鈥淚n space, no one can hear you scream,鈥� went the tagline for the original 鈥淎lien鈥� in 1979, a terrifying thought on multiple levels.
There may indeed be a scientific rationale for a space scream to be inaudible, but isn't it scarier to simply realize nobody鈥檚 around to hear you? That was the case for Sigourney Weaver鈥檚 Ripley, once she became the last one standing against the fearsome Xenomorph. Nobody could hear her scream 鈥� nobody human, that is 鈥� because, duh, everyone was dead.
In any case, hearing won鈥檛 be a problem here on Earth at any multiplex showing the much-anticipated new installment to the 鈥淎lien鈥� franchise (not a sequel, but we鈥檒l get to that in a minute.) This is a very big, very (very!) loud, very jumpy horror flick, and the screams will come, and they鈥檒l be audible. Which is precisely what 鈥淎lien鈥� fans are surely waiting for.
And speaking of Ripley, no, neither she (nor Weaver) are present in this new version by closer in feel to the horror roots of Ridley Scott鈥檚 original than James Cameron鈥檚 more action-focused 1986 鈥淎liens.鈥� But now we have Rain Carradine, played by rising star Cailee Spaeny (鈥淧riscilla鈥�), a new-generation Ripley in everything but name. Spaeny takes up the mantle of badass space fighter with aplomb, and is easily the best part of a movie that, like the 1979 original, is short on character development.
There are many other parallels (and winking nods) to the original (Scott is a co-producer here). But like we said, don鈥檛 call it a sequel. In fact it鈥檚 an 鈥渋nterquel,鈥� which wouldn鈥檛 be a bad horror film title in itself. The dictionary explains that it鈥檚 neither sequel nor prequel, but rather a 鈥渕iddlequel鈥� between installments, known as 鈥渜uels.鈥�
Just kidding! It鈥檚 not in the dictionary. But it鈥檚 worth noting that 脕lvarez, in placing his movie between existing versions to form a new trilogy, yet aiming also for standalone entertainment, risks some tonal confusion. Not that you鈥檒l be able to hear your thoughts, should this occur to you.
The premise is new, sort of. 脕lvarez, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rodo Sayagues, has said he got the idea from a deleted scene from Cameron鈥檚 film, in which young kids were seen amongst workers in a mining colony, and wondering what their lives would be like when they reached their 20s.
At the beginning, we find out: life is bleak indeed in the colony on Jackson鈥檚 Star, owned by the worker-exploiting Weyland-Yutani firm.
Rain鈥檚 miner parents have died of lung ailments. They鈥檝e left her a caring brother, Andy, who is actually a 鈥渟ynthetic,鈥� or humanoid robot. The 鈥渉uman鈥� element is crucial because it allows an empathetic David Jonsson, in the role, to connect to the audience in a way that otherwise only Spaeny does 鈥� the rest of the cast is given virtually nothing to work with.
In any case, the two are not long for Jackson鈥檚 Star. After Rain is turned down for a travel permit to finally escape dark colony life, she and Andy join a risky venture.
There鈥檚 an (apparently) decommissioned space station hovering above, and if they can raid it of hardware and other loot, they can bypass the brutal wait for permits and finally make it to a new home. And so, reluctantly, the two agree to join the others 鈥� Rain鈥檚 ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux), his sister Kay (Isabela Merced), Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and Navarro (Aileen Wu) 鈥� on a bumpy flight to the Renaissance station.
Surely we鈥檙e not spoiling much to say that it鈥檚 best not to get attached to anybody.
Because, we all know what鈥檚 waiting up there, don鈥檛 we? It鈥檚 already been teased in the opening, with the rickety old station looking much like USCSS Nostromo, that ill-fated space tug in the original.
We hardly needed the hint, though. This is an 鈥淎lien鈥� movie and it鈥檚 all about the Xenomorph, that terrifying creature who is diabolically 鈥減erfect,鈥� able to survive in any atmosphere and to multiply, obviously, in the most disgusting of ways.
It鈥檚 not really a party 鈥� or a movie 鈥� until the creatures show up. And that, they do. Much has been made of this film鈥檚 rather than a CGI-created universe. The actors have said this 鈥� as well as shooting in a linear fashion 鈥� helped them feel the genuine horror needed for their portrayals.
Does all this elevate the film beyond any of its predecessors? Like so many franchises that depend on intense fandom, that truly depends from what vantage point you're joining in. Fans of the original will appreciate the many respectful echoes of that film (and perhaps the fact that, thank the lord, there's no longer a gratuitous skimpy panty scene.) Fans of Cameron鈥檚 take will appreciate the action that comes later in the film.
And while some will applaud the wild, outlandish, creative and possibly ridiculous swerve of those final minutes 鈥� not to spoil it 鈥� others may even laugh rather than scream.
It's all good, though. In space, probably no one can hear you laugh, either.
鈥淎lien: Romulus,鈥� a 20th-Century Studios release, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association 鈥渇or bloody violent content and language. 鈥� Running time: 119 minutes. Two stars out of four.
Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press
