceremoniously extended for another six years. Andy, an affable android Rain regards as a brother, receives similarly terrible treatment from the offworld colony, where his programming prevents retaliation against bigoted bullies who beat him, yet empathy from appreciative viewers, whom he endears himself to by regularly reciting “dad” jokes. Right off the bat, “Alien: Romulus” gifts itself a highly likable battery to propel its straightforward premise.

No longer just dreaming of escaping her situation, but now desperate to do so, Rain receives a serendipitous summons from fellow miner Tyler. He, his sister Kay, his cousin Bjorn, and their friend Navarro have a plan to flee to another planet, but they need Rain’s android Andy to help steal the cryo-chambers necessary to get them there. Once their crew assembles, the sextet sets off for a decommissioned space station where a certain something that’s already wreaked havoc on the outpost is ready to restart its splattery killing spree.

Director Fede Alvarez and his cowriter Rodo Sayagues structure their story for simplicity, although in doing so, they force the characters to play precise parts built solely to fulfill a specific plot point’s need. Bjorn comes with an android-hating attitude that immediately puts him at odds with Andy while establishing him as the bad boy everyone can’t wait to see slaughtered. Kay happens to be pregnant, so “Alien: Romulus” can have that motherhood angle essential for the subject of incubation. And if I told you Tyler is Rain’s ex, where do you think that would place him in the pecking order of domino-line deaths? It really is remarkable how this exact collection of people came together, and how the aliens know who to pick off and when for maximum emotional impact.

Since we’re on the subject of characters, let’s touch on the topic of artificially recreating Ian Holm for the role of an android named Rook. Enough has been discussed elsewhere about the ethical quandaries that come with resurrecting a deceased actor to do something they cannot consent to, even if their estate did. Personally, I’m not particularly bothered by Holm being brought back from the dead. I’m bothered by Rook becoming a glaring distraction because his computer-generated appearance looks like what it is: something generated by a computer.

“Alien: Romulus” doesn’t have any other distractions on that level, which fortunately permits entranced eyes to home in on terrific production design while ears soak up a sumptuously cinematic score. Undoubtedly, the sci-fi sights and scary sounds are appropriately atmospheric, collectively creating an escapist environment perfectly fitted for the “Alien” universe.

Story-wise, “Alien: Romulus” is too tidy. Set between “Alien” and “Aliens,” the movie slots neatly in between the two most revered entries in the series so it can call back to those touchstone moods and moments. The problem this presents is “Alien: Romulus” can’t risk any continuity ripples that might upset the established timeline, which prevents the film from daring to do its own thing. Instead of meaningfully adding to “Alien” mythology, “Alien: Romulus” merely repurposes the standard stages of a xenomorph life cycle to make a “new” movie. Facehuggers scurry around before implanting an egg in one of the crewmembers. That egg becomes a chestburster that violently tears through a torso. The chestburster gestates into a full alien, dripping acidic fluids while snarling and stalking its way through a spacecraft. Rinse. Repeat. Redundant.

Not that “Alien: Romulus” isn’t enjoyable in spite of its deja vu drawbacks. Scaling things down to six actors in a single location strips away the baggage brought by Ripley’s ongoing saga, musings from Michael, or any other elements that have spread “Alien” thin in varying directions with diminishing returns, allowing the movie to fashion itself more simply as an entertaining standalone adventure. It’s just that by repackaging some of the series’ best bits instead of inventing fresh ones, the movie also ends up covered by a cloud of cliches, as both a horror film and an “Alien” film, that diminishes its resonance.

Review Score: 60