Alien: Romulus-A Pleasant Callback

There are spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t made your way to a theater yet to see Alien: Romulus, then stop reading unless you want to know what happens. But this movie was, surprisingly, not all that bad. It wasn’t the best Alien movie, that’s typically reserved for the first two in the franchise. However, it doesn’t rate down near the bottom with Alien: Resurrection or even Prometheus. With all honesty, this movie was kind of fun even if it was kind of simplistic.

The callbacks were fun and easy for many fans to recognize

From the drinking bird to various dialogue and even actions of the cast, this movie brought back the feel of the original Alien from 1979. And it should, since this story is set only 20 years after the initial film. But this also comes into play when looking at the sets, as the chunky computer equipment and the lack of anything that seems updated from 1979 allows fans to get nostalgic in a pleasing way.

There are a couple of notable mentions and a familiar face

Like I said, there are big spoilers, so look away if you don’t want to know yet. But it would appear that Ash, or his model anyway, is built with a definite attitude and the undying need to serve the company. Yes, of course he is, but it’s always nice to see a synthetic person become a Bishop instead of an Ash. Fans of the franchise will get that one. But the likeness of Holm is interesting to see, and the mention of Cain from the first film did raise a few eyebrows.

Is it a worthy chapter in the xenomorph saga?

That’s kind of a tough question to answer at the moment since it’s not a seriously bad movie like Resurrection. But it does feel a little lacking in some areas, perhaps because there’s so much lore to fit in, or maybe because the stars that were used aren’t as recognizable. The mention of the Colonial Marines, the signoff by the main character at the end, and countless other Easter eggs still conspire to make this movie something interesting and possibly worth the title. If nothing else, it’s a fun movie to watch on a Saturday morning.

When all is said and done, this movie is B- or greater, depending on one’s perspective.