In the Alien films, a xenomorph is a monstrous, all-consuming life form that exists only to make more and more copies of itself. Once the first xenomorph appears, it’s only a matter of time until all those gleaming chrome walls will be covered in creepy black goo and the humans suspended lifeless from the ceiling

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?

  • HeartyOfGlass@lemm.eeEnglish
    33·
    4 months 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.

    • TrickDacy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      4 months ago

      The interesting thing is that I almost always hate remakes and reboots, but I love the Alien series. I think Covenant and a couple others were bad but generally they’re all still worth watching for me. I really enjoyed Romulus and I loved Prometheus. I do not get all the hate that movie got.

      • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.worldEnglish
        58·
        4 months ago

        Because it was bad movie. Bad characters, nonsensical plot, and did nothing creative or interesting with the mythos. Sure, it was shiny and had need effects, but it was forgettable and empty otherwise. Just another big budget Hollywood movie.

        People were looking for something memorable and epic and that expanded the mythos… Promethus was none of those.

      • eldoom@lemmy.mlEnglish
        4·
        4 months ago

        Yes! The whole time I was watching Raised by Wolves I was waiting for some kind of Prometheus tie in! It felt imminent.

    • averyminya@beehaw.orgEnglish
      1·
      4 months ago

      Hollywood has retold so many stories they’re running out of things to come up with. Hence all the reboots and remakes :(