BEWARE SPOILERS Alien: Romulus

ScoutingForToys · Dec 14, 2024

I've been trying to place Romulus in the hierarchy of the other movies.
It's not as good as Alien, Aliens or Alien 3. It's better than Resurrection in a lot of ways but I'm struggling to put it ahead of Resurrection just because Resurrection has its own identity. It stands alone and is distinct from all the other Alien movies.
It has a unique feel to it, for better or worse. It's quirky and memorable even if it has its problems. It took risks.
Romulus, even though it's better executed and is the better movie, just has so little character, is nowhere as unique or memorable.
If I had to watch either Resurrection or Romulus right now, despite Romulus being the better movie, I think I'd actually watch Resurrection. That film has some soul at least. Romulus was too busy with fan service and recycled lines.

Khev · Dec 14, 2024

ScoutingForToys said:
He knows what the weapon is called and how to use it in detail. I'm going to trust that the character knows it's used by the Colonial Marines.
I'm not going to assume the character is lying when there is no evidence of it and he clearly knows a lot about the weapon.

So in your mind every soldier in the entire Marine corps can only use one single rifle or the character is lying, despite that not aligning with how non-state of the art weapons and vehicles continue to be used alongside newer tech in our real life military today.

Okay, I think that's a strange hill to die on but clearly neither one of us is going to change the other's mind on the matter.

ScoutingForToys · Dec 14, 2024

Khev said:
So in your mind every soldier in the entire Marine corps can only use one single rifle or the character is lying, despite that not aligning with how non-state of the art weapons and vehicles continue to be used alongside newer tech in our real life military today.

Okay, I think that's a strange hill to die on but clearly neither one of us is going to change the other's mind on the matter.

Just going by what the character says Khev.
I'd hardly call this "dying on a hil". I don't care enough about this movie to do such a thing. Its not worth it. I was simply having a conversation.
You're going into hyper defend the movie mode as you do sometimes when talking about a movie you really like. You care about this movie a lot more than I do.
I'll leave you be.

Khev · Dec 14, 2024

ScoutingForToys said:
You're going into hyper defend the movie mode as you do sometimes when talking about a movie you really like.

Maybe so.

Let's say you're right and I'm hyper-defending. I'll try and walk it back and rephrase.

ScoutingForToys said:
Just going by what the character says Khev.

And I'm going by what you said he said. "This is the rifle the Marines use." (I assume that's word for word, I've seen the movie twice so don't know all these quotes--yet, lol.)

Translate that to present day. I tell a girl "This is the rifle the Marines use" referring to the current standard issue M27.

Well a quick search on "M27 loadouts" pulls up quite a few wildly different configurations:

https://www.twz.com/marine-recon-units-get-short-barrel-versions-of-the-hk-m27-rifle

Much like the standard M27, the Reconnaissance Weapons Kit uppers have standard accessory rails along the top, as well as on either side and the bottom of the fore-end, where users can attach optics, lasers, flashlights, and more. Examples have been seen fitted with EOTech EXPS3 holographic sights and AN/PEQ-16 flashlight/laser aiming modules, as can be seen in the picture below.

Still the same rifle (M27) but different barrel lengths, targeting (from laser to...holographic? I didn't know that was a thing, lol) and so on. Obviously a Marine using long barrel with fancy lasers or holograms is probably going to have an easier time hitting than someone using short barrel and iron sights.

So translate those options to a futuristic sci-fi film and some guns auto-targeting versus others dependent on the operator (and even in the 1986 film there were some using smartguns in the exact same unit as those without, not the same rifle in that case with those smartguns being much heavier but still, some Marines had the tech, some didn't) doesn't seem like a stretch to me.

Of course now that I googled all that I'm probably on 16 different "watch lists" so I'll leave it at that for now. :lol

ironwez20 · Dec 15, 2024

JAWS said:
Yeah I know. Heat exhaust.

But Ripley and 5 marines really struggled with two face huggers.

Two teens survived a room of them and they didn’t know they were there.

Teens were overpowered and Aliens underpowered

Also one of the aliens literally saved the main character from falling lol

Rotfish · Dec 15, 2024

ironwez20 said:
Also one of the aliens literally saved the main character from falling lol

I chalk up grabbing her instead of skewering her to the Alien wanting to bring her back for implantation. As for the amount of time it took to do anything once it grabbed her, eh, Hollywood plot armor. It's not a great thing, but it's far from breaking the film.

JAWS · Dec 15, 2024

ScoutingForToys said:
You're going into hyper defend the movie mode as you do sometimes when talking about a movie you really like.

Khev almost convinced me the The Last Jedi was good when he went into that mode :lol

JAWS · Dec 15, 2024

Rotfish said:
I chalk up grabbing her instead of skewering her to the Alien wanting to bring her back for implantation. As for the amount of time it took to do anything once it grabbed her, eh, Hollywood plot armor. It's not a great thing, but it's far from breaking the film.

That was not an issue for me at all. Much more believable than floating around and dodging acid.

JAWS · Dec 15, 2024

ScoutingForToys said:
I've been trying to place Romulus in the hierarchy of the other movies.
It's not as good as Alien, Aliens or Alien 3. It's better than Resurrection in a lot of ways but I'm struggling to put it ahead of Resurrection just because Resurrection has its own identity. It stands alone and is distinct from all the other Alien movies.
It has a unique feel to it, for better or worse. It's quirky and memorable even if it has its problems. It took risks.
Romulus, even though it's better executed and is the better movie, just has so little character, is nowhere as unique or memorable.
If I had to watch either Resurrection or Romulus right now, despite Romulus being the better movie, I think I'd actually watch Resurrection. That film has some soul at least. Romulus was too busy with fan service and recycled lines.

I was sure that I liked Resurrection more that Romulus the first time I saw the latter film. I mean Weaver is in Resurrection as a bad ass clone. That should be enough to make it the winner.

But I watched it again recently and its just overall awful. The look and feel of the film is just a turn off for me. It has moments but not enough of them. I hated the overly slimy alien designs in this one also.

I think Romulus will forever be lost to you because as an ALIEN film it's a failure. Just too many callbacks that take you out of the film and end up reminding us of much better films in the franchise.

As a Promethius Universe film it works (again I personally split these films up as two different film series) Like I stated before. I am convinced this was mostly a reworking of Ridleys original idea for the third Prequal film.
I'm positive Ash was supposed to be David. An evil melted at the waste David would have been much menacing that the Awful FX Ian Holmes that we got. The ending fits the Promethius Universe perfectly also and makes it more than just another call back scenes from one of the other films.

But you hate the Black goo. So its a loss either way for you.

abake · Dec 15, 2024

ScoutingForToys said:
I thought that originally but English ****** number 2 (forgot his characters name) tells Rain its the one the Colonial Marines use (in that scene he explains how the rifle works)

Forgot about that, but the possibility of not all CMs being issued those guns is still valid.

Rotfish · Dec 15, 2024

I still prefer Resurrection. May not be canon-worthy, but it's more original, more entertaining and more memorable all around IMO. Watched it again a few months ago during a bout of insomnia and found it quite cozy.

ironwez20 · Dec 15, 2024

Rotfish said:
I chalk up grabbing her instead of skewering her to the Alien wanting to bring her back for implantation. As for the amount of time it took to do anything once it grabbed her, eh, Hollywood plot armor. It's not a great thing, but it's far from breaking the film.

Yea still loved the movie but that felt very super hero ish lol. Like I was like “ wait is he a good one?”
Which would have been an interesting spin but yea def Hollywood plot armor. Still loved the movie regardless

ScoutingForToys · Dec 15, 2024

JAWS said:
I was sure that I liked Resurrection more that Romulus the first time I saw the latter film. I mean Weaver is in Resurrection as a bad ass clone. That should be enough to make it the winner.

But I watched it again recently and its just overall awful. The look and feel of the film is just a turn off for me. It has moments but not enough of them. I hated the overly slimy alien designs in this one also.

I think Romulus will forever be lost to you because as an ALIEN film it's a failure. Just too many callbacks that take you out of the film and end up reminding us of much better films in the franchise.

As a Promethius Universe film it works (again I personally split these films up as two different film series) Like I stated before. I am convinced this was mostly a reworking of Ridleys original idea for the third Prequal film.
I'm positive Ash was supposed to be David. An evil melted at the waste David would have been much menacing that the Awful FX Ian Holmes that we got. The ending fits the Promethius Universe perfectly also and makes it more than just another call back scenes from one of the other films.

But you hate the Black goo. So its a loss either way for you.

A bit like Covenant, which was better when it was it's own thing, exploring David etc vs the last 20 mins or so when it became a speedrun of Alien.
Hybrid creature aside, Romulus was weakest when it was just aping other Alien movies and speed running Aliens.

ScoutingForToys · Dec 15, 2024

abake said:
Forgot about that, but the possibility of not all CMs being issued those guns is still valid.

Yes I concede that point to you and Khev. It's a fair argument.

Rotfish said:
I still prefer Resurrection. May not be canon-worthy, but it's more original, more entertaining and more memorable all around IMO. Watched it again a few months ago during a bout of insomnia and found it quite cozy.

It's weird isn't it? I can look at them both on their own terms. Romulus is the better movie but Resurrection is so much it's own thing, as you say, so memorable.
I suppose Resurrection's strength is Romulus's weakness.

Khev · Dec 15, 2024

I can understand appreciating a "lesser" movie that feels like it has more of a unique identity. I know a lot of people feel that The Last Crusade is better than Temple of Doom but to me it's just a lesser Raiders so I much prefer the darker, pulpier, more unique TOD regardless of its flaws.

JAWS · Dec 15, 2024

Khev said:
I can understand appreciating a "lesser" movie that feels like it has more of a unique identity. I know a lot of people feel that The Last Crusade is better than Temple of Doom but to me it's just a lesser Raiders so I much prefer the darker, pulpier, more unique TOD regardless of its flaws.

I love TOD

Never ever understood the love of TLC

There are some that say it’s better than ROTLA let alone TOD

a-dev · Dec 15, 2024

Wor-Gar · Dec 15, 2024

JAWS said:
Never ever understood the love of TLC

There are some that say it’s better than ROTLA let alone TOD

Those people have daddy issues.

ironwez20 · Dec 15, 2024

We talking about Idiana jones? Sigh. BOOOORING! Guy with a whip and a hat. Aliens is way cooler! YEA!

Khev · Dec 15, 2024

Wor-Gar said:
Those people have daddy issues.

a-dev once told me that TLC really resonates with people who've slept with the same woman as their father, which is all well and good I suppose. The thing that threw me was that he said it in response to me asking if he was going to preorder the latest Iron Man figure, lol.

*BEWARE SPOILERS* Alien: Romulus

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BEWARE SPOILERS Alien: Romulus