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Alien: Romulus finally hit theatres last week on August 16, 2024, and finally brought the franchise back to the big screens in a huge way. The film, which is directed by Evil Dead and Don't Breathe fame Fede Alvarez, focuses on a group of space colonizers trying to salvage a derelict ship in the hopes of a better future, but find themselves face to face with the dangerous Xenomorph.
Warning: Spoilers for Alien: Romulus to follow
While Alien: Romulus was able to impress both critics and audiences with its thrills and practical effects, one aspect of it has left quite a sour taste in many fans' mouths. The film digitally resurrected the late Ian Holm to play the role of android Rook in the film, and many are less than impressed by it.
Ian Holm originally played the android Ash in Alien (1979) and was later brought back for this film through the use of puppetry and AI. However, fans have found Holms' likeness being used in the film after his death disrespectful with them claiming it to be a "theft" of the actor's face.
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"I won't be seeing the movie because of this. This is theft of someones face for a s****y audience moment. Ian Holm is dead, he cannot consent to this," said one fan.
"The extent to which they use Ian Holm's reanimated corpse in Alien: Romulus is truly appalling," said another fan.
On the other hand, fans also labeled involving Holm in the film as a "cheap pop".
"I don’t think a family or estate agreeing to an AI recreation of an actor in a film makes the decision any less creatively bankrupt. Ethics aside, it’s nothing but a cheap pop. You’re hitting the same pleasure center in the brain as a baby playing peekaboo," said a fan.
Fans were also quick to call out the technicalities of it as well saying that the CGI itself didn't live up to the mark.
"It’s distracting and absolutely unnecessary. Just have a different Android, literally no one would care," said a fan.
"It looked like a damn Snapchat filter, was my problem," said another fan.
On the other side, fans were also disappointed to see that Holm's recreation got more screen time than the Xenomorphs themselves. Some fans also wished for it to be a completely different character as well.
"CGI Ian Holm is horrendous & gets more screen time than the aliens," said a fan
Read more: Does Alien: Romulus have a post-credits scene? Explained
What role does Rook play in Alien: Romulus?
In Alien: Romulus, Rook was a part of the Romulus and Remus crew where they were experimenting on the Xenomorph who first caused havoc on Nostromo. However, the Xenomorph attacks back and kills the space station's crew tearing apart Rook's body in half and then dying himself as well. Rook is then brought back online by Rain and her crew and serves as the primary antagonist.
After being brought back online, it was revealed that Rook had been experimenting with the Xenomorph's DNA so that it could be used on humans to make them the perfect organism. However, his death eventually comes as the space station ends up crashing into the rings of a planet.
You can currently check out Alien: Romulus in theatres.
