Alien: Romulus

Whilst not as awful as the Aliens franchise films that came after the excellent first and second films, starring Sigourney Weaver, Alien Romulus is not without its shortcomings. Whats immediately noticeable, in spite of the rugged, industrial setting, is a cast that look like they just escaped from the set of Beverly Hills 90210. Youthful, fresh faced, physically unimposing, with not a grease stain or blemish in sight, they feel badly out of place. If you can put the sense of disbelief regarding the casting aside (I couldn't) the actual story fares only marginally better. It feels like a borrowed affair, where its taken aspects of the first two successful films and tried to craft a newer iteration. The results an alright, if at times, somewhat ridiculous story, punctuated by moments of compelling action. That said, haven't we seen it all before, in one form or another? In summary, miscasting combined with a story that blandly apes superior earlier films, leads to an "okay" watch that's fails to distinguish itself.If you are new to this franchise, my advice start with Alien from 1979 and then its plural successor Aliens, instead.