Support NeoGAF

[near]

Just got back from the cinema, it was not as formulaic, nor as dark as I thought it would be. I thought it was fun but disappointing. I think I’ll let this one sink in before I share my overall impressions about what I did and didn’t like, but what in the tarnation was that thing the girl gave birth to at the end? Why did it almost resemble the Engineer from Prometheus if they’re bioengineered from the Xenomorph’s DNA? I’m so confused..

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Pick any existing franchise you like and ask the same question.

My answer will always be no… I want people to make new things.

A new body horror Sci Fi would be great

 

[jason10mm]

A new body horror Sci Fi would be great

Let David Cronenburg do an alien film.

We won't know WTF just happened but it will be gross!

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Let David Cronenburg do an alien film.

We won't know WTF just happened but it will be gross!

Well he's finally back to doing Body Horror films. I for one would welcome it especially knowing how weird an Alien film directed by Cronenberg would get

 

[Sub_Level]

Got imax tickets again, this time with a friend for Tuesday. Its her first time seeing an alien movie.

 

[Ulysses 31]

Got imax tickets again, this time with a friend for Tuesday. Its her first time seeing an alien movie.

Why would you use Romulus instead of the one of the first 2 movies to introduce her to the franchise?

 

[jason10mm]

Well he's finally back to doing Body Horror films. I for one would welcome it especially knowing how weird an Alien film directed by Cronenberg would get

Crimes of the Future was wack. Not as good as Existenz for that stuff but still fun.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Crimes of the Future was wack. Not as good as Existenz for that stuff but still fun.

I did enjoy Crimes of The Future but just found it good. I wished he did more with the concept since it was really interesting

His son films are hit or miss so far. I loved Possessor but hated Infinity Pool. I haven't watched his first film yet. Despite me not liking Infinity Pool, I liked the Body Horror in that

I know his daughter is also doing a body horror film that's coming out soon

 

[Days like these...]

Infinity Pool was better than Crimes of the Future. Possessor was awesome.

 

[Sub_Level]

Why would you use Romulus instead of the one of the first 2 movies to introduce her to the franchise?

Those would be infinitely better choices but getting zoomies to watch older movies is like pulling teeth. Its been 7 years since the last Alien movie so this is probably a LOT of peoples’ first Alien movie.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I thought this was incredible. Had a great time in it. Some slight cheese but likeable main character amd the android was max hype.

Spoiler: My only gripe

My only complaint was how fast the alien life cycle was. But otherwise, atmospheroc and moody as hell. Cool story, cool vibes. Up there with 1 and 2 for me

 

[RJMacready73]

Fucking Ridley Scott just can't keep his dirty stinking hands from fucking up the Alien franchise, you just know he had his fucking mits all over that "ending" after no doubt throwing out a perfectly good ending, naaaa he wanted to tie it into his Prometheus abominations instead of simply letting it be it's own standalone thing... You never go full Alien4 FFS, it was rightfully ridiculed back then and is not looked upon fondly now so why in the fuck would you repeat it!?! When you had for the first 2 acts a really decent fucking movie

 

[Days like these...]

Fucking Ridley Scott just can't keep his dirty stinking hands from fucking up the Alien franchise, you just know he had his fucking mits all over that "ending" after no doubt throwing out a perfectly good ending, naaaa he wanted to tie it into his Prometheus abominations instead of simply letting it be it's own standalone thing... You never go full Alien4 FFS, it was rightfully ridiculed back then and is not looked upon fondly now so why in the fuck would you repeat it!?! When you had for the first 2 acts a really decent fucking movie

Not sure why he has a hate boner for the franchise and is determined to ruin it. Well, he's succeeded in his endeavor.

 

[RJMacready73]

Not sure why he has a hate boner for the franchise and is determined to ruin it. Well, he's succeeded in his endeavor.

Because he's a notoriously beligerant old cunt who knows best, he knows deep down nobody gives a fuck about Prometheus & Covenant and absolutely nobody was asking "but how did the Aliens come about" but he'll until he dies double down on his mistake and make sure anything about Aliens has some fucking tie back into that stupid black goo...

I know how about Weyland want to make human 2.0 so they can work the mines and live in space completely forgetting about the fact THEY BUILT FUCKING ANDROIDS HAVE THEM WORK THE MINES!??! so we'll use the goo from my latest movies and also tie in the engineers... Jesus...

Anyways Fede Alvarez made an atmospheric gorgeous looking movie faithful to the rough harshness of the 1st two, knocked it out with two excellent acts but stumbled in the 3rd no doubt due to Producer interference

 

[Days like these...]

I know how about Weyland want to make human 2.0 so they can work the mines and live in space completely forgetting about the fact THEY BUILT FUCKING ANDROIDS HAVE THEM WORK THE MINES!??! so we'll use the goo from my latest movies and also tie in the engineers... Jesus...

Make it make sense .

 

[Mobilemofo]

All right GAF, let me ask you something.

Who is the right director to spearhead and shit out a proper ALIEN film that hits all the right notes without overdoing it? A semi serious question. A short list would be nice.

Guillem del Toro.

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

Guillem del Toro.

He certainly has the creative chops to put his own spin on things.

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

Could you imagine J.J Abrams with all his lens flares techniques? Jesus Christ. There weren't any in Guardians of the Galaxy so maybe he's outgrown it.

 

[Ulysses 31]

Could you imagine J.J Abrams with all his lens flares techniques? Jesus Christ. There weren't any in Guardians of the Galaxy so maybe he's outgrown it.

His mystery boxes are perhaps worse.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Michael bay of course.

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

Armageddon meets ALIENS. That is going to sell tickets.

 

[AJUMP23]

I don't know, it was something around 5-6/10 for me. Underwhelming to be honest. Effects were good, there were few stupid moments, cast was pretty forgettable and uninspiring. Couldn't care for any of them.

Spoiler: Spoiler

Andy/artificial person was character highlight of the movie, only passable character.

TLDR - as a huge first two movies fan - had no expectations, left cinema disappointed.

I agree the synthetic and what they do there is the best part.

 

[Doom85]

Could you imagine J.J Abrams with all his lens flares techniques? Jesus Christ. There weren't any in Guardians of the Galaxy so maybe he's outgrown it.

Not sure what Guardians of the Galaxy, a film series J.J. Abrams had no involvement with, is evidence of a shift in his directing style…..

 

[Doom85]

Armageddon meets ALIENS. That is going to sell tickets.

In space, no one can hear-​

Michael Bay: Fuck that limp dick shit! My Alien movie will have at least thirty spaceship explosions that the audience will hear loud and clear! Maybe forty if I can get funding from the military again! Whoo, EXPLOSIONS!!!!!

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

Not sure what Guardians of the Galaxy, a film series J.J. Abrams had no involvement with, is evidence of a shift in his directing style…..

Apologies. I get these directors mixed up sometimes. Star Trek and Guardians had the same vibe and in a blip of a moment. I thought that they were directed by the same person.

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

In space, no one can hear-​

Michael Bay: Fuck that limp dick shit! My Alien movie will have at least thirty spaceship explosions that the audience will hear loud and clear! Maybe forty if I can get funding from the military again! Whoo, EXPLOSIONS!!!!!

Sounds like the greatest cinematic experience ever but for all the wrong reasons.

 

[Roberts]

Apologies. I get these directors mixed up sometimes. Star Trek and Guardians had the same vibe and in a blip of a moment. I thought that they were directed by the same person.

The big difference is that James Gunn tells personal stories and very distinctive asshole/softie energy, JJ just imitates his heroes.

 

[Ulysses 31]

All this movie actually is is a better Alien Resurrection.

 

[SidViscous]

Just got back from the cinema, it was not as formulaic, nor as dark as I thought it would be. I thought it was fun but disappointing. I think I’ll let this one sink in before I share my overall impressions about what I did and didn’t like, but what in the tarnation was that thing the girl gave birth to at the end? Why did it almost resemble the Engineer from Prometheus if they’re bioengineered from the Xenomorph’s DNA? I’m so confused..

Spoiler: DNA stuff

My takeaway was that the Engineers started with their own DNA as the starting point for the Alien weapon, and the work the lab did was to break it back down to it's purest original form so they could get all the good (Engineer) traits but none of the bad (Alien/weapon) traits, but they didn't stick around long enough to notice what happened to the rat

Movie was really good, could have spent hours in that universe even without the alien and horror stuff. But would have been better if it ended before the last act, that last act is just a no from me dawg

 

[jason10mm]

I know how about Weyland want to make human 2.0 so they can work the mines and live in space completely forgetting about the fact THEY BUILT FUCKING ANDROIDS HAVE THEM WORK THE MINES!??! so we'll use the goo from my latest movies and also tie in the engineers... Jesus...

I would be down for a story about how the androids are too valuable to waste in the mines and humans are expendable. In fact, just who is in charge of Weyland/Yutani? Maybe it's run by an AI? Lots of fertile ground for side stories within the context of the larger xeno threat.

 

[RJMacready73]

I would be down for a story about how the androids are too valuable to waste in the mines and humans are expendable. In fact, just who is in charge of Weyland/Yutani? Maybe it's run by an AI? Lots of fertile ground for side stories within the context of the larger xeno threat.

They can't be that expensive if the protagonist's dad in the movie found a broken one and repaired it, hell they don't even need to be fully self aware and can be simple automatons working in highly dangerous environments unsuitable for humans but I see where you're coming from, how bad is this corporation (lolz it's Weyland) that they consider humans expendable and how has the various governments allowed this to happen is open for lots exploration but one of my biggest gripes about the movie...

A top secret xeno lab SPACE STATION that was overrun somehow is just drifting through space and turns up in orbit above a Weyland mining outpost and the only people to pick it up are a rag tag bunch of kids!?!? Where in the fuck is Wetlands security forces!? Where are the Space marines, this Station is beyond priceless for Weyland and yet is just floating through space about to crash into the rings and not one single person has raised a concern over the lack of communications from it or the various people who worked on it!?

Fucks sakes, does no one ask these basic simple questions during a script read???

 

[Ulysses 31]

Where in the fuck is Wetlands security forces!?

They play fast and loose with that one: what remained of the security forces killed the alien and then its acid made a hole in the hull which somehow killed everyone else on the station?

And later in the movie they show that the droid can communicate with an outside base...

 

[Sub_Level]

how bad is this corporation (lolz it's Weyland) that they consider humans expendable and how has the various governments allowed this to happen is open for lots exploration but one of my biggest gripes about the movie...

Most low to mid income employees nowadays are slaves of another name, with just enough convienences to subsist and keep working. Maybe a visit to Applebees or Chilis here and there. The choices for most people are either bending over to corpos or opening up the mouth faucet for the government-subsidized dripfeed.

Aliens was even less subtle about the techno-corporatism commentary, creating quite the caricature in Burke. So honestly it is pretty believable in this universe for the Romulus-Remus Station to be a ‘bad debt expense’ write-off on Weyland’s tax return. They don’t give a fuck. Thats just my opionion Macready haha.

 

[gatti-man]

Seen it, I have the unpleasant impression of a huge waste.

The film is full of super cool ideas here and there but none of them are exploited. The casting is not convincing and we feel no empathy for them due to a development time that feels rushed (despite lasting for 40+ minutes I think). The boring scenes accumulate, distilled between some nice set-ups (spoiler: almost none will be exploited). Once in the station, all characters lose 50 IQ points and start doing stupid things (except the Marie Sue obviously).

The worst part are the missed opportunities, and inevitably what comes to mind first is the acid scene. What a shame, FFS. I don't even want to elaborate and honestly the film is already out of my head because it's so... empty.

Romulus is full of inconsistencies, for sure it's less 'flamboyant' than a scientist who sticks his head in a disgusting egg but as an honorable mention we can still note the station of several kilometers which goes completely unnoticed except for 5 hicks on the ground, the Weyland are capable of finding the Xeno but not that? Or we can talk about the 400 Facehuggers which are 10 meters from where they take the cryo-fuel but no one questions or notices the dozens of disgusting pods??

The film is not scary at all, totally fails to create a stressful atmosphere and the few poor screamers did not work on me or the two other people who accompanied me. Two tiny "gore" scenes very quickly dispatched while we had situations with great potential but no, Fede Alvarez is satisfied with the minimum.

Yet another saga victim of cardboard scriptwriters incapable of producing something good, without forgetting the responsibility of Grandpa Scott who probably impose ridiculous specifications and stick his nose everywhere. It's hard to say who is most responsible, but I don't understand how they achieve such a result with a rich IP like Alien.

4/10.

Totally disgree.
The fact that the station is just hanging out there is easily plausible even based on prior weylnd actions in the movies. Aliens took them weeks/months to get out there. Prometheus again they started a special expedition from earth. For all we know weyland has people in cryo on the way or just figure the station will destroy itself in the asteroid belt. Like you’re really trying to hard through your whole take here.

Everyone acts like they are poor uneducated miner kids. That’s who they are like have you ever hung out with blue collar poorly educated people?

They didn’t notice the pods bc they were frozen when they came in. Again trying too hard. The movie is 100% believable sorry it wasn’t for you but seriously with this level of “can’t scare me bro” I doubt you’re entertained by any horror movie.

 

[diffusionx]

I'm not really interested in this movie, i'll watch it when it goes on Hulu. but I turned on Aliens Resurrection. I don't think I've ever seen it... were they serious with this shit? lol. I say this as someone who liked Prometheus.

 

[jason10mm]

I'm not really interested in this movie, i'll watch it when it goes on Hulu. but I turned on Aliens Resurrection. I don't think I've ever seen it... were they serious with this shit? lol. I say this as someone who liked Prometheus.

That Ron Perlman got cast to be the heavy in ANOTHER band of thugs (Blade 2) after A:R is a testament to his acting prowess

Though there were a few good bits in A:R, it was largely a misfire for me. But I've seen every alien film, of any type, in theater since Aliens (and saw Alien as a way too young kid on vhs, maybe even betamax) so I'm about as die hard a fan as it gets. If Disney fucks this franchise enough to lose me as a fan...the series is dead dead dead.

 

[RJMacready73]

They need to hand the next film over to the guys who wrote Prey tbh

 

[near]

Again trying too hard. The movie is 100% believable sorry it wasn’t for you but seriously with this level of “can’t scare me bro” I doubt you’re entertained by any horror movie.

I don’t really have an issue with the Weyland ship just drifting, but trying to attach any sort of reasoning for it being there is just pointless. It’s another one of many obvious plot devices designed to move the story forward. The film was littered with them so much that having given it some thought, I think this film might be worse than Alien Covenant.

Spoiler

Bjorn uses a stun baton on Andy and begins to run off with Navarro back to there ship and proceeds to seal every door locking Rain and Tyler out as well, because he suddenly thinks Andy is going to kill her. Just to isolate the birth of the Xenomorph and trap the others on the Wayland ship.

Rain somehow getting Kay off the ground onto the lift, shutting the gate and pressing the button to go up, all the while dozens of Xenomorphs are literally there, one Xenomorph just staring at her and hundreds of facehuggers running at them. LMAO. Then she stops the lift half way to take the ladder back down and nothing is pursuing her in the elevator shaft. Gets back to the bottom and helps Andy who somehow fell over and had a seizure during the chaos, just so she could remove he's new chip.

Kay being pregnant, the most obvious MacGuffin, surviving every possible incident just to give birth to an abomination never seen before in an Alien film.

There are lot of plot devices throughout the film that are serviceable, but fuck me they’re not believable for a second even within this fictional universe. The film wasn't scary at all, and in fact I'd argue it devalued the Xenomorph in many ways.

 

[KyoZz]

Totally disgree.
The fact that the station is just hanging out there is easily plausible even based on prior weylnd actions in the movies. Aliens took them weeks/months to get out there. Prometheus again they started a special expedition from earth. For all we know weyland has people in cryo on the way or just figure the station will destroy itself in the asteroid belt. Like you’re really trying to hard through your whole take here.

Firstly I will say that we don't have to agree, it's fine to have different opinions and if the movie worked with you, good!

Anyway, nah, not buying this. If they have people in cryo coming, why not contact those on the planet to AT LEAST send a team to secure the site (and I mean they stay in orbit, just to be sure nobody is entering this very, VERY sensitive site)? And if they haven't seen the station, then it's just stupid for 5 people to find it but not the Weyland.

Everyone acts like they are poor uneducated miner kids. That’s who they are like have you ever hung out with blue collar poorly educated people?

It's not because you are uneducated that you don't have a minimum of survival instinct. Uneducated doesn't mean your stupid. Also they are educated enough to find this station, send a ship and use the droid to pirate it so yeah, they are not supposed to be stupid.

They didn’t notice the pods bc they were frozen when they came in.

And? I can perfectly identify what is in my freezer ^^, not to mention they have lights coming directly on the FH but they don't see those big and horrible things? Again not buying this. It's not like these pods are hidden they stand literally 20 meters away.

Again trying too hard. The movie is 100% believable sorry it wasn’t for you but seriously with this level of “can’t scare me bro” I doubt you’re entertained by any horror movie.

I just wrote a few inconsistencies but there are many more. Like the Xeno is baiting Tyler and Rain with Kay "OPEN TO ME" and it could have worked if the PERFECT ORGANISM wasn't standing there perfectly visible. Like wtf, hide yourself if you want them to open.

And you are right, I'm not scared by any recent horror movie. But is it my fault or is it because studios/writers/directors don't know how to do a scary movie anymore?

The film wasn't scary at all, and in fact I'd argue it devalued the Xenomorph in many ways.

I 100% agree. How are we supposed to fear the FH if they can be so easily lurked now? Also "don't make a sound!!!" "Ok, just let me answer that call and talk almost normally, no issue here of course"

And it just goes on and on and on...

 

[near]

I just wrote a few inconsistencies but there are many more. Like the Xeno is baiting Tyler and Rain with Kay "OPEN TO ME" and it could have worked if the PERFECT ORGANISM wasn't standing there perfectly visible. Like wtf, hide yourself if you want them to open.

And you are right, I'm not scared by any recent horror movie. But is it my fault or is it because studios/writers/directors don't know how to do a scary movie anymore?

I think the perfect organism the android was referring to was in the liquid that was originally bioengineered in Prometheus by the Engineers. But yeah, that scene was stupid, it is also an example of how stupid Fede Alvarez thinks the audience is, with he’s unnecessary exposition through Rain who happens to have an explanation for everything.

I 100% agree. How are we supposed to fear the FH if they can be so easily lurked now? Also "don't make a sound!!!" "Ok, just let me answer that call and talk almost normally, no issue here of course"

And it just goes on and on and on...

Yeah, sweat and goosebumps will expose you. So don’t get scared or sweat, meanwhile you can see they’re dripping with sweat hahahaha.

 

[Ulysses 31]

And? I can perfectly identify what is in my freezer ^^, not to mention they have lights coming directly on the FH but they don't see those big and horrible things? Again not buying this. It's not like these pods are hidden they stand literally 20 meters away.

Come on bro, they didn't see that black goo rat in that otherwise sterile and white room, how where they supposed to see those face huggers???

You expected these characters to survey their surroundings and ask themselves if they weren't going to mess anything up by messing with those fuel rods?

/s

 

[KyoZz]

I think the perfect organism the android was referring to was in the liquid that was originally bioengineered in Prometheus by the Engineers. But yeah, that scene was stupid, it is also an example of how stupid Fede Alvarez thinks the audience is, with he’s unnecessary exposition through Rain who happens to have an explanation for everything.

Nah the perfect organism is specifically the Xeno, since Alien 1979

Yeah, sweat and goosebumps will expose you. So don’t get scared or sweat, meanwhile you can see they’re dripping with sweat hahahaha.

Lmao that was just so fuckin stupid.

Come on bro, they didn't see that black goo rat in that otherwise sterile and white room, how where they supposed to see those face huggers???

You expected these characters to survey their surroundings and ask themselves if they weren't going to mess anything up by messing with those fuel rods?

/s

Ayyyyyaaaaaaoooooo I forgot about this giant mutated rat

 

[near]

Nah the perfect organism is specifically the Xeno, since Alien 1979

Right, forgot about this scene and that he referred to it as the perfect organism here. It's just in Romulus when he was talking about it again, you could see a hologram of the capsule from Prometheus and the black liquid substance that resulted in the first Deacon at the end of Prometheus.

 

[Days like these...]

I haven't watched Romulus yet but I've read all the spoilers. So what does Romulus do to Resurrection in terms of canon? They've reverse engineered the goo but 200 years later they're still trying figure it all out?

 

[RJMacready73]

I haven't watched Romulus yet but I've read all the spoilers. So what does Romulus do to Resurrection in terms of canon? They've reverse engineered the goo but 200 years later they're still trying figure it all out?

The less we discuss Resurrection the better tbh

 

[wipeout364]

Just saw it in IMAX. It was good but not great. I don’t regret seeing it but you could see that it could have been absolutely amazing with a little more time in the oven. That is my only real issue with it is that the bones were there for a top tier movie but some choices drag it down.

I would still give it an 8/10. I think it was better than Resurrection, Prometheus, covenant, and 3.

 

[jason10mm]

I haven't watched Romulus yet but I've read all the spoilers. So what does Romulus do to Resurrection in terms of canon? They've reverse engineered the goo but 200 years later they're still trying figure it all out?

Since the black goo wasn't a thing for Resurrection they use scraps of ripley DNA to reverse engineer the xeno, and some versions of Ripley herself. Romulus kinda has the opposite angle, using xeno 'DNA' to extrapolate the goo and also create some xenos. Woulda been funny if there were some William Hurt looking aborted fetus things since the xeno they are using preumably has some of his DNA mixed in with it.

 

[MaestroMike]

 

[kurisu_1974]

People giving this shit anything more than a 6/10 need to seriously watch some more movies.

 

[RJMacready73]

More I think about it, it would've been so cool imo, to have the 3rd act be about Weylands security forces arriving to retrieve the goo from the stricken station, discovering the kids and there orders are to ensure no survivors so it becomes a fight for survival against not only the heavily armed security team but also the Xenos with the kids finally escaping via a shuttle onboard the Wyland Security teams ship... This would've been a far better way to end this flick and keep it a standalone movie with none of this bullshit tie in to Prometheus