Alien: Romulus’ Unique Approach Breaks the Cycle of Past Mistakes

While Alien: Romulus has the potential to repeat the mistakes of past franchise entries, it has managed to steer clear of a particular narrative flaw that plagued previous sequels. The Alien series has a convoluted and tangled chronology, with the first three films following the story of Ellen Ripley as she battles the Xenomorph threat. However, Alien 3's ending, in which Ripley sacrifices herself to eliminate the aliens, added a layer of complexity to the storyline.

Alien: Resurrection in 1997 introduced a cloned Ripley in the future, while Alien Vs Predator in 2004 delved into the series' past. Prometheus in 2012 offered yet another backstory, which was further expanded upon in Alien Covenant in 2017. With such a tangled web of narratives, it would be understandable if Alien: Romulus struggled to pick up where its predecessors left off. Fortunately, director Fede Alvarez has a solution. Cailee Spaeny, a star of the film, revealed that Alien: Romulus takes place between Alien and Aliens, allowing it to sidestep potential pitfalls.

Alien: Romulus Doesn’t Have To Explain Weyland-Yutani

The Weyland-Yutani Corporation’s history isn’t relevant in Alien: Romulus

Weyland from Prometheus. - The Weyland-Yutani Corporation’s history isn’t relevant in Alien: Romulus - Alien: Romulus Doesn’t Have To Explain Weyland-Yutani

Alien: Romulus, set between Alien and Aliens, does not delve into Weyland-Yutani's backstory. This decision is a positive one, as the previous Alien films were hindered by attempts to unravel the corporation's complicated origins. In Alien: Romulus, Weyland-Yutani already exists, and as the story concludes before Aliens begins, viewers are aware that the company will persist beyond the film's events. This approach allows Alien: Romulus to focus on delivering scares, thrills, and claustrophobic horror moments without getting bogged down in corporate history explanations.

The Alien Franchise Has Struggled With Weyland Industries

Conversely, focusing solely on gory horror could lead Alien: Romulus to repeat the franchise’s biggest mistake by offering an unnecessarily bleak, character-light outing akin to Alien 3. However, this would still be better than what two later franchise outings did when they tried to highlight the history of Weyland-Yutani. Both Alien V Predator and Prometheus provided totally contradictory backstories for Weyland Industries and its founder, but neither version of the corporation's origins added anything to their respective movies. Instead, these additions resulted in both movies getting bogged down by unnecessarily complicated plots with too many superfluous characters.

Prometheus and Alien Vs Predator couldn't make the corporation interesting

Alien xenomorph on a blue background - Prometheus and Alien Vs Predator couldn't make the corporation interesting - The Alien Franchise Has Struggled With Weyland Industries

Alien Vs Predator and Prometheus failed to effectively delve into the history of Weyland Industries, a background element in the original movies. In both Alien and Aliens, Weyland-Yutani is portrayed as a deceitful and unethical corporation willing to sacrifice its employees for profit, as highlighted in Ripley's iconic line in Aliens. However, the unlikable founders of the company in Alien Vs Predator and Prometheus added little substance to the storyline.

Alien: Romulus should take a page from Alien and Aliens and focus on a new, unique storyline rather than revisiting the overpowered corporate executive trope seen in previous films.

The upcoming Alien movie must keep the corporation in the background

Sigourney Weaver's Ripley wielding a big gun in Aliens - The upcoming Alien movie must keep the corporation in the background - Alien: Romulus Needs One Trick From Alien and Aliens

Treating Weyland-Yutani as untrustworthy and shadowy, yet too powerful to be confronted, proved to be a wise choice for the films Alien and Aliens. The Alien franchise already boasts a formidable villain in the form of the Xenomorph, making the presence of a human antagonist unnecessary. By relegating Weyland-Yutani to the background while still acknowledging their influence, the early movies were able to effectively critique corporate greed and corruption without detracting from the main focus on the alien threat.

Alien: Romulus, set chronologically between Alien and Aliens, holds promise in approaching Weyland-Yutani in a similar manner to its predecessors. The straightforward and contained style of Alvarez's previous works, such as Evil Dead 2013 and Don't Breathe, suggests that Alien: Romulus may follow suit. The success of these films was attributed to their limited settings, small casts, and uncomplicated narratives, characteristics that could enhance the upcoming installment. By adhering to this formula, Alien: Romulus can avoid the pitfalls that diminished the fear factor in previous entries of the franchise.

Editor's P/S:

The article provides a thought-provoking analysis of the Alien franchise, highlighting the challenges it has faced in maintaining a coherent narrative while introducing new elements to the story. It acknowledges the convoluted chronology and the complexities introduced by subsequent sequels, emphasizing the risk of Alien: Romulus falling into the same traps. However, the article also expresses optimism based on the approach taken by director Fede Alvarez, who has chosen to set the film between Alien and Aliens, sidestepping the potential pitfalls of explaining Weyland-Yutani's backstory.

The article effectively demonstrates how focusing on corporate history has hindered previous Alien films, leading to unnecessarily complicated plots and superfluous characters. It argues that Alien: Romulus should instead prioritize delivering scares, thrills, and claustrophobic horror moments, while keeping the corporation in the background as a shadowy and untrustworthy entity. By doing so, the film can avoid the mistakes of its predecessors and focus on its core strengths, making it a more promising addition to the franchise.