The film Alien: Romulus has been a resounding success, captivating both critics and fans alike, and its impressive box office haul of $350 million has already set the stage for a sequel. However, one aspect of the movie that drew widespread criticism was the CGI used to bring back the late Ian Holm, who had played the iconic android Ash in the original Alien film. The CGI representation of Holm in Alien: Romulus was widely criticized for being distracting and unrealistic, to the extent that a popular fan-edit completely removed his character from the narrative.
Director Fede Alvarez acknowledged the issue in an interview with Empire, stating, “We just ran out of time in post-production to get it right. I wasn’t 100% happy with some of the shots, where you could feel a bit more the CG intervention. So, for people that react negatively, I don’t blame them.” Responding to the backlash, Alvarez made significant changes for the home release, explaining, “We fixed it. We made it better for the release right now. I convinced the studio we need to spend the money and make sure we give the companies that were involved in making it the proper time to finish it and do it right. It’s so much better.”
For the home release, the approach shifted more towards practical puppet work to depict Holm, rather than relying heavily on CGI. However, despite these efforts, fans remain divided on whether the changes represent a substantial improvement. On platforms like Reddit, reactions have been mixed. User Kwtwo1983 remarked, “Better, but still awfully uncanny… and for no sound reason,” while thelastcupoftea suggested, “Should’ve messed his face up much more.” Smug_amoeba commented, “Still such a needless and distracting part of the movie…” and Worried_Bowl_9489 observed, “Both look bad and one is a bit darker lol.”
The comparisons between the theatrical and home release versions show a more subtle use of CGI, with the focus being more on the practical elements. However, some fans, like TheUrPigeon, remain critical of the decision to bring back Holm at all, saying, “Let's be real, it's still awful and garish to resurrect a dead man so needlessly. They can only improve upon it so much because the initial effort was so poor.”
Despite the controversy over the CGI, Alien: Romulus successfully revitalized the franchise, and 20th Century Studios has announced plans for a sequel, tentatively titled Alien: Romulus 2, with Fede Alvarez potentially returning to direct.
The Alien Movies in Chronological Order
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