Alien: Romulus (2024)

Alien: Romulus

• I had decent expectations with this movie, and they were all met in most every way. I had been looking forward to this for months, and it is definitely worth the wait. There’s so many great elements that you don’t see in any Alien movie, while still having awesome callbacks and some great fan service. I will say that my biggest critique is the parts of the story. The fan service is absolutely awesome, but there’s certain parts of the movie where it relies a little too much on ‘Alien’ to keep the movie going forward. Don’t get me wrong, I totally loved all of it, but it would’ve been cool to see a new Alien movie that doesn’t need to depend on other franchise movies. But that’s besides the point. The movie is fun, creative, and as an epic surprise antagonist, and no, I’m not referring to the xenomorph…..that’s all I can say. The third act is intense and unlike most other Alien films. The performances also really help drive the story onwards, and help provide a sense of urgency and desperation. Cailee Spaeny is fantastic as always, and I would quite literally die for her. But David Jonsson is the highlight. That man gave one of the best performances I’ve seen this year. He does one of the best jobs I’ve ever seen of a human playing a non human. I loved Isabela Merced, too. And finally, the absolute best part of the movie: the practical effects. Of course, the movie has plenty of VFX, because it’s unavoidable. But whatever could be done practically was done practically. The coolest part is how you can tell when it's animatronic, but that’s what makes it SO GOOD. It has the classic 80’s sci-fi charm, similar to the original ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens’. It feels so real and authentic, because it is. Not just a wonky CGI alien clunking around, but an actual prop being totally awesome. Overall, this movie is super fun, and though it doesn’t surpass the first two Aliens, and there’s a few moments that feel out of place, it was still a fantastic theater experience. I would highly recommend it to all sci-fi fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it now!