Alien: Romulus - Review

[@chazjohannsen]

Calling it here, that Disney “technique” Dan is calling out here is using CGI to resurrect dead actors.

[@DanV900]

You nailed it.

[@thinshadow]

And doing it about as successfully as Disney. Not good.

[@0hMyGandhi]

It was pretty rough....

[@JohnnyNada]

It was slightly distracting the first time you see it, but it was fun

[@TheGameCupboard]

It was so bad. It looked like a Snapchat filter you'd use to make a baby look like it was talking.

[@rochesterproducers8847]

Does the xenomorph say, "Alan!?"

[@Jim90117]

Now that is a reference I would appreciate.

[@rochesterproducers8847]

@@Jim90117 At some point, I want to know what the xenomorphs think and talk about. Do they think about Alan?

[@allen604]

Someone say my name?

[@JohnBainbridge0]

Alien!

[@rochesterproducers8847]

@@JohnBainbridge0 The alien saying 'alien!' would be great!

[@jeffmartin5066]

So what you’re telling me….. the alien performs a jazz number. That’s pretty sick….

[@RonnieBarzel]

Acid (Blood) Jazz.

[@Kevo6492]

Wait, so is this a Spaceballs sequel then?

[@pynchon9]

"Hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my ragtime gal."

[@marqueshindsman7379]

Spaceballs was an Absolutely Beautifully Crafted Film! Space Comedy At Its Science Fiction Best, Just Fantastic!

[@mikeadams7904]

​@@RonnieBarzel 👏

[@Billmao]

0:02 may be the question is whether Ripley believes it or not

[@DanMurrellMovies]

You caught it! I decided to go subtle

[@JunkYardCardGuy]

Nicely done.

[@StaceyGray-mj3mj]

Boom.

[@danielchamorro76]

Waxy answer

[@alexsilva28]

@@DanMurrellMovies Unlike this movies callbacks 💀

[@joe.osullivan]

Dan trying to describe de-aging without saying de-aging is too good

[@westasia10]

Is de-aging definitely what he's referring to? I was curious

[@joe.osullivan]

@westasia10 I'm 90% sure. I haven't seen the movie so I can't guarantee, but something Disney has been attempting for years and failing at that Dan has been very openly against definitely reads as de-aging. Even since Screen Junkies Dan has really disliked de-aging and been pretty vocal about it when it comes up.

[@jordanclark219]

Is this the “technique” he said never works? Was curious

[@Coolcoolcooldude]

​@jordanclark219 It worked well in Captain America Civil War I thought.

[@MichaelWutsch]

I imagine there's a weird Ripley cameo

[@Fuuntag]

Nothing cuts quite like one of Dans disapproving thumbnails for something you are hoping to love.

[@KSchorrWriter]

Truth. The moment I saw the thumbail I was like...ohhh darnnnn.

[@aaronmccutcheon6008]

It's good, see it for yourself. It's up there with the first 2.

[@TheChipiboy]

I enjoyed it personally

[@drewmcgill5290]

@@aaronmccutcheon6008lol no

[@Dmcs1917]

The film is absolute garbage

[@omeshsingh8091]

Did the Romulans look accurate?

[@danielpeckham5520]

They look like Vulcans

[@thomashumphrey48]

No Not Star Trek Related!

[@xx7legion7xx99]

​@@thomashumphrey48😂

[@alexsilva28]

Kinda but they pointed their phasers the wrong way, a common mistake

[@TealJosh]

So, I just came back from the movie, pretty much 100% agree with Dan. In line with the really absurd call-backs, there was one that made the theatre to literally burst out in embarrassed laughs and sighs. Why would they put that into the movie!?

[@tiger_lord305]

Howd you feel about the film otherwise?

[@notBrocker]

Which one? I saw the movie and there was no scene like that Shit was extremely good

[@TealJosh]

@@tiger_lord305 otherwise of what? Otherwise of The Line or Dan's review? I dunno. I wouldn't rate it has high as Dan, at least one level lower. Unless you live and breathe the alien franchise, I don't think it's worth seeing it in the movies just for the experience of seeing it. Like Dan said, really high highs but completely undercut by literally the lowest lows of the whole franchise, or maybe on par with Resurrections.

[@fef-ev2yt]

Yea he nailed how i felt about the movie. Huge fan of the series but it bothered me how it was a remix of 1 and 2, and that was both great but also really annoying, frustrating and unnecessary. Either make a new movie, or not. Gave me the same 'what's the point' as episode 7 did: i might as well watch the superior originals. There were definitely some highs but overall a disappointment. And that CGI fail was the worst and so unnecessary

[@artheals8869]

@@TealJosh I’m curious as to what parts you’d consider the lowest lows? Aside from maybe the crazy last act I didn’t find anything particularly that offensive.

[@LilianaE]

I always appreciate Dan's honest and well-spoken reviews

[@benkoferenc3365]

Just got home from an advanced screening, and I have to say, as a huge Alien (and Predator) fan... Dan nailed his review. When Fede Álvarez is allowed to do his thing, this is a great movie. But those damn callbacks really do a number on this film. Also SPOILER ...taking a dead actor, recreating, de-aging and putting him in your movie? Damn it, Disney, this is low, even for you.

[@pattheplanter]

If it had been Brian Glover, it could have been hilarious. But they had better have paid millions to his descendants.

[@jim1242]

ah the old fan service and remember berries

[@lawrencescales9864]

Who was it, and did they have a speaking role?

[@andrewmasson4829]

I didn't think they were excessive in a "lol random callback insert". I thought most, including what you mentioned, tied into the world and I personally felt "well that makes sense given what they were doing and the timeline of the films" Andy's line towards the end felt the most out of place to me because it served no purpose other than as a reference.

[@GuyDudeman]

they've done it multiple times already

[@molodezhnaja]

"The line" really annoyed me, it doesn't feel earned at all. I liked the film overall but some of the callbacks were just jarring and taking elements from 1, 2 (and towards the end 4) feels a bit unimaginative.

[@chainyrabbit]

Is it the bitch line? I can't really think of many Alien lines

[@simbolicdunksman1746]

Lemme guess a random use of “game over man”

[@AtlantaJonny]

I was going to guess "get away from her you bitch" ​@@simbolicdunksman1746

[@biscuitboi9478]

My guess is “get away from her you bitch”

[@molodezhnaja]

@@simbolicdunksman1746 No, it's actually "get away from her you bitch".

[@zenquantum1246]

The ranking video for this series is something I will definitely look forward to watching!

[@alexsilva28]

Same, I love his ranking vids

[@Exiled_Rouge]

It is an interesting take here compared to other reviews. I appreciate it. Though I find it interesting that Dan's take on the final act is termed as "divisive" as other reviews have praised the final act as the most spectacular bit of the film. It currently is at a 92% approval rating and an A comscore.

[@leonardopribic2661]

Oh you will definitely have feelings about the third act (more closely towards the very end). I can see people loving and kind of hating it. For me it was just ok, my only disappointment was that another movie in the franchise did the exact same thing better and with more impact (grotesque, shock, horror and overall feelings of "yuck").

[@youngstar312]

having seen the movie it's very out there. I liked it, but I could see some people hating it.

[@leonardopribic2661]

@@youngstar312 To be honest I have no idea how it is "out there". I am not complaining or picking a fight with you. It's just, it was an already established thing (multiple times), so it was not really surprising. They even heavily hinted at it through the entire movie. The only special thing was the design itself.

[@youngstar312]

@@leonardopribic2661 well tbf I have only seen the first 2 Alien movies, so it was very out there to me ^^

[@leonardopribic2661]

@@youngstar312 Oh. In that case I concede. For the comparison for the 3rd act watch Prometheus, Resurrection and (I can't believe I am actually saying this) Requiem. But you might want to be drunk for that one :p

[@italyyeoja]

I watched this movie a week ago in the cinema without any prior knowledge of the Alien franchise… and let me tell you, this movie made me a fan! I left the theater obsessed and immediately started binge-watching all the Alien movies. Now that I’ve seen them all, I can fully understand what you're saying. I absolutely loved Alien and Aliens (the first two), but after that, the series became a disappointment. Romulus isn’t bad, but it relies heavily on elements from the originals. For someone like me who came in with fresh eyes, it was a great introduction to the franchise. But if you've seen the earlier films, it feels like it leans too much on their success and iconic cinematography, which diminishes its impact. Nevertheless, I think it’s a solid movie, especially for newcomers who might be inspired to go back and watch the classics. As for Prometheus and Covenant, I don’t even consider them worth mentioning as they veered too far off the original storyline and lost me. Still, I’m so happy that Romulus led me to discover the original Alien, which has now become one of my all-time favorite films!

[@LaddRusso91]

This is a perfect review imo. Although I did like elements of Prometheus.

[@baiteme]

The callbacks literally started off with the opening of the movie…the 20th Century Fox thing was from Alien 3…this movie was literally just a highlight reel of the Alien franchise’s Greatest Hits.

[@hugoalynstephens9166]

Well, it was the 45th Anniversary of Alien when you think about.

[@TheVileOne]

I’m in full agreement with Dan here. There is some good stuff here but the lows are low. And yeah there are some good scenes in here as well.

[@CEOMisterJohnSaxon]

I appreciate your honest review. I expect to be impressed by this film's VFX and sound design and underwhelmed by the story and characters.

[@markusjohansson6245]

100% this

[@themtgdude486]

Haven’t been to the theater since Furiosa. Seeing this tomorrow.

[@cetifoxproductions]

I haven't been to the theater since before COVID. This isn't bringing me out.

[@duncanlandon2328]

@@cetifoxproductionscool 👍

[@nms7872]

​@@cetifoxproductionsif you haven't gone since covid then I wouldn't expect another alien movie to break that. But there have been many great movies since

[@travisspazz1624]

​@@cetifoxproductionsJeez! I've been to the movies at least six times in the past month! Enjoy!

[@ayaanbz]

@@cetifoxproductionswho asked

[@Dohsoda]

I liked Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, despite their flaws, and thought David was a fascinating character in the series.

[@Captainkebbles1392]

Rildey Scott was right The studio wanted just another ALIEN movie. But he wanted to get away from that I loved the idea that a creation would realise it is better than it's creator... And applies that to it's own creation

[@riculfriculfson7243]

Someone had to. Just goes to show that there's something for everyone. 😁

[@extofer]

That makes at least 2 of us.

[@ksander1779]

I can see the merits of both movies clearly. Both are among the most gorgeous movies ever shot, the musical score is great, Michael Fassbenders performance is suberb, as was Noomi, and the VFX look like they will never age. But jesus christ, the stupidity of the victim characters is unlike anything in cinema.

[@thegreyinitiate3680]

3 of us actually 😂 I agree, David was utterly fascinating and I was really excited to see where he would go. The idea that something created by humans was the progenitor of the xenomorph was a brilliant concept. The cliffhanger at the end of Covenant was brutal, made even more so by the fact we never got any resolution to it.

[@kelwinkwel]

Looking forward to seeing this in theater. Thankx for the review bro 😎

[@commandZee]

Well, now I'm curious about the bananas 4th act.

[@1UpJohn]

Me too!

[@SludgeMan90]

It's god awful

[@TheFroneyZone]

4th act: "Peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat."

[@Henrik.S8]

*Spoilers* (don't read if you want to be surprised) It's a twisted engineer with a crazy smile and a tail going rampage on the small ship. No I'm not joking, watch for yourself. It was creepy though.

[@Bayard1503]

@@Henrik.S8 So a connection with Prometheus? Interesting.

[@TrevM]

"the perfect jean -> the perfect gene -> the perfect organism. the jeans a xenomorph would wear." missed connection.

[@JoshuaStDenis]

Definitely want a spoiler review for this one! I noticed some of your more nuanced arguments were tied into plot elements that you couldn't talk about.

[@jamesonstalanthasyu]

The silences were great and the mood music was great too!

[@luanamendes4767]

I thought the ending had a bit of jump the shark moment. It verged on campy territory to me.

[@jg11x11]

I figured the studio’s mandatory input would alter Fede’s full vision which of course is the way it goes in huge production where the bottom line is making return on investments. I’m sure it’s a solid film just not as insane as Fede fully off the chain would’ve been

[@Lokazana]

The xenos goes from embryo to fully grown in like 5 seconds in this movie. Seriously.

[@DanMurrellMovies]

To be fair, that has been in inconsistency throughout the franchise. Having just watched all the other movies, after you get past Aliens, xenomorph growth time has always been as long as the plot needs it to be.

[@T--kq3pj]

@@DanMurrellMovies This movie broke the record of Covenant in quickest Xeno growth time. In Covenant, we saw a backbuster grows like extending foam just in a matter of couple scenes. Here in this movie, we get a newborn alien, and 5 seconds later it's a 3 meters tall humanoid.

[@HububkiFilms]

⁠@@T--kq3pjExactly. Also, Alien 3 (the REAL cut) the alien took as long or even longer than in the original because it got into the cow right at the beginning, then took a lot of run time to burst out and start killing. Resurrection was pretty faithful too, because they had been cloning Ripley for months (or longer) and the queen gave birth late into the film after a more traditional egg laying cycle…also the guy who got thawed took a LOOONG time to hatch, much longer than John Hurt in the original. The insta-xenos started with Prometheus (even though I really love that film mostly) and got worse with Covenant and are now instantaneous as with Romulus. Also the design of the new human hybrid was cooler, but the dramatic stakes and tension was way better in Resurrection. 🙄🤷

[@TheWhills]

If you didnt notice, the humanoid xeno was twisted and fucked up and its bones were popping and shit. Seemed like a pretty clear indication that this thing is growing stupid fast and probably on a lot of pain too ​@T--kq3pj

[@bentucker2301]

It is explained in the movie. Not that it makes it okay.

[@brianng8350]

Everyone is talking about the final act - how it is bold and different ( in good and bad way), can’t wait to see what the buzz is about

[@haldir3120]

It was wild. I enjoyed it quite a lot

[@hottuna2006]

It's nothing new and it's all been done before. It doesn't make or break the movie.

[@eetumoisio]

It's not quite as cute as Alien 4 ending, but close 😂

[@danielpeckham5520]

Yeah, it was genuinely disturbing

[@RAPPERScantSPELL]

After watching Alien: Covenant, I was finally at peace with walking away from the franchise. The studios don’t know how to let the story advance, it just spins in a circle. And even though I love scary movies, the larger potential for this franchise died with Shaw.

[@roccocasazza4145]

Your loss, the movie is badass

[@yj548581]

Just finished watching, romulus was a way better movie

[@Isaak-eo6tr]

I want to know what happened to Shaw. Prometheus was very good people just talk crap because some of the characters were a little goofy acting.

[@roccocasazza4145]

@@Isaak-eo6tr she died , her body was used in Fassbender’s experiments

[@joshliam1967]

Covenant definitely made me want to be done with the franchise...I still might watch Romulus but hearing about the cgi de-aging and a pointless retread of an iconic line makes me have doubts.

[@andreserickson6963]

Dawww I’m bummed you didn’t love it as much as I did haha but I hear your critiques. 100% agree about the “Disney” element you mentioned. That was the one thing that took me out of it a few times. But I was so happy with this film, and the production design was outstanding!

[@yetanotherreviewchannel]

You had the 100% same experience as me! I thought im too picky.

[@Lavonne1]

Too many call backs

[@Renoistic]

It's not remotely tense or scary so no, you're not picky.

[@jansenl9838]

Hi Dan, love your contents. Keep up the good work. Curious to know if there'll be a spoiler-review of Romulus as I'm very interested to know which parts of the movie that you hated. Thanks!

[@andrewhernandez5247]

Callbacks, field of Easter eggs, and a long shot 3rd (or 4th act)…wow. I enjoyed this film but agree with Dan. The lines and definitely finale were divisive but I ❤ the aesthetic and chills.

[@JesperHellvik]

I want to thank all the haters for lowering my expectations and making me think the movie is bad. Well...they are just wrong. What a blast I had. Great movie. So f**king tense!!! The ONLY thing I didn't appreciate was the line: "get away from her....(long pause)....you B*TCH". That was completely unnecessary. The Ian Holm CGI face on Rook didn't really bother me for more than three seconds and then I was fine with it. Nope...I really REALLY like this Alien movie. Well Done Fede, well done 👍

[@filmgeek520]

When you said 'believe it or not' at the start of your review and my brain went 'ripley's....ohhhhh that's clever....because Alien - Ripley' - please tell me I'm not the only one whose autistic brain immediately made that connection whether it was intentional or not XD

[@DanMurrellMovies]

It was most definitely intentional! Good catch.

[@J.Panxer]

​@@DanMurrellMovies Blocked. Censorship goes two ways.

[@DanMurrellMovies]

@weathforjr What are you talking about?

[@Junierific]

I loved it. I get what people don’t like, but for me, I couldn’t care less. It doesn’t ruin the movie for me. This also points out what I don’t like about criticism these days, if a movie isn’t a masterpiece then it’s garbage. It’s a fun movie. Let’s leave it at that. I’m tired of people saying “it’s not perfect, but” Just say you liked it. Geez.

[@DanMurrellMovies]

I did say I liked it. I said it was good.

[@chikensaregood9500]

Same I wish more people had brains for themselves, i can admit the movie was not perfect but to say it was garbage is such a stretch. It was a great movie with flaws and has potential to bring a breath of fresh air to the franchise with future sequels. The acid scene was so satisfyingly good and thats new

[@alltheflavors9673]

​@@chikensaregood9500lmao the acid with no inertia? The acid that explodes but stops itself from spraying every inch of available surface whenever the plot needs it to? Come on.

[@chikensaregood9500]

@@alltheflavors9673 its a movie about aliens in space 🤡

[@RonanAquilius]

I don't know why everyone is saying this movie is gory, i've seen the movie and it's surprisingly not that gory for a fede film, the chest burster scene is actually less gory than the original.

[@jordanjohnston655]

Agreed. The acid death should and could have been may more graphic. Big disappointment

[@Seldz1]

I appreciate your views and your specifics on what works and what doesn’t in your movie analysis. Keep the videos coming!

[@ezioauditore1300]

6:43 Giving credit for taking risks???? SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!! . . . . . . . . . ITS LITERALLY ALIEN RESURRECTION!!!!!! THE ENDING IS SCENE BY SCENE THE ENDING OF RESURRECTION!!!

[@Max2nice]

It was awful

[@ewokcalypse4470]

Actually I thought it was a scene by scene of the first movie’s final act or at least a mix of both of the first and fourth movie final acts. Mesh up into one scene.

[@ezioauditore1300]

@Max2nice exactly! Why is everyone so impressed by this??? It had nothing memorable

[@ezioauditore1300]

@ewokcalypse4470 Im honestly shocked how many persons defend this movie. It has nothing memorable. Its just awfull

[@Max2nice]

@@ezioauditore1300 I’m not sure . I may go see it again just in case I missed anything but I just wasn’t impressed. There were literally 5 people in the entire theatre

[@jasonraschen1109]

Thanks for the review Dan! I'm planning on seeing it this Saturday. Looking forward to your ranking video.

[@ZachChen1996]

Hard disagree Dan, the “fan service” in this film was brilliant and was organically fit into the film. This film was amazing and is right behind the original Alien and Aliens. A solid 8/10 for me!!

[@hugoalynstephens9166]

I felt now, thinking about it, they made sense with this year being the 45th Anniversary of the first movie's release.

[@Skeletal33]

Saw it last night in IMAX. Very very solid movie. The director & writer were at my screening. Got to meet both after

[@UnionShen]

Can't wait for the ranking vid!

[@treestandsafety3996]

'Hello my darling hello my sweetheart hello my good time gal!'....I missd that reference!

[@Lagoon_j]

Yea I saw this at the earliest possible screening which was the 14 at 730. This review is exactly how I felt, I loved the asthetic, alien and ship design, all beautiful and has the same vibe as the original. I loved basically everything in the 2nd and 3rd act bc it was so compelling (minus the really distracting de-aging bc my god that didn’t look good) but the 4th act I was done. I loved this film but then right at the end they fucked it entirely, I personally don’t like the prequels, this could be why I have such a strong reaction to anything with the black goo and Prometheus. The human alien hybrid thing was awful. I understand that that creature could technically be defined as like a “perfect human/ xenomorph thing” but it’s most definitely not for me. But everything else prior I loved, the last part takes this from an 8 (maybe 9)/ 10 to a 7/10

[@joetomholt80]

Couldn’t agree more. Majority of the movie up to that point was brilliant, but I ended up walking out of the cinema thinking what the hell was that dumb ending.

[@Lagoon_j]

@@joetomholt80 yea definitely, it was so weird, I left the theatre feeling weird and mixed about the whole film even tho I loved 90% of it

[@amostlyagreeableopinion4005]

Dan is exactly describing Postmodern Jukebox! They are a great cover band, but they're unique because they cover modern hits in vintage styles. Technically, yes, we all know the lyrics, but we've still never heard this rendition, thus making it an 'original'.

[@garrett1433]

Ik im in the minority, but i loved Prometheus, the atmosphere that movie had was phenomenal!

[@coconut8192]

Prometheus is awesome! My third favourite alien movie. I don't understand why everyone hates it.

[@joshliam1967]

I thought Prometheus was interesting! I just wish a small number of the questions it asked were answered in Covenant, but instead all we got was people making very dumb decisions and then dying. (I want to walk away from the franchise but may still watch Romulus, not sure)

[@thedarkemissary]

Hope Alien: Isolation is in your list somewhere. Or at least gets a special mention.

[@52BLUE]

I saw it last night and I've been going over the reviews on KZbin trying to find somebody who agrees with my take in this film being mid at best. Let's see how this one goes. Edit: yes. Tone. Production design. Sound design. All great. The characters (aside from Andy the android), plot, story and campy callbacks were just insufferable.

[@kerryprice1414]

What a joke, people are so caught up in nostalgia it's blinded them 😂, listen, no matter what they do people like you and them will never ever be satisfied I'm telling you because I used to be that way, in this movie the acting is objectively better, the practical effects are objectively better, the storyline is objectively better, the alien attack scenes look real unlike in aliens where for example the alien grabs that women with the flamethrower is hilarious 😂, people like you need to stop this bs this movie other than the CGI rook is incredible! If this came first it would be the movie you would defend and you know it

[@chrisiskandar7388]

​@@kerryprice1414....but it didn't come first. That's the whole frigging point. This movie adds nothing, is leagues behind the original when it comes to tension and relies on a plethora of memberberries to make blind fanboys happy. Sad how people fall for the big studios plans to milk as much money as possible.

[@kerryprice1414]

@@chrisiskandar7388 I haven't fallen for anybodies "plan" I'm sure the "plan" is to get as many people go enjoy the movie as possible , I absolutely love alien and aliens but some scenes in it are a joke, like I said the alien that grabs the soldier with the flame thrower literally goes up on a conveyor belt 🤣 now I know for a fact if that was in this movie you would mention it, sorry but the truth is people can't grow up and move past nostalgia haha, 🤣, this movie is deffo up there as one of the best or the best, like i said, OBJECTIVELY the story, practical effects and tension even the acting was better, ffs the acting in alien and aliens was average at best!!

[@chrisiskandar7388]

@@kerryprice1414 story? How is it better? What are you even talking about? They basically just copied everything the franchise did before. Tension is better? What? No way. I felt nothing once they were inside the spaceship. You want me to feel tension when a teenage girl kills more than 10 xenos on her own with a single clip? Sorry, but you have no case here at all. Practical effects? Do you even have any idea how much work and skill went into the original film??? To do this in 1979? The practical effects are fine in romulus but there is a ton of cgi. Get informed first and see what is actual practical effects. You would be surprised. So again, you have no case here.

[@52BLUE]

@@kerryprice1414just giving my opinion. Sorry it obviously hurt your feelings to the point where you feel the need to take shots at me.

[@shutterboy123]

These were my thoughts exactly. A solid outing with some peculiar choices.

[@waywardmind]

I respectfully disagree, Dan. Lightning struck three times in a row in the franchise. Alien 3 (especially the Assembly Cut) is fantastic and the perfect film to close the loop on the original trilogy. David Fincher did superbly, and the film has an amazing cast, cinematography, etc. People just get whiny because of Newt and Hicks . . . apparently because they don't understand there's nothing interesting to do with those characters since the movies were always about Ripley and her arc.

[@zenquantum1246]

While I think that there were interesting avenues to explore with Newt & Hicks, I agree that the Alien 3 Assembly Cut is a great entry into the series. It took the series into a different place, and Sigourney Weaver felt that it was tonally in synch with the series that Ripley would be tortured by fate to lose the very people she fought so hard to save while she has to carry on the fight

[@IrvGottiRumRunner]

Hicks and Newt become the standard bearers for Aliens due to the Dark Horse comics, which , with No Exaggeration, were better than anything else in the theater after Aliens including Alien 3.

[@thedudeabides3138]

Great review Dan, tyvm as always. Your review is EXACTLY what I felt my experience would be if I bothered going.

[@j10betty]

I believe Prometheus even though it's nothing like the first two or capturers the terror. It stands well enough on its own as an underrated sci Fi story.

[@mrawesome7175]

Promotheus stands on its own and is very underrated . This was good but flawed

[@Pozorrogo]

As someone who has seen Alien movies but I dont pay super attention and Im not a super fan. I heard that "Bitch" line in Romulus and it was so jarring to me. I didnt realize it was a reference which makes total sense considering the first one to say it was a woman who was a mother, saying it to the alien mother queen. But I can say, even for someone who did NOT get the reference at first.. that line was just as strange to me as it was to everyone else. I do love the 2 leads in this, the the actor playing the android was amaaaaazing loved him so much. I enjoyed it though I wish there were more 'down' times where there wasnt any action going on. It just seemed like they were being thrown from one situation to another where they were fighting aliens or face huggers. For me I would have loved to get more backstory to these characters other than "This is the racist one against androids" "This is the pregnant one" etc

[@froglady7362]

The line you're talking about... man, im still fuming. I could feel the cringe in the theater, complete silence. I just saw it and I pretty much agree with your take on it. I'll rate it somewhere between 6.5 / 7.2.

[@Black_Rock_Studio]

The movie theater seat was more terrifying than the flick.

[@JScotty4Reel]

Regarding Perfect Jean, in space no one can see your inseam

[@thescottishgeektwitch7125]

This movie for me was a 9/10 points off for "that line" and "that CGI face". Personally I wish the CGI face was David and not who we got. Apart from those two complaints, this movie was anxiety horror at its best. I can't remember the last time my hands were sweating that much watching a movie. Especially the last 10 minutes that were VERY unfortunate to watch (especially as a lady). More Alien movies like this please ❤

[@TheBatosai]

I finally learned my lesson this year, to never trust a critic to uphold your personal taste. If you are interested in something, just watch it.

[@doomguydemonkiller]

Facts

[@SpaceCatPower]

What film and critic enlightened you to this?

[@nms7872]

Critics are just people. But what sets their opinion apart from an average joe is that they have it for a job and the serious ones are actually educated/informed about what they say. Their opinions are their for information or critique, not to become your opinion fully. I don't know why people don't get this.

[@kcJOOONES]

I used to to this year's ago. I still tune in to certain critics that I've always watched just because I'm curious to know what they think, almost like asking a friend what they thought. But they don't influence my opinion anymore, unless they bring up a valid point that I didn't think of

[@Kevo6492]

@@nms7872It’s really not that hard. There’s some movies that are rotten that I enjoy, some fresh I detest. Watch the film for yourself always. Sure it’s fun to talk about film and see other’s perspectives. You might pick up on something you missed, but still, watch it for yourself.

[@dbvmayor]

Okay, literally every early review of this is saying the ending is insane and divisive and I can't remember being this intrigued by a mainstream movie since ....... I honestly don't know when. I was hyped to hell for Furiosa (which I loved a lot more than you did) but no one was saying the ending was bananas and divisive like people are saying about this. I'm willing to forgive a movie's flaws if it takes a massive swing--especially as an ending.

[@strangerthanfiction4014]

People laugh their ass off already because of that.

[@hottuna2006]

There's nothing insane about the ending. We've seen it all before. Maybe divisive because how some people like the comfort of seeing the same things in a franchise while others don't. Think of it as The Force Awakens and how it was an homage to A New Hope. Romulus is the same. Everything old is new again.

[@Renoistic]

Some of the callback lines do more to damage the film than anything else. The 4th act doesn't really bring anything new, really. It's just a remix of things you've seen before.

[@CraigNull]

if the line isn't 'Game Over' or a Vasquez quip I'm having trouble thinking of another. 'Nuke it from orbit' doesn't seem to fit the setting. Hmm If they really recreated a character who's an android in a decades-old film, who is supposed to be a different android than the one previously encountered, what's the point? Is it relying on the audience knowing the actions of this android in a previous film and inferring it'll do something similar here? It's very weird when the VFX budget seems to say the important parts of the movie are aliens and this one actor's face.

[@DanV900]

It’s Ripley’s line.

[@annelieeriksson9881]

I've been a hardcore "alien" fan for 30 years. I've watch everyone and me and my bf just git home from the Swedish premiere of Romulus. The forth act in this move made me feel for the first time ever, that i hope they never make another alien movie. I would like to see what happens after revenant, but right now, I'm just angry. Romulus had SO MUCH potential, like you said; the highs was really high and it FELT like the originals from time to time. But then they throwed in stuff like "the cgi person", "the line" and the fourth act, and i felt angry.

[@mrlelle111]

Också svenskt fan, otroligt besviken faktiskt

[@orangmawas3858]

Jag håller till mesta dels med. Som helhet tyckte jag att filmen var bra, fantastisk i vissa scener, men nostalgi-skiten som slängs in i vad känns som varje tjugonde minut drar ned filmen för mig. Sen så finns det vissa "plotholes" såsom hur karaktärerna missade att se den gigantiska döda sönder muterade råttan i det andra laberatoriet & flera saker under hiss schakt scenen jag uppfattade som inte verklighets överensstämmande eller vettigt. Också så gav xenomorf-hybrid bäbisen i slutet mig dåliga minnen av "newborn" från Resurrection, trots att jag tycker att hybrid-monster konceptet var bättre gestaltad här i Romulus än i Resurrection, så om den delen vet jag fortfarande inte om jag är helt okej med eller ogillar. Så jävla nära att vara en riktigt bra Alien rulle. Hamnar på ett likvärdigt plats med Alien 3 "Assembly Cut" i filmseriens rangordning enligt min åsikt.

[@orangmawas3858]

Jag håller till mesta dels med. Som helhet tyckte jag att filmen var bra, fantastisk i vissa scener, men nostalgi-skiten som slängs in i vad känns som varje tjugonde minut drar ned filmen för mig. Sen så finns det vissa "plotholes" såsom hur karaktärerna missade att se den gigantiska döda sönder muterade råttan i det andra laberatoriet & flera saker under hiss schakt scenen jag uppfattade som inte verklighets överensstämmande eller vettigt. Också så gav xenomorf-hybrid bäbisen i slutet mig dåliga minnen av "newborn" från Resurrection, trots att jag tycker att hybrid-monster konceptet var bättre gjord här i Romulus än i Resurrection. Så jävla nära att vara en riktigt bra Alien rulle. Hamnar på likvärdig placering som Alien 3 "Assembly Cut" i filmseriens rangordning enligt min åsikt, & jag är en av dem som inte hatar den versionen av 3:an.

[@marcincovers]

please tell why

[@bakermateo]

It was horrible. Who cast this film? They would have been better in a Friday the 13th, not space engineers & mine workers. Another wasted opportunity.

[@recetasfaciles2816]

From the sequences' i just can remeber the zero gravity scene. The elevator was great till a xenomorph save the girl and just stare at her. The ending doesn't work. That is from a zombie mutant game not from an Alien movie.

[@chrislacy1990]

I’m happy to say that #AlienRomulus does everything a good sequel should do: - Give the audience something new. (Get ready for neat moments that breathe new life into the series.) - Identify what worked before and build upon it. (From the opening frame to the last, there’s a healthy balance of drama, sci-fi, horror, and action.) - Change the stakes. (Alvarez and his team crank up the tension, keeping you on the edge of your seat.) - Play with expectations. (Prepare for twists and turns that will keep you guessing.) - Add new, memorable characters. (They add depth to the story and leave a lasting impression on you.) FIRST IMPRESSION RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars

[@DeepEye1994]

There was a friend who told me that he saw it with two other friends who were HUGE fans of Aliens and they were very upset by the film. With that phrasing I was TERRIFIED at the idea that maybe it was going to mess with the lore and somehow negatively affect Aliens or make it retroactively dumb or something... and thank god it was just a bad fanservice quote. With that in mind, I went into the film hoping to see good characters and that it won't ruin the lore, and I'd say it delivered on those aspects and I was relieved by the end of it. I loved Rain and Andy, I loved how the film looked and how the Alien was treated, but I agree they could've dialed down with the fanservice or the obligatory climax. We'll see how I'll feel on a rewatch I suppose. I'm glad the film still seemed to have restored people's respect for the series, but I'm also glad that the Alien fans are calling out the fanservice instead of clapping like seals at it, it's a good movie but let's be very stern with the criticisms so that the next Alien movie is just as good and without needing to rely on that.

[@XboxNuisance]

The movie is overrated, and people are saying that it starts off slow and when they think it's going to end it keeps going. It's structured like any other film; the first action scene is literally at the 30-minute mark, and it's obvious it wasn't over when the pregnant girl injected herself. I swear the people reviewing it act like they've never seen a movie before.

[@alltheflavors9673]

The are employees posing as "journalists" or whatever, it's all astroturfing to get dummies to the box office to get the money.

[@alltheflavors9673]

They learned from Scott's Prometheus and covenant megaflops. Instead of giving him 400 mil they only gave him 80, and hired a competent director and it worked. They actually made money with Romulus: the Alien franchise best clips.

[@swordrush]

I think this was a 'it's fine' movie for me. Will I rewatch it sometime? Probably--there's enough good things there that I can overlook some of the bad (of which there's plenty). Surprisingly, I had other issues with the film you didn't touch on with this review, so suffice it to opinions on it are probably going to be quite varied.

[@davedujour1]

I've only seen the trailer for this, but it sure looked like it was a film version of the video game Alien: Isolation. A young girl is trapped on a space station with a xenomorph. In Isolation you play Ellen Ripley's daughter, but otherwise the trailer looks just like the video game

[@utvFalseGod-iq3ux]

I seen it wait for on stream bro

[@JimGronefeld7769]

What’s the Disney “technique” to which you refer?

[@nitish8348]

Cameron is mad genius to even think (and later deliver) he could match or surpass Ridley Scott’s Alien that time!! Both Alien and Aliens are masterpieces in their own right and I can never make my mind on which one is better.

[@moviereelnews]

aliens >>>> alien

[@martinmp19]

​@moviereelnews no way! More like Alien > Aliens

[@moviereelnews]

@@martinmp19 rewatch alien and with a critical mind you can really pick apart the horrible decisions of the characters of that film, akin to how we scrutinized the characters of covenant and prometheus

[@wilmaso]

​@moviereelnews i can do the same for Aliens.. Alien is the best one

[@moviereelnews]

@@wilmaso cool. I disagree. but cool

[@alexsilva28]

OMG an Alien franchise ranking video has me actually hyped! Can't wait!

[@KellicTiger]

Here's the thing. Alien3 is my most hated alien film because of how they just threw away everything that was accomplished in Aliens. Killing off Hicks and Newt.....I will never forgive the studio, the writers, and the director for doing that. So frankly it could be the worst movie ever but it will never measure up to that turd.

[@danielpeckham5520]

I always liked Alien 3, the worse Alien flick is AVP 2

[@mattbrick1246]

The worst part about alien 3 is the massive plot hole it’s based on. How did the egg get in the sulaco? None of the alien 3 fan boys can answer that

[@knownpleasures]

The underlying problem is Disney bought 20th century studios. They turned this movie into a legacy sequel to play on the safe side for box office revenue reasons . Sadly it probably will work.

[@billix0]

Technique Disney keeps going back too hoping we'll like? I'm going to guess a horrifying, plasticy deaged Henriksen with a gravelly 80 year old voice

[@TheMostPotatoPodcast]

Oh god, I was thinking the technique was the Volume stage but the de-aging is something Disney spams and fails at 😭

[@JJtheUtahRealtor]

I think it's gunna be ash

[@billix0]

@@JJtheUtahRealtor That would also be good. My basic idea here is they setup Henriksen as the human template for Bishop and the Weyland Yutani CEO at the end of Alien 3. I've heard the intention was for him to be more of a main bad guy in later movies but that never happened.

[@billix0]

@@TheMostPotatoPodcast That's a distinct possibility, however everything I've seen in trailers so far makes this movie look reasonably practical. And the way Dan describes it, I think he's talking about something going back longer than The Volume. As far as I know the use of that didn't really begin until the Mandalorian. They've been doing this deaging thing since at least 2010.

[@waywardmind]

I really hope not, but I fear you're right about someone being de-aged in it.

[@lautaroasis60]

You get me so well with this review

[@SJK-ROW-K]

That famous line that was used was so badly delivered it made the audience actually GROAN in unison. Atrocious acting. Atrocious lines. fan film performances and delivery with high-end cgi tacked on. Andy the Android performance was worse than Orrin the Cyborg. ATROCIOUS: ROMUL-ASS

[@TheGameCupboard]

Saw it earlier then came home to watch this and yeah, everything you were vague on i knew exactly what you were referencing and 100% agree. The "technique" really pulled me out and every time it was on screen it killed it for me. 'That' quoted line was a true cringe worthy moment in a film with otherwise excellent dialogue (I'm British and the characters banter was bang on), and the fourth act just crashed the movie for me. As you said, the highs were high and some of the best Alien we've seen in decades, but the lows were so low they kinda ruined the whole movie for me.

[@Erichasadong]

Have a good day everyone!

[@markusjohansson6245]

One of the important part of the Alien movies are the strong characters and banter between the crew in the beginning of the movies. I think this movie completely failed in this regard. After the first 40-ish minutes I was about to walk out of the cinema, it was soo bad. The acting was as enthusiastic as a low budget soap opera in season 9. I think the best part of the movie is that it looks fantastic.

[@mattbrick1246]

Agreed . They don’t make us care about them at all. Couldn’t wait for them all to die. Also there shouldn’t be romantic relationships already established prior. It kills the vibe and the development.

[@Renoistic]

I really don't get why they went with the sleepy line delivery. Andy was fine, the rest not so much.

[@Halauris]

I appreciate Dan trying not to spoil a movie but unfortunately there's not enough to go on of what he didn't like to allow me to decide where they want to go see this or not. Maybe there just isn't an easy way to talk about it without spoiling the movie.

[@hottuna2006]

If you liked how The Force Awakens ripped on A New Hope, you'll probably like Romulus. If you're expecting a new original story that connects to the other movies and expands the universe, don't. This movie is for people who like the comfort of nostalgia. Nothing wrong with that but it wasn't for me.

[@teamhj275]

I'd rather watch a movie before any reviews. You know, make up my own mind instead of someone telling me if I like it or not 😉

[@Halauris]

@@teamhj275 I am more thinking should I go out to pay to see it or just wait for steaming. That's what I was trying to base my choice on.

[@juicewick]

Finally watched this. I thought it was solid. The end is so bananas.

[@intense79nick]

So.... my guess is the Disney technique is de-aging and Ripley is in this? Somehow? Idk. Hopefully I'm wrong because he's right, that won't work for me at all. Edit: for what it's worth I gave it zero thought if it made sense for the plot/timeline for Ripley to show up. The same amount of thought I expect a producer to give.

[@Klebfield]

No ripley

[@Bad_Wolf_Media]

Ripley would have still be asleep, unless they skipped over a LOT of stuff at the beginning of ALIENS. My money would be on Ian Holm deaged as another version of Ash the android.

[@jamesbarr8218]

It’s Paul Riser, but the fourth act twist is that he’s playing his character from Mad About You

[@rockytopbritt]

@@jamesbarr8218 LOL

[@waywardmind]

Oh god, I hope not . . . but I worry that you're right.

[@clarissawestbrook2203]

I’m a HUGE movie enthusiast especially horror movies, aspiring business owner and actress. I’ve already watched 27 new movies in the movie theater this year including Alien: Romulus. It now has surpassed Dune 2 as my favorite movie of the year thus far. I wou highly recommend watching it in either IMAX or RPX. This was another good movie review. ❤❤❤❤

[@SeekingGodsWill]

I am calling it here. Someone is gonna say Game over Man... Game over...

[@hottuna2006]

I hope you didn't make a bet because you'd lose.

[@SeekingGodsWill]

@@hottuna2006 I just thought it would sound so cool in the British accent/dialect. ala " Its in the Waher Theres something in the fuckin waher. "Game Over Man... Game Over" Excited to be wrong!

[@Renoistic]

​@@SeekingGodsWillHe's wrong, it's in there. But it's fine. There are worse lines and one of them literally made me remove 2 points because they should not get away with that shit.

[@JimGronefeld7769]

While I agree with a lot of what you say, I think the sum redeems the parts. Thats not to say I loved it. But I’d put it a few notches higher on your scale [7.5 outta 10].

[@griswoldclark6835]

97% on RT, I hope this does for Alien what Prey did for Predator

[@moviereelnews]

why can't I see any of the reviews on there?

[@griswoldclark6835]

@@moviereelnews I cant ether which is odd

[@moviereelnews]

@@griswoldclark6835 I saw one review...and then I click it disappears. their site is crashing from alien fans clicking refresh repeatedly llol just tried again it's at 85% with 65 reviews. still can't read any

[@liamnissanS2K]

Prey was bad

[@zaltmanbleroze]

@@liamnissanS2K Prey was good

[@ghostwolf1435]

Couldn’t agree with you more I cried tears of fan rage with the repurposed line usage This was an empty greatest hits album 💿 I Hated it What’s sad the first 30 minutes is pretty good Lazy Film Making

[@waterbearer4627]

Stranger things in space, a movie for gen Z generation. Formulaic and had some annoying characters with bad accents.

[@nebularain3338]

The "technique" didn't bother me at all. In fact, I thought it was actually quite cool. What I couldn't stomach was the callbacks in the actual dialogue. Lines said almost verbatim from other films just didn't make sense, particularly as there were so many visual callbacks which worked much better. Edit them out, and get Corridor Crew to fix some of the uncanny VFX and it's a solid 8/10 film.

[@Dude-oh8vq]

Pretty accurate review! What I'd like to see is a director's cut that trims out all of the very bad callbacks, especially some of those rehashed lines from previous films, because I think these bad moments could be easily edited out without it being noticeable. Ridley is kind of tarnishing things, with his prequel mess, but I liked Romulus even with those awful if brief moments.

[@mateofantasma]

I have seen the movie and now I understand what you meant by the "technique Disney loves". I agree, it was absolutely unnecessary and substracted from the movie. That said, the movie is great. I enjoyed it a lot, went to a Dolby theater and the sound was incredible. The main character's performances were very good and relatable. The aesthetics, lightning, effects and the production for this film were also particularly impressive, loved the suits, the gear, the ships, etc. etc. A great watch and well worth going to the movies.

[@SmashBrosAssemble]

Back to basics is really what we needed after the big piles of mystery box s*** that was Prometheus & Alien: Covenant.

[@SwatBeatsOfficial]

Are you kidding? These movies were so damn good. Prometheus is a masterpiece.

[@martinmp19]

Wtf. I could not disagree with you more. To me, those movies took the mystery of the derelict and alien and ruined them with uninteresting answers to the wrong questions. ​@@SwatBeatsOfficial

[@endlessvoid7952]

I thought Epstein was the most dangerous predator

[@SwatBeatsOfficial]

@martinmp19 I love what they did with Michael Fassbenders character. I didn't know Prometheus was related to Alien until the end. I think Prometheus is great for people who haven't seen the old movies. People who like the old ones won't like the new ones, kind of like Star Wars.

[@MrImastinker]

@@SwatBeatsOfficial I think they're mixed bags overall. There's a lot of cool ideas, the mythology is rich and deep, and they're absolutely stunning to look at. And David is just a gem of a villain. *However...* They're also a little contrived as far as Ridley's attempted "explanation" for the origins of the Xenomorph, which Fox itself had to correct in materials like the Alien RPG. Both are also saddled with shoddy screenwriting at times, mostly by way of the fact that the characters are by and large MORONS. So, yeah. Some good, some bad, makes for an overall "eh" experience.

[@dustind-force234]

Yeah the Rook Ash callback looked like bad AI

[@joshualieder7524]

I was looking forward to this but will pass it by now. Too many youngsters.

[@ericgen5022]

I’m just back from the theater. I agree with your assessment. It was certainly entertaining - glad I went. And your point about the highs and lows - spot on! Like a seismograph. That’s a perfect description. While some of the call backs were too much fan service (Rook) and certain lines, I did like that they tied in Prometheus and that backstory. Those two prequels get a lot of hate for now being seen as key parts of the expanded universe. Glad I went.

[@timflint25]

I had some faith in Fede. But in the end, we all kinda assumed Disney would mess this up at least a little bit. Disappointing because I really enjoyed Prey (and in that case they messed up by not releasing it theatrically because it certainly deserved it).

[@pjotrbd]

This coversong analogy is so spot on.

[@TymeTraveling777]

I just didn't like that the cast looked like teenagers/ goonies. But the movie was pretty solid.

[@TymeTraveling777]

@Randy_Richmond because last time I checked that's been consistent in the saga. And besides, adults are clearly rational.

[@TymeTraveling777]

@Randy_Richmond it ain't relevant. But who tf wants to see a bunch of teenagers going to war against an alien mf????

[@luckyplvys]

Can’t wait to see you rank/review all of the alien films. I’m interested to hear on your thoughts of Prometheus… and how Covenant ruined everything it set up.😵‍💫

[@T--kq3pj]

So that's it huh, we're some kind of.. Alien Romulus

[@stephenmoran1000]

Get out

[@robertpiwonski1215]

Nope