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Alien: Romulus finally hit theaters on August 16, 2024. It is the first mainline Alien film in seven years. The latest installment is directed by Fede Alvarez and sees a young group of space colonizers who get on board a space station to salvage it. However, things immediately go south for them as they are met by the deadly Xenomorph.
Warning: Spoilers for the film to follow and the opinions mentioned here don't reflect the whole of Sportskeeda's.
In many ways, Alien: Romulus references the previous films in the franchise. From callbacks to direct plot points, it feels like the most connected Alien film yet. The 2024 installment connects to Ridley Scott's 1979 original film by bringing back the late actor Ian Holm through the use of CGI.
While Holm played the android Ash in the original film, in Romulus, his likeness portrays a different character by the name of Rook. However, the two characters share the same villainous motivations as they carry out missions for Weyland Utani, with Rook making sure that he would be able to complete his mission at all costs.
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What is Rook's mission in Alien: Romulus?
Alien: Romulus brings back the late Ian Holm through the use of CGI to use his likeness to portray Rook. In the film, Rook is the same model as Ash from the original Alien and is missing half its body due to a Xenomorph previously going on a rampage aboard the Romulus space station. However, his power is turned on back thanks to Rain and Andy.
Unfortunately, it is revealed that Rook has his own mission, and it is being carried out to further Weylan Utani's interests. In the movie, Weyland Utani is able to capture the wreckage of Nostromo and bring it onboard Romulus. They experiment on the Xenomorph that was let loose on Nostromo and try to reverse-engineer the alien themselves.
This also leads them to derive the 'black goo' from Prometheus, better known as the Prometheus strain in the film, which they are testing out on rats. Weyland Utani believes that the strain can be used to evolve humans into the perfect species and must be returned to the colony so that his mission can be completed.
The use of Ian Holm's likeness feels unecessary
The use of Ian Holm's likeness in the film does feel unnecessary and uncomfortable as well. Hollywood filmmakers tend to bring back actors who have passed away with the use of CGI. It does pose a greater conversation about how this type of digital necromancy feels inappropriate, especially considering the legacy and the life of actors themselves.
Even in the context of Alien: Romulus, Ian Holm's addition feels unnecessary. While it may help maintain the continuity of the first film, there have already been different actors who have portrayed synthetics in the franchise. As a matter of fact, bringing back Michael Fassbender to portray David would have been perfect, given he has a direct connection with the Prometheus strain as well.
Despite that, the film offers a good experience at the theaters for Alien fans. Starring Cailee Spaeny, Alien: Romulus is playing in cinemas right now.
