Alien Romulus, the seventh installment in the Alien franchise, hit the box office on Friday, August 16th. Since then, veteran fans and newcomers have been buzzing about the terrifying flick. Though Ridley Scott’s influence as the producer could be felt throughout the film, it also contains a refreshing take on the beloved franchise from director Fede Alvarez. From chilling new creatures to nostalgic audio, Alien Romulus has something to offer for Alien fans of every level.
Return to Practical Effects
In 2017, Alien: Covenant made a polarizing foray into CGI for the Xenomorph. This granted the audience an unadulterated, daylight image of the Xenomorph and its more animalistic movements. But director Fede Alvarez had a different plan. Alvarez was adamant they embrace the spirit of the original Alien and give the actors something real to react to.
As a result, Alien Romulus returned to the franchise’s roots in practical effects. In the 1979 Alien, suits, puppets, and animatronics gave life to the iconic creatures. To emulate the original mystery of the Xenomorph, Fede Alvarez decided to lean into the same techniques.
Alvarez recruited the special effects team from the 1986 Aliens to build the aliens, miniatures, and sets. While they strayed away from green screens as much as possible, some CGI is present in the film. Animated effects and computer-generated animations of the exterior of the Weyland-Yutani space station were added to achieve shots not otherwise possible. Still, Alvarez’s return to form and respect for the original Alien films has been recognized and praised by fans.
From ‘Ash’ to ‘Rook’
Audience members likely weren’t expecting to see a familiar face upon viewing Alien Romulus. But then, Rain and the crew of the Corbelan stumble across a damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic.
The late Ian Holm’s visage is revealed as Science Officer Rook. Holm, who died in 2020, played the role of a synthetic science officer named Ash in the 1979 Alien. Fede Alvarez approached Holm’s estate about using his likeness in the film. Alvarez promptly received the blessing of his widow, Sophie de Stempel.
Synthetics have been known to come back in the Alien franchise, as there are very few, and lines of them are often manufactured in the same likeness. Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott discussed who the synthetic in Alien Romulus could be. They decided the best and original had yet to be resurrected.
Since Alien Romulus occurred after Alien (1979), Ash had already been destroyed along with the Nostromo ship. Rook was just another synthetic in a line of synthetics based on the original Ash. A combination of practical and CGI effects created Rook’s appearance. Daniel Betts lent his voice to the effort. The result was a surprising, posthumous cameo from Ian Holm.
A Young Crew
Alien Romulus is heralded by a talented cast, many of whom are just making their debut. A cast that, when compared to many of the previous films, is very young and inexperienced. The crew of the Corbelan is made up of six young adults. Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson lead the crew as Rain and her synthetic brother, Andy.
They are joined by Rain’s ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux), his sister Kay (Isabela Merced), their cousin Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Bjorn’s girlfriend Navarro (Aileen Wu).
This young crew represents the audience’s unfamiliarity with space. In the past, the featured crews of the Alien franchise have been scientists, experts in their fields, and adults. They have been present to guide the audience through the uncertainty of the setting.
Instead, in Alien Romulus, the audience gets to suffer the fear of the unknown along with their on-screen surrogates. They learn alongside the young colonists about the reality of their situation and the brutality of space and its inhabitants.
The Shocking Final Monster
In the explosive ending of Alien: Romulus, Rain must face off against one last foe. This creature, a seven-foot-tall Xenomorph-human hybrid, is credited only as “the Offspring”. It was portrayed by Robert Bobroczkyi, a basketball player from Romania who stands at seven feet and seven inches.
The Offspring was born from Kay, one of the young crew members of the Corbelan, after she injected herself with an experimental substance known as “Compound Z-01”. The compound, containing Xenomorph DNA, mixed with that of Kay’s unborn child. The result was a pale abomination resembling the Engineers in Prometheus (2012).
The Offspring and the context of its birth represent a new entry in the lore of the Alien franchise. The scene is reminiscent of Alien: Resurrection (1997) when the Xenomorph queen gives birth to a human-Xenomorph hybrid.
Still, the circumstances and appearances are different enough that the Offspring may just be an entirely new creation, never before seen in this franchise. Fede Alvarez balanced nostalgia and clever callbacks to previous films with an imaginative new creature and plenty of intriguing theories.
Final Thoughts
Alien Romulus currently sits at 81% on the Rotten Tomatoes “Tomatometer”, making it a certified fresh film. Both fans and those new to the Alien franchise can find something to enjoy in the film. It plays to the strengths of the original films by referencing their events, characters, and practical effects.
It offers something innovative through the inexperienced crew and their frightening encounters with enemies both new and old. Alien Romulus truly is a blend of past and future, Ridley Scott and Fede Alvarez, practical and CGI. It expertly weaves a terrifying world of duality that’s left its audience wanting more.
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