Anyway, Alien: Romulus is the seventh film about these particular monsters. According to the producers, the film takes the franchise ‘back to its roots’. So we get a group of grimy crew-mates piloting a big rust-bucket of a spaceship who pick up an extraterrestrial stowaway and end up having to use their wits and courage to survive as it gobbles them up, one by one.
And it’s not a bad film. It’s nicely creepy, the special effects are good, the acting is perfectly serviceable. In fact, I could give you a normal review of Alien: Romulus, but just writing this is making me feel a little crazy. It’s not a bad film, but it’s also a direct copy of a much better film that already exists. That film is called Alien, and it came out in 1979. It had Sigourney Weaver in it. It hasn’t vanished. If you have a Disney+ subscription or a torrent client, you can watch it tonight. Why have we made it again? What’s the point? Why have we spent the past 45 years – which is longer than I’ve been alive – making seven different versions of the same film? What on Earth is going on?
- vzq ( @vzq@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) English39•26 days ago
Why have we spent the past 45 years – which is longer than I’ve been alive – making seven different versions of the same film?
If you watch Alien, Aliens and Alien3 and come out with the idea that they are “different versions of the same film”, maybe the whole movie critic gig thing isn’t for you. Hell, they are not even the same genre.
- ThunderComplex ( @ThunderComplex@lemmy.today ) English3•26 days ago
Kinda surprised the author could tell the difference between Alien, Predator, and Aliens v Predator at this point.
- muzzle ( @muzzle@lemm.ee ) English2•25 days ago
Alien and aliens are 2 very different take on the same ide (opinions differ on Alien 3), that is not the reviewer claim.
Their point is that Romulus is a useless remake of a much better original.
- vzq ( @vzq@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) English2•25 days ago
Alien and aliens are 2 very different take on the same ide
So are Ghostbusters and the Others.
What is your fucking point?
- muzzle ( @muzzle@lemm.ee ) English3•25 days ago
My comment was truncated, but your rudeness convinced me to stop interacting with you.
- vzq ( @vzq@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) English2•25 days ago
Imagine that! We both win!
- itsgroundhogdayagain ( @itsgroundhogdayagain@lemmy.ml ) English32•26 days ago
Facehuggers are Disney princesses
- UKFilmNerd ( @UKFilmNerd@feddit.uk ) English2•26 days ago
I thought the first action set piece with the facehuggers in Romulus was the films highlight. The corridor section, not so much.
- maegul (he/they) ( @maegul@lemmy.ml ) English25•26 days ago
I mean yes, totally. I haven’t seen it, yet, but will likely be going to the cinema for this one.
But, to just throw an idea out there … covers of and homages to songs are normal and sometimes awesome in music, and fundamental in live music.
So maybe the same isn’t so bad in film, especially if they’re not done badly, as it seems to be here.
Maybe “the problem” is more the lack of properly original works, the copious unashamed cinematic universe slop and faithless reboots?
In the same way that Bond films and Disney films find ways to manifest and apply to each new generation or era, why not other classic forms?
But, to just throw an idea out there … covers of and homages to songs are normal and sometimes awesome in music, and fundamental in live music.
So maybe the same isn’t so bad in film, especially if they’re not done badly, as it seems to be here.
The film does a lot of things I liked but those call-outs are often so clunky it spoiled what could have been one of the great Alien films (it’s still better than most).
- DrSteveBrule ( @DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz ) English18•26 days ago
I haven’t watched the new film yet, but saying that 7 remakes of the first movie have been made is total bullshit.
- m-p{3} ( @mp3@lemmy.ca ) English12•26 days ago
meh, I enjoyed it.
- HeartyOfGlass ( @HeartyOfGlass@lemm.ee ) English11•26 days ago
“Covenant” and “Prometheus” would’ve been killer movies to kick off a new IP.
I might be the old man shouting at clouds, but I’ve been turned off to all franchise “reboots”. Just sick of rehashes and revisits and the cute little “winks” these movies do to the previous installments. Have an original thought, damn.
- averyminya ( @averyminya@beehaw.org ) English1•26 days ago
Hollywood has retold so many stories they’re running out of things to come up with. Hence all the reboots and remakes :(
- AsakuraMao ( @AsakuraMao@moist.catsweat.com ) 9•26 days ago
What about please stop making BAD Alien movies?
- warm ( @warm@kbin.earth ) 3•26 days ago
They should make alien movies but not Alien movies. Try something new, leave Alien alone, they fuck it up everytime!
- ShinkanTrain ( @ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml ) English9•26 days ago
This article would maybe have a point if they hadn’t finally released a good Alien movie for the first time in like 30 or 40 years.
- stebo ( @stebo02@lemmy.dbzer0.com ) English8•25 days ago
bro just stop watching alien movies it’s that simple
- tabularasa ( @tabularasa@lemmy.ca ) English4•25 days ago
Nothing wrong with watching it. Just don’t PAY for it.
- beefbot ( @beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) English8•25 days ago
Capitalism: No
- beefbot ( @beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) English5•25 days ago
Also capitalism: We’re threatening a lawsuit for even saying that because we can, and you can’t afford the legal fees
- addictedtochaos ( @addictedtochaos@lemm.ee ) English7•25 days ago
reason is that historically and statisticwise, sequels make more money then original movies. so there you have it.
- AnonStoleMyPants ( @AnonStoleMyPants@sopuli.xyz ) English7•25 days ago
Nonono.
I like alien movies.
Moar please. Just not sucky ones.
- NecroParagon ( @NecroParagon@lemm.ee ) English1•24 days ago
I love Alien. I want more. Give me more!
- CluelessLemmyng ( @CluelessLemmyng@lemmy.sdf.org ) English6•25 days ago
I just want another Aliens vs Predator video game. Those 3-way multiplayer matches were so fun.
- yogsototh ( @yogsototh@programming.dev ) English6•25 days ago
saw it, and I went put with the idea that it was an Alien movie whose target audience was young people that didn’t see the first alien movie.
I still prefer the original first alien movie. Like a lot, but this one is pretty decent. It was like a “netflix remake” with lots of copy/paste from the original movie. Some sentences are exactly copied, some scenes greatly copied and modernized for 2024 eyes.
The main differences that make the first Alien movie superior (to me at least). In this latest movie there is no “mother sound” in the original Alien the spaceship appear to breathe and live with a constant sound that really put you into the “Alien mood”.
Sigourney Weaver. Both her role and her acting were incredible. That is just decent in this new movie.
Critic about megacorps is visible in this new movie, but felt even more terrible in the older one IMHO.
Still, there are a few things not present in the original movie in this one that are a bit nice. The relation with the androids, some great action scenes. But that’s about it. If you love the alien universe it is a pretty decent Alien. If the first Alien is a 9/10 movie I would give this one a 7/10.
- DragonTypeWyvern ( @DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social ) English2•24 days ago
I’m always down for more android drama so that’s worth two points itself.
I also love Weyland-Yutani’s single minded obsession with “the perfect organism” biting them in the ass again and again when they’re already making a superior version of humanity that can colonize space.
What’s even the profit to be had in turning humanity into xenomorphs or whatever bullshit they’re on? It’s the fatal flaw of corporate bureacracy we’re seeing in real time as our current mega-corps set piles of money on fire on the regular, they’re not even fucking good at capitalism, just at beating down workers who don’t have an alternative.
- SpaceCowboy ( @SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca ) English2•24 days ago
I always thought their goal was to weaponize the xenomorphs?
But I suppose it’s not meant to be clear. They’re greedy corporations looking to milk as much profit from anything they can find. Good thing corporations aren’t like that in real life ;P
- DragonTypeWyvern ( @DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social ) English1•24 days ago
I think that’s what Ashe and Burke talked about/implied so most people just rolled with it, it’s not like MIC corruption is a rare theme, but they’ve been working up the human/xenomorph hybrid angle for a while.
https://screenrant.com/alien-weyland-yutani-xenomorph-goal-hybrid-species-marvel/
And it does tie a lot of threads together while being honestly a bit more horrifying imo. There’s always been a bit of a background to the movies of “How could Weyland-Yutani be so stupid as to risk a xenomorph outbreak on Earth or a colony” and even “but Marines with guns absolutely slaughtered them so it’s not even that good of a weapon” that this motivation addresses far more readily.
- Baggins ( @baggins@beehaw.org ) English6•25 days ago
And Avatar, we don’t need anymore thank you.
I’ve got bad news for you.
- Revan343 ( @Revan343@lemmy.ca ) English1•24 days ago
I wouldn’t mind another show following Korra’s replacement