Alien: Romulus has fan service that’s worse than Deadpool & Wolverine

As a longtime fan of the Alien franchise, I must say that the digital resurrection of Ian Holm’s Ash in Alien: Romulus left me feeling a bit uneasy, much like Ripley when she first encountered the Xenomorph.

Alien: Romulus spoilers follow.

It’s evident that Fede Alvarez holds a deep affection for the Alien series. He utilized Xenopedia as a reference during the writing process of Alien: Romulus, ensuring that he stayed true to the established storyline, even in his books.

It’s no wonder, given that context, the latest film is brimming with Easter eggs and tributes to its past, encompassing Alien all the way to Alien: Covenant. The soundtrack has score hints, iconic camera shots are carefully replicated, and there’s much more.

However, Alien: Romulus strays beyond respectful homage into excessive adoration – a border it unfortunately crosses too often.

In the film “Alien: Romulus“, there are two instances that stand out as excessive fan service, surpassing even the level found in “Deadpool & Wolverine“, a movie we previously referred to as “a summer blockbuster filled with two hours of fan service”.

As a devoted film enthusiast with over two decades of experience under my belt, I can wholeheartedly attest to the power that spoilers hold for those who haven’t yet seen a movie. Having been caught unawares by plot twists and shocking endings more times than I care to remember, I can confidently say that being spoiled ruins the experience for me every single time. It takes away the thrill of anticipation, the joy of discovery, and the emotional impact that a well-crafted story can have on us.

Alien: Romulus has fan service that's worse than Deadpool & Wolverine

To begin, we’ll tackle what might be the most overt nod to any hit movie this year, reminiscent of the classic film “Aliens”.

In the heart-pounding climax of Alien: Romulus, here I am, Rain or Andy, bracing myself as a swarm of Xenomorphs rushes towards us, deep within the Renaissance spacecraft’s dark and labyrinthine underbelly.

In a clever move, they disable the gravitational force, enabling Rain to fire at the Xenomorphs without worry that their corrosive blood would puncture the hull and launch them into space. Armed with a Colonial Marine pulse rifle, she manages to slay most of them, leaving their blood to drift aimlessly in the weightless environment.

Following their successful passage through the hazardous acid pit, Rain and Andy find themselves ascending an elevator tube towards their spaceship. However, they reach nearly the summit when gravity unexpectedly resumes, causing Rain to plummet back down the shaft and encounter a Xenomorph with no means of defense.

Gladly, I swoop in to save Rain, snatching up the rifle and blasting the Xenomorph. Once the deed was done, I spat out, “Keep your distance,” followed by a moment’s pause, “You hag.”

Yep, it’s Ripley’s classic line from Aliens, but the problem is that it makes zero sense.

Alien: Romulus has fan service that's worse than Deadpool & Wolverine

As a gamer, I’ve got to say something about Andy here. He dropped a line 37 years ahead of Ripley, making it the original use as far as we know. But here’s the kicker – why on earth would he utter that? It just doesn’t seem like him. Instead, it feels more in line with his character to crack a classic dad joke and lighten up the situation.

As a gamer, I can’t help but appreciate the clever dialogue in Aliens when Ripley knew she was up against an alien Queen. However, in our game, I have no idea what gender of Xenomorph I’m dealing with – did you know they don’t have a specific gender? Using a term like “bitch” wouldn’t be fitting here, especially since Rain’s father didn’t program her for misogyny.

In the movie “Alien: Romulus,” there’s a line that became famous due to the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme. This line is a casual reference to a well-known quote, intended to excite fans with their cheers and shouts. However, it falls flat because it feels so deliberately crafted – even David Jonsson appears a bit disheartened while saying it.

A disadvantage is that this reference doesn’t necessitate any specialized knowledge about aliens. It’s the most straightforward to grasp, but Alvarez demonstrates in the rest of ‘Alien: Romulus’ that he can provide more nuanced hints that truly appeal to those familiar with the ‘Alien’ series.

As a gamer, I can swiftly pull up some classic “Alien” quotes with just a quick search on Google. In no time at all, I was able to locate that famous quote. We gave it a try to verify this, and indeed, it proved effective!

Alien: Romulus has fan service that's worse than Deadpool & Wolverine

It’s certainly reasonable to believe that the film, Deadpool & Wolverine, contains numerous scenes intended to elicit a strong response from viewers, and it might even have more allusions like that than substantial story developments.

In contrast, the distinctive feature of the hit MCU film is that it delivers exactly what you expect. The Deadpool series, known for its breaking of the fourth wall humor, took advantage of the multiverse in the third installment to offer an abundance of fan service.

As a dedicated fan, I can assure you that the humor in this show isn’t just thrown around haphazardly. Unlike the Aliens callback in Andy’s work, which seems to defy logic, there’s an authentic in-universe explanation behind the jokes here.

As a diehard fan, I can confirm that this film doesn’t shy away from its cameos; instead, they are skillfully woven as delightful, crowd-pleasing moments. Characters like Gambit, Blade, and Elektra are given dramatic slow-motion entrances, indicating the movie acknowledges its silliness and is gleefully participating in the joke.

That film titled “Alien: Romulus” is not about aliens as one might expect. Instead, it’s a chilling, grisly, and sobering space-set body horror. The phrase “get away from her, you bitch” stands out like a conspicuous sore thumb and (fittingly) leaves the movie devoid of any remaining air.

Alien: Romulus has fan service that's worse than Deadpool & Wolverine

Additionally, it’s just as likely to feature unexpected guest appearances similar to Deadpool and Wolverine, but unlike some Marvel films, it doesn’t rely on the use of digital resurrection for these cameos.

Not long after their arrival during the Renaissance period, the team encounters a fragmented scientist named Rook, who closely resembles Ian Holm’s character Ash from Alien. Despite possibly going by another name, his appearance is strikingly familiar.

In 2020, Holm tragically passed away, but his presence on screen is a result of clever digital manipulation. For the likeness and voice, Holm himself was utilized as a reference, while British actor Daniel Betts delivered the facial and vocal performance.

In essence, what’s being said is that according to the storyline, it doesn’t violate the rules (canon). Ash, being a Hyperdyne Systems 120-A/2 synthetic, isn’t an unique case. Bishop in the movie Aliens mentions that the “A2s” (including Ash) tend to be somewhat erratic, indicating that Ash wasn’t the only one of his kind with such behavior.

It could be reasonable to ponder why Weyland-Yutani deployed another model A2 at one of their stations, given how disastrously Ash from the Nostromo mission turned out. Yet, it’s also plausible that all A2 models shared a likeness with Ash, and one of them was indeed assigned to the Renaissance.

Alien: Romulus has fan service that's worse than Deadpool & Wolverine

The question though is why did it have to be Ash? Yes, Ian Holm’s estate gave permission, but it raises the same ethical debate about whether movies should be able to digitally recreate actors, such as we had with Peter Cushing in Rogue One or Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

It’s plausible that Rook could have been a novel type of android. Unlike Bishop, who behaved like Ash in prioritizing the company over humans, Rook might have had similar allegiances. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he couldn’t have been another kind of synthetic with equally questionable intentions.

Similar to the reference in the “Aliens” film, the character Rook’s likeness to Ash is purely for fan appreciation. What makes it less enjoyable is that Rook doesn’t just appear briefly, but has a significant role in the movie. This means that if you could possibly set aside the issue if it were just a brief appearance, you’re consistently reminded of him and the questionable visual effects used to mimic Ash.

It’s rather curious and seemingly superfluous that the release of “Alien: Romulus” coincides with a heated discussion on the role of AI in the entertainment sector, doesn’t it?

As a devoted fan, I found that the overt references to the original “Alien: Romulus” sometimes hindered it from standing on its own. When you’re consistently reminded of the past, it becomes challenging to wholeheartedly immerse yourself in the current experience.

For more on Alien: Romulus, check out:

1. Is there a post-credits scene in Alien: Romulus?

Alien: Romulus is out now in cinemas.

2024-08-17 10:19