(film review) - Alien: Romulus

"Just when I think I'm out, they keep pulling me back in". There was a point when I felt that this franchise was done. Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, Prometheus and Alien Covenant. Not to mention Alien Vs Predator and Alien Vs Predator: Requiem. The last two were trash and the franchise (as a whole) has been slowly going downhill, just like the Predator franchise. So, it is interesting to have watched Prey when that came out (the last Predator movie) and it was excellent. So to have that franchise come with something strong and new, a new story, and if it could bring the franchise back like it did for the Predator franchise, maybe this new Alien: Romulus film could do the same, maybe. I am happy to say, in my opinion, yes...yes it has done the same because I loved it.

A bunch of young adults working on a mining planet for the Weyland-Yutani corporation decide that they want to leave the planet as they realise the work they are doing will have them stuck on the planet for the rest of their lives in a job that has already taken the lives of the people close to them. When they discover a nearby space station that could assist them in getting away, the gang travel to retrieve the assistance they need until they discover on board that death awaits them.

When I said the franchise is back, it is because I loved this movie. Obviously, film as a whole is subjective and you may not feel the same way, but I think I will need to see Prey again just to be sure of where I stand between the two movies, but overall, Prey may be the better relaunch of the franchise out of the both of them. This movie is very good in its own right and better than the tried and tested revival of the Prometheus storyline by the originator. Not to be disparaging against Ridley but I do believe he needs to go back to the well with his storylines and concepts regarding the Prometheus storyline.

As for this movie, I will start by saying, that while learning of another Alien film in this franchise could be met with groans and ramblings of how Hollywood does not have any new ideas etc, this is somewhat a fresh take as it is based on a younger group of people and although the film does not bring anything new per-say, I will go into the negatives first. The film does 3 things I could have done without or more of.

I could have done without the Android used (and you will know what I mean when you see it), as it looks a little weird. Practical effects may have served a better purpose than how they did it as the uncanny valley was a bit much for me although I did get used to it over time. Maybe the graphics were simply better in some places but considering puppetry or animatronics have been used in the past, why this was not used this time around is lost on me.

I could have also done without the "forced" line later in the film which simply felt like paying homage to a scene in a previous film but ironically comes after this movie in chronological order. This can be explained by referring to instances and incidents during the movie but it weirdly felt out of place and forced although it could have also been organic if done correctly. They should have done a tad bit more to make the expression/command more organic.

I could have done with more interactions between the characters leading up to the mission as I felt that, yes, it was established that they all knew each other and had worked together, but I think I needed a bit more from each character rather than surface-level stuff. I think the film tried to take cues from Alien and Aliens (and it definitely did in more ways than one), but you know these characters are simply red shirts or at least most of them are, so let me care for them a little, some more character development. Other than these things, I felt the film was great

The pacing started off a little slow but when the action got going, it got going. The word terrifying does not even cut it. The Facehuggers move quickly as they scurry around. The height and force they jump to latch onto you is enough to push you back and knock you off of your feet. They felt more vicious this time around. The "graphic" imagery of how intrusive these aliens are when they shove that long thing they have down your throat is just disgusting. The Xenomorph has always been a thing of nightmares, but how they hide in the shadows and tuck into gaps and blend in with the pipes and wires seamlessly or when they drop silently or appear behind you is simply a classic trait at this point, especially seeing the mouth inside of the mouth. If that shot is not in an Alien movie, it is not an Alien movie. Lastly, the film has a 4th act. Most films are of a 3 act structure, but just when you think the film is about to end, BOOM the 4th act comes in and knocks you back into a sense of uneasiness. You could argue that the 4th act was unnecessary, but it tied up a story thread you would have only been thinking about at the end of the movie.

The music is great. The sound effects are superb. Hopefully, it is not a spoiler to say that there are guns in this movie and it sounds just like the guns in the movie Aliens. The acting was top-notch. Although the main character was great and some of the supporting actors, the standout was David Jonnson. David has a bigger and meatier role than the others in the movie, where saying he is a complex person is an understatement, but David absolutely kills the role.

All in all, this movie was definitely an hommage to Alien and Aliens and although some things could have been left out and some things could have been added in, this movie helps to tie in both the original quadilogy and the Prometheus storylines in a palatable way without leaping too far with extreme ideas. Yes, the first complaint I had could have simply been someone else but it does connect the universe just that bit more and it would have been nice to maybe have more characters or more character development, but all-in-all, it a claustrophobic experience and very enjoyable movie especially if you are a fan of the franchise like me.

(film review) - Blink Twice

I first heard of this film via a trailer which is very unlike me. That is not to say I know everything going on in Hollywood and the movies due out, but I do hear a fair amount of rumours quite a bit and films that have been stuck in development hell for years upon years, like The Crow for example, but Blink Twice came out of nowhere and when I found out it was directed by Zoë Kravitz, I was intrigued. I think I first saw Zoë in X-Men: First Class and I last saw her in 'The Batman'. In between that, it was Mad Max: Fury Road, so I had no idea she wanted to direct, so I found this refreshing. It is nice to have an actor turn director. Michael B. Jordan did it with Creed III, Daniel Kaluuya did it with 'The Kitchen' and Ben Affleck is also known for his great directorial work, so hopefully, Zoë has picked up and learnt a few things to become a decent to maybe even great director, only the film would tell, right? While I would not say this film is a masterpiece, but damn, it was a perfect, well-shot but triggering watch.

Frida (Naomi Ackie) is a waitress with her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) and they are both invited to a former Tech CEO, Slater King's (Channing Tatum) private island. On the trip to the island, Frida and Jess meet Slater's bodyguard and work colleagues along with other friends or known media personalities who are travelling to the island for fun. Once on the island, whilst beautiful, carefree and remote, Frida starts to realise something is incredibly off with the trip, the island, the workers on the island and the hospitality. Frida must try to work out what is going on, and how to stop it and leave the island.

This film is really good. The writing is great, the acting is great, the plot is great. The music compliments the film although near the beginning I felt we had two back-to-back tracks that made me feel like I was watching a music channel. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts did something similar where I was taken out of the movie a little, due to the music choice and volume, but once the movie gets into gear, it's fine. I also felt the movie started off a little slow and I was a little unsure of what was happening at the very beginning. Maybe I missed it, but who is Frida and why should we care about her and what she is doing, going on in her life or about to do? But I realised that the film is more about what is going on, regardless of where Frida has been or her plans in life. Nothing much in the film is given but it does start to piece together.

I first noticed Naomi in a Star Wars movie (Rise of Skywalker), but for a moment in the movie, I kept saying to myself, isn't she playing Whitney Houston? But after the first few moments, I watched how Naomi commands the screen. She does a little eye acting and she plays her character really well, a fun jovial, carefree woman who wants something and to experience something different, but someone who also knows what she wants when she gets it, which leads me onto the character dynamics. All the characters rift off one another in a great way and everyone played their parts well as previously stated. It seems as though all the actors had fun making this movie as they were all engaging, which also leads into the story element of it all. Without going into spoilers, there is some unnecessary tension on the island which is resolved by the end of the movie but by this point, the entire story and events have changed gears to something more sinister. I really enjoyed this movie but it is triggering. Zoë did a great job with telling this story, the shots and the visuals, the dialogue, the execution, it was all very well done. I think I would have cleaned up the beginning a little by having a few more minutes centred around Frida Nd Jess, but other than that, I really enjoyed the movie.

(trailer review) - The Last of Us: Season 2

 

It's here, it's here! I am a gamer or at least I try to play games when I can find the time these days but I had always heard about the game, 'The Last of Us'. I heard it was really good and it always intrigued me to want to play it as I love single player games. Because I did not have a PlayStation and I had an Xbox (game exclusivity and stuff), I was unable to play the game when it came out. Eventually I got myself a PlayStaion 5 which led me to the remastered copy of the game and to say I was blown away by the game is an understatement. The game came out in 2013 and I purchased the second remastered copy and played it in 2023 after watching the first season of The Last of Us. Although I really enjoyed the show, I was a little conflicted. I wanted to play the game before watching the show and many friends told me that I should have played the game first, but watching the show, for me anyway, helped me understand the areas in the game they could not flesh out because although the game is very cinematic, those elements or storylines could only work in a game (because you are playing it and it needs to be submersible and engaging/challenging) and not a TV show and vice-verser. Needless to say, having played The Last of Us part one (And now I have to try and play part 2 before this season comes out, maybe), and really enjoying it along with season 1 of this show, I am really enjoying what this is, the story and characters. I am really looking forward to watching the second season.

There were brilliant characters and storytelling in the first season and the show opened my eyes to things I was yet to see and some things I had not seen in the game when I eventually played it. There are some creative choices made, by adding and removing elements from the game. The delved deeper into particular characters and their life as well as added a storyline from downloadable content from the game which was not included into the main game, so watching that helped flesh out the characters more, like how the downloadable content would have. Joel, doing what he did does in fact cause a rift between himself and Ellie (something you see starting to play out in the game) and it will be very interesting to see where the story goes from here considering. So, again, I am not sure which will come first, me playing The Last of Us part 2 or the show but seeing the introduction of other characters which are known to appear in part 2 of the game and now season 2, will be very interesting in terms of the dynamics between the characters and the storyline going forward, especially when something significant happens in the story. Knowing some of the information is a bit of a spoiler for me but I honestly do not mind as the game was incredible and the show was also incredible, so I am simply wondering how the show may different, narratively from the game. I am pretty sure the show has won awards, right? Do I play the game this time around or watch then play the game? Whatever I do, I need to get on it!