Alien: Romulus First Reactions Aren't Holding Back

The "Alien" movie saga has had its ups and downs. While entries like "Alien: Covenant" and "Prometheus" have received their share of moderately positive attention, the first two movies remain the franchise's brightest gems. Fans of Xenomorph horror would no doubt love to see the first brilliant entry in the series since 1986's "Aliens." Unfortunately, it's still unclear whether that fine day is looming on the horizon. The first reactions to Fede Álvarez's upcoming "Alien" movie are now here — and while many are positive, there's enough division that it remains to be seen whether "Alien: Romulus" will blow you away.

Some critics suggest that while the movie has plenty of merit on the horror and inventiveness front, it plays things a bit safe on occasion. "ALIEN: ROMULUS isn't trying to reinvent the wheel. Rather, Fede Álvarez puts his f***** up spin on a classic horror story with some truly marvelous visual storytelling. It's too nostalgic at times, but Fede has proved his worth for a trilogy," Andrew J. Salazar of Discussing Film wrote on X, previously known as Twitter. Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons also praised the film's most creative visuals while finding the nostalgia moments underwhelming. "Strong lead turns from Spaeney and Jonsson teams with welcome tactility throughout, but far too many homages and callbacks so it never truly forges its own identity. Solid watch overall," he wrote.

It appears that the film's penchant for tipping the hat to its predecessors can be a deal breaker for some. "ALIEN: ROMULUS is mostly a gratuitous nostalgia play, remixing what came before with some occasionally strong thrills, but in a franchise famous for its psychosexual weirdness, it's the safest, blandest and most vapid the series has ever been. I did not love it," Brendan Hodges of Next Best Picture tweeted.

Those were the bad news for prospective "Alien: Romulus" fans who loved the trailer. The good news is that several critics loved the way "Alien: Romulus" pays homage to the past while exploring new directions. 

"Innovatively delivering smart, savvy stuff, subtly playing the greatest hits. Cailee Spaeny & David Jonsson dominate. This rules!" Courtney Howard of Variety and The A.V. Club tweeted.  "#AlienRomulus is a bonkers roller coaster ride through the previous six Alien movies, using bits of all them, to tell a focused, mostly standalone story filled with glorious gore & scares. It gets better as it goes along, ending with a phenomenal big swing of a third act," Germain Lussier of Io9 and Gizmodo wrote. Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue had nothing but praise for the movie and the horrors it brings. "#AlienRomulus is the first time I have been terrified during one of the Alien movies. Cailee Spaeny's Rain is a perfect character to follow on this journey and through Fede Álvarez's twists and turns, you never really know where Romulus is headed. The 3rd act is truly WILD. I dig it." 

Lussier and Leishman weren't the only ones to highlight the movie's third act. Film critic Nikko Caruso, MovieWeb's Richard Fink, and The Direct's Russ Milheim are just a few of the others who have praised "Alien: Romulus'" endgame for its inventive horror. As a flipside to the stunning finale, however, Tessa Smith of Mama's Geeky loved the movie but noted that it takes its sweet time before the horror and the action to truly begin. Still, all in all, it seems that even the wariest fans of the franchise may want to see what horrors "Alien: Romulus" and its endgame hide.