I found Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus to be a solid addition to the franchise. Finally, after years of waiting, a competent director has produced an Alien film worthy of its namesake, which sits comfortably below Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens. It gets better with each viewing.
Oddly enough, despite mostly glowing reviews from critics, fans appear divided over the sequel/prequel, with many calling out the numerous callbacks to previous films. Specifically, the inclusion of a CGI’d Ian Holm as an Ash-like robot named Rook, combined with the recycling of classic lines like “Get away from her, you bitch!” uttered by David Jonsson’s synthetic Andy during a climactic moment, has drawn criticism.
Make no mistake: modern cinema has made millions off of audience nostalgia. The question is: when does fan service go too far? And is Alien: Romulus doomed to follow other “requels” into oblivion?
The Requel
In 2015, Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens kickstarted the “requel” craze by presenting sequels to Jurassic Park and Star Wars that functioned as soft reboots. Studios flocked to the concept like sharks to chum, producing lazy, beat-for-beat followups to long-dormant franchises drenched in a thick coat of fan service that glossed over their hollow design.
Sometimes, a novelty like Top Gun: Maverick, Creed, or Spider-Man: No Way Home slips through the cracks and adds fascinating wrinkles to their franchise’s legacy. In most cases, however, the slavish devotion to a beloved property weighs down a product, preventing it from truly taking flight. Ghostbusters: Afterlife, for example, dutifully delivered a loving tribute to Ivan Reitman’s classic Ghostbusters, stuffed with not-so-subtle callbacks that undermined the newer characters. Every time Afterlife threatens to set sail on a new path, the film smacks audiences over the head with another hackneyed Easter Egg that reminds you of better times long ago.
The belated fourth chapter of The Matrix, aptly titled The Matrix Resurrections, took a cheeky, meta approach by poking fun at the idea of a “requel” while still fully embracing it. Audiences shrugged off the sluggish effort. If the creators don’t care, why should we?
Twisters, on the other hand, went to great lengths to distance itself from Jan De Bont’s 1996 Twister, resulting in the exciting dawn of a new franchise rather than a beat-for-beat account of an older model. I’m still shocked Helen Hunt didn’t play Daisy Edgar-Jones’ mother. Likewise, the television series Cobra Kai honors its source material but always seems to find unique ways to expand upon pre-established lore. Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep gleefully paid tribute to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining while building on that film’s legacy.
Fan service works in the right hands.
Of course, giving fans what they want is often the only way to revive a struggling franchise. Deadpool & Wolverine labors hard to satisfy the masses and delivers the goofy, action-heavy spectacle that propelled the Marvel brand to financial success. The result? Audiences turned up in droves and reinvigorated the ailing superhero genre. Deadpool & Wolverine will likely age faster than one of Deadpool’s snappy comebacks. For now, it works. At the very least, it earned enough money to finance a handful of new Marvel films.
Is it a creative success? Hell, no. D&W did its job. Nothing more, nothing less. Is that enough?
Alien: Romulus’ Use of Fan Service
That brings us back to Alien: Romulus, a film that, like Deadpool & Wolverine, never strays too far from the beaten path. Alvarez crafts a perfectly enjoyable crowd-pleaser that manages to sneak a few novel concepts into the formula, particularly in its wild third act.
Have we seen it all before? Yup. Where else can you take the Alien saga?
Romulus faced a difficult task: A) gauge audience interest in an age-old franchise, B) introduce Alien to newer audiences, and C) remind fans why they fell in love with the property. Considering the poor reaction to Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, not to mention those dreadful AvP pictures, Alien needed a jolt to entice audiences back into this strange future world. Alvarez largely fulfills this objective, producing a film that satisfies longtime devotees (like me!) and sets the stage for grander future adventures.
No, it does not reinvent the wheel, and yes, it occasionally leans too heavily on nostalgia, but this approach was necessary to steer the franchise back on track. So far, so good. Romulus has earned $225 million worldwide in two weeks against an $80M budget and should (with any luck) end its run with around $350-400M.
Coupled with Dan Trachtenberg’s equally successful Prey, fans can now look forward to another round of Alien/Predator sequels guided by people who genuinely love this universe.
Mission: accomplished?
Ultimately, fan service is a double-edged sword — it can reignite passion and draw audiences in, but it can also stifle creativity and prevent a series from evolving. For Alien: Romulus, the fan service works, but the longevity of this approach remains uncertain. As the franchise moves forward, it must balance honoring its legacy with exploring uncharted territory to truly thrive — otherwise, it risks drifting into the lonely vacuum of space with the other requels.
