Romulus?

 I wrote a couple of blogs about Aliens.  

Revisting this because Nick and I just went to see Alien: Romulus.

The Frankenstein theme and ideology that ripples through our culture fascinates me.  I think Jurassic Park stated this well:  

Ahh.  Jeff Goldblum.

Sure, Jurassic Park, Terminator, and Aliens explore this driving passion: man creates a monster that can destroy him.

One of the wonderful ways that the Alien movies does this is in the dual monsters.  Certainly, and perhaps most obviously, man created the aliens (or develops them).  The aliens continue to become more demonic and more terrible, evolving into plagues that infect humans.

But the other monsters that the Alien movies use are the synthetics.  This is such a lovely tension: the synthetics in the movies have cloaked motives and desires, and in the most recent movies (Prometheus and Covenant), some synthetics are almost as monstrous and horrible as the aliens--of course, in much different ways.  The synthetics have incredible characters and tension.

Both the aliens and the synthetics are marvelous and amazing monsters, created by humans, yet the humans do not fully understand the potential devastation or destruction they cause.

The opening of Covenant was beautiful.  In about 2 1/2 minutes, we meet the two main characters, learn their relationship, understand the strange tension between them, and see no aliens.  

This opening is brilliant, lovely, and terrifying.  I probably could watch another 10 minutes of this.  I want more.

Now we get to Romulus.

Huh.

The opening in Romulus is quite strangely, none of these things.  Sure, no aliens.  The opening includes too many characters, too much artificial and unnecessary character development, and dark scenes with no beauty or cloaked tension.

Perhaps the most disappointing character is the synthetic, Andy.  Andy is simple, almost ridiculously so.  Some of the other characters tease him, and Andy appears hurt, but this does not quite make sense.  When the powerful lead woman (girl, doesn't hold a candle to Sigourney Weaver) reprograms Andy, his motives are still obvious--this does not lend to any real tension.  The other characters learn about his motives quickly.

I am keeping this very brief because I wish to focus on the incredible Frankenstonian theme.  This does not get old.  We continue to reuse this theme because, I believe, we fear this in our own lives and own world.  Whether we fear the power of AI taking over our world or the bureauchratic systems controlling our lives, this theme is just as poignant and applicable today.

And yes, I will watch any Alien movie.