S M G
S M G
-more-info-01.webp)
The Alien franchise has had a mixed history since those early classics. Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic “Alien” set the bar high – with a deliberate attempt to make space grimy and blue collar – everything was used and worn, and the protanogists were essentially like truck drivers in space. It was a reaction against the polished shiny worlds of Star Trek and 2001.
That first movie was the ‘horror’ genre, with one of the most memorable taglines of all time.. “In space.. no-one can hear you scream.” A ‘xenomorph’ gets on board the spacecraft “Nostromo” when the crew are asked by “The Company” ( the nefarious and capitalistic motives of the Weyland Yutani company trampling over the rights and importance of “the individual” is a common Alien franchise theme.) to investigate a distress call. There is only one survivor by the end of the movie – Ellen Ripley, who blows up the spacecraft “Nostromo” and makes off in hypersleep in an escape craft. Well, two survivors if you count the cat. That movie established most of the life cycle of the Alien, with the eggs opening to reveal face-huggers – the face-huggers attach to a host, and later die and come off. That host then later ejects a small creature with an elongated head, which then grows by successively shedding its body to reveal larger forms until fully grown.
-more-info-02.webp)
The second movie, Aliens (1986) marked James Cameron entry into the franchise, with the tag line “This time it’s war”. Ripley is found decades later, and while initially disbelieved when she tells her story of a creature with “acid for blood” which gestates inside a living being before erupting from their chest and quickly growing to lethal size, is then asked to return to the planet they had visited, as they have lost touch with colonists sent to terraform the planet. This movie is firmly in action movie genre, with Colonial Marines in full combat mode, and introduced the idea of “The Queen” Alien.
-more-info-03.webp)
Other sequels of variable quality followed, Alien3 (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997), before the franchise went off into Alien v Predator territory, and then more recently returned in Ridley Scott’s hands with some prequels which elaborated on the origins of the Alien, and the Weyland Yutani company. (Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017) )
This movie however, is set 20 years after the events of the first movie, and before Aliens. The link to the previous movie is a cocoon salvaged from the wreckage of the Nostromo after its destruction. The events take place on and near the LV-410 colony, with a new cast. A group of disenfranchised colonists hatch a plan to get away and make a better life for themselves, using cryostasis equipment they intend to steal from a company space station near the colony. However, when they reach the station, something catastrophic appears to have taken place on board. Is it linked to the retrieved Nostromo Cocoon? Well, take a wild guess.
-more-info-04.webp)
In March 2022 Fede Alvarez was announced as the director of this latest Alien movie. He quickly made it clear he wanted to honour the original movies, while creating links to all the existing movies. This meant that for the eagle eyed there are references and Easter eggs to each of the previous movies, but primarily Alien and Aliens, with even the ‘black goo’ from Prometheus and Covenant playing a role. He went as far as including some references and taking inspiration from the game Alien: Isolation (2014), which similarly took place on board a damaged space station. The cast are largely little known, echoing the feeling from the first movie, that there was ambiguity over who would survive and who would not. Satisfyingly, many of the effects are practical and cgi used more sparingly than in, for example, Alien 3 and Resurrection. Director Alvarez sought out the crew of Aliens to maximise the sense of design continuity for the practical effects. Both Ridley Scott and James Cameron were apparently consulted on final designs, and gave approval.
-more-info-05.webp)
Even the music, by Benjamin Wallfisch, uses direct lifts from Jerry Goldsmith’s Alien score and James Horner’s Aliens score, as well as Harry Gregson-Williams score from Prometheus, to create links to the franchise origins.
For a movie originally intended to go straight to streaming on Hulu, the movie performed well at the box office, with marketing leaning heavily into the legacy of the franchise.
-more-info-06.webp)
-more-info-07.webp)
Critics were almost all positive, praising the claustrophobic feel and ‘striking visuals’, with star Cailee Spaeny seen as giving a laudable performance. The return to the franchise roots was seen as a positive step, making this regarded as one of the best sequels in the franchise. There were on the other hand, two divisive elements to the movie, one – the cgi reworking of a legacy character from the original Alien, and two - the final act of the movie which has a design element for the alien somewhat reminiscent of some of the low points of the franchise.
So were the critics right, and this is a satisfyingly modern take honouring the 70’s and 80’s aesthetic, or is a rehash of best bits from other movies just going to make you wish you were watching the originals?
There’s only one way to be sure – watch it for yourself on the biggest screen you can, turn up the volume, and make up your own mind!
-more-info-08.webp)
© Stephen's Movie Guide
Inverurie Website Design