I've seen some people mentioning that Neil Blomkamp 'Alien 5' proposal [a direct sequel to Aliens bringing Ripley back] online recently and honestly I think it was better not being made, particularly due to Blomkamp's recent track record. But like many 'unmade' projects [like additional Lazenby+ Dalton Bond's or the 70's Dune film] it not being made means it's fans can say it was 'the best film you never saw' as there is no result to disappoint [similar to if Shane Black's 'The Predator was never made I can imagine given his track record people assuming that would have been great...unfortunately for everyone it was made!].
On the positive side of this, Creative Assembly has finally announced a direct sequel to Alien Isolation in response to the renewed interest this film has brought to the franchise. Richard better get that Isolation 1 playthrough finished in the next five years so he can start the next one.
I’d argue we are getting a sequel is because the renewed interest in the game is because its still really popular even 10 years on, the renewed interest has zero to do with Romulus😂
@@halomultiplayermoments The director of Romulus said Isolation was a big influence on the film and it does seem linked that a sequel to the game is announced shortly after the movie became a hit.
@medalion1390 I believe the director or creative director is said to be on the sequel. It could be a whole new team but if they put the proper care into it, it could be good.
Naturally - they now have the cast of Romulus to scan into the game and use as recognisable characters. If the sequel doesn't feature Andy the android I will be very surprised.
But here's the thing: the facehugger is on Kane's face for something like 17 hours if you go by Brett's estimate for repairs, and you feel the time pass cinematically. From the chestburster to the full alien is over 10 minutes in screen time, with several edits that make it feel longer. They've had time to construct weapons! I believe in the early script, they even find that it's gotten into the food stores, so it's had time to eat. In Romulus, it's 2 minutes from the time the slenderbebby cradle goes "byeee" into the floor before we see the adult form, and they look for it straght away. I know it's petty, but it shows a lack of care overall with this story, they're in such a rush to hit all the beats of all the previous films.
Yeah. Now we've got aliens being born and growing in a matter of minutes because they can't think of a way to construct a narrative where that happens more organically over time.
Its great to see you guys again. I appreciate the honest review of the movie. I personally enjoyed it even though it was derivative of the other Alien movies. It was kind of like the Force Awakens of the Alien movies to me, a lot of callbacks and nods to the previous movies but still a satisfying watch. If you guys get around to watching Megalopolis, I would love to hear your review on it. It was one of the most insane movies of the year.
I used to watch you guys on Oliver's channel years ago. Found you here quite by accident but I'm pleased to see you both alive and well. Merry Christmas!
Well, full disclosure: I really didn't like Prey, thought it was shit (unlike everyone else) but more than happy to add to algorithms. I enjoyed Romulus, but I intentionally watched the spoilers because I knew it would piss me off and still enjoyed it anyway. Apart from the Skype call when they were supposed to be quiet amongst the facehuggers. I enjoyed Prometheus and Elizabeth Shaw was equal as good to Ripley and then Ridley Scott just shat on everything that was good in that for Covenant. What I want to know is what people thought of The Substance! ❤ (Sorry, completely unrelated)
@@ValVerdeBroadcasting love you guys, love your content! I always value your opinions and it's always a joy to see a video pop up in the notifications. I look forward to your views about Terminator Zero.
Best review of Alien Romulus I've seen so far. I also liked the several massive assumptions that the characters made such as "if we make the heat in this room the same as us then these aliens, which we've never encountered before, won't see us". And "we can't open the door to the other crew member who's about to get killed. That's what the alien wants us to do, even though this is the first time we've ever seen it." And "they will see this gun as a threat and keep away, even though in Alien, Aliens and Alien3 it's established that they're afraid of fire not guns, plus I've done no research"
Thank you! Yes there's a lot of assumed knowledge amid the characters, probably with the assumption that they know we don't want to watch yet another group of characters figure out what we already know.
Yeah, it's also not true. Even at the same temperature, different things radiate and reflect heat differently. If you turn your heating up to body temperature, every person and stick of furniture will all be perfectly visible on a thermal imaging camera.
I went in expecting to hate it but I quite liked it, I had issues with a couple of things but I liked it overall. I've seen it three times now and have liked it more every time.
I have just begun to watch this and VAL VERDE BROADCASTING already receives a thumbs up from myself. You two are a prized quality voice on the ever overloaded UA-cam commentary/critical landscape on UA-cam. By the way, please review 'MEGALOPOLIS' by Mr. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA. Here's my review of 'MEGALOPOLIS': After watching that juvenile slop called 'DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE', 'MEGALOPOLIS' is an artistic revelation. Coppola catered to this vision for the last 25 years plus and it showed. It was bold, audacious and in some parts psychedelic. Yes, it was a long in certain sections but the overall creative arc was outstanding. Yes, it's not for the masses because sublimely it touches upon The Tower of Babel, Greed, Lust, Anarchy, Power and The Architecture of the Mind,...so believe me, not everyone is going to get into this movie. However, what Coppola and that cast and crew conveyed was that art, commerce, culture and creativity can be used to hopefully uplift and elevate the human mind and thinking and by creating and financing 'MEGALOPOIS' on his own, FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA has certainly done that. - James D. Watkins, artistic director of PHOENIX PRODUCTIONS.
3 things i would have changed at least. 1) instead of a deep fake looks like shit ian holmes, if they were going to include him then they could have done an anamtronic like they did with bishop in alien 3 2)Get rid of anything to do with the black goo. In the original alien bret and Dallas start beinf turned into eggs maybe build of that if your going to have the story about the original alien from the first film 3) If they were going to have the alien from the first film as the catalist then they could have done more with it such as have it be the big pissed off bad at the end which has mutated and looks grotesque ect. Overall as a huge alien fan i was disappointed not as disappointed as i was with the 2 prequels but still
I think if they took out all the Prometheus references, I could have been more satisfied with it. I'm far more forgiving in memberberries and even telling a similar story as the first with new characters if they're interesting characters and they do it in an interesting way.
I've been meaning to go and see this since it came out, just never got around to it.Looks like I'll wait for streaming. Can't be doing with fan service being shoved down my gob like a facehugger's "paynis".
Regarding the alien growth timeline in Alien, it does seem to grow ridiculously fast, but it happens off screen and we're not exactly sure how much time has passed. In this film things are actually happening in front of our eyes - that thing at the end is literally a baby and then minutes later it's 8 feet tall. The original film was beautifully made (the performances and dialogue are way ahead of what we get nowadays), so the gaps in logic are more easily ignored.
Did you notice how the idiot who had beef with Andy magically had no problem with fake Ash? Almost like the writers were morons who didn't realise that someone who hates one android for being an android, would also hate other androids...
Great review guys! A bit disappointed by this one. I couldn't help but feel that this was a greatest hits of the Alien franchise crammed into a 2 hour runtime. Harkening back to past Alien film One liners felt a little cumbersome to me at times. Despite these cons, props go to use of practical effects,set design, photography and the actor who portrayed Andy who gave an admirably different portrayal of an android. Love the channel and content!
Good to see you boys! Haven't seen Romulus yet and forgot it existed until this video popped up. I'll check it out but I really hate when hollywood graverobs performers, like you guys said just hire a living actor for the love of god. Hope you guys are doing well and really looking forward to checking out Richard and Marc's new project. Viva Val Verde!
Hi guys, always great to hear your opinion and it was worth the wait! For me in the ranking of poor Alien movies, it's nowhere near the first 3, but I did like it more than Prometheus and Covenant and put on par with Alien Resurrection, as it sits around there with me.
The problem with this patchwork quilt of other Alien films is that when you do an almost shot for shot remake of another scene it invites direct comparison and that doesn't end well for Romulus. There's a scene where 'the guy' (don't know his name) is showing Rain how to use the gun and it's obviously a remake of the Hicks/Ripley scene in Aliens but all it does is remind you how good the original scene was and how shit this one is. In Aliens Hicks shows Ripley how to use a powerful weapon and it shows he respects her, he sees her as more than just a civilian to be protected, he knows she's capable, brave and smart. When she demands to know how to use the grenade launcher that respect grows, she's someone who will do whatever it takes to win. From Ripley's POV she distrusts the marines who have been behaving like a heavily armed stag do in space up till then but the fact that this guy respects and trusts her enough to arm and teach her to use the weapons instill trust in her. There are also little glances and smirks that show the beginning of romantic interest between them both and it introduces the ammo count and grenade launcher weapon tech too. It's showing two characters respecting, trusting and falling for each other and introducing the weapons, it's doing a lot of work, Romulus just tells you the gun has auto-aim, there's no reason for it to be there. Added to that it just reminds you of how much on screen chemistry and charisma Weaver and Biehn brought to those roles, you deeply wanted them to make it out alive, in contrast to the apathy you feel for the Romulus characters.
So glad there's someone out there who actually agrees with my sentiments on "Alien Romulus". It's a paint by numbers exercise in vapidity, with a couple of stand out elements. Every time I voice my opinion on the film, I get a reaction of having pissed on someone's dog, for not liking it. I agree with all the points you guys made. With that, I just wanted to add that I love the content you guys put out; hilarious more than anything and just wanted to say, keep up the good work. 😎👍
I would have forgiven everything else in the movie if instead of Slender Man the "Act 4 surprise" had been the Big Chap. Would have been extremely easy to do - just have the other xenos in the movie be the downgraded dog, Neomorph, or Covenant style monsters, plus have Rook mention the Big Chap was stored after recovery instead of strung up like a Halloween decoration. Then right at the end, the survivors discover the Big Chap was inside one of the cryo tubes all along, and they've accidentally released him. Would have been an awesome ending, especially if they saved the practical effect slow reveal scene from the cocooned alien for the Big Chap instead.
I actually like the prequels and was a bit disappointed they weren't finished off but given Covenant underperformed I can see why they went for something else. Cailee Spaeny is certainly a rising star [she's part of the cast for 'Knives Out 3'] and David Jonsson was brilliant as Andy and I certainly liked it but it did feel a bit like an 'expanded universe' book they chose to film and I think I need to watch it again to make a full judgement. Given it's been pretty successful [making nearly $350 million on a $80 million budget] we'll certainly get another film although we'll have to see if it's a direct sequel to this or something else.
I just love that Big Chap is floating through space and is eventually picked up like a lost ten-pound note. 😂 Great review, lads. I agree with all your criticisms and yet I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Already pre-ordered my Blu-ray!
Excellent video guys, thanks. A gorgeous movie with very good central leads seemingly wasted on contrivance and constant, naïve homages to previous films. Certainly things to enjoy in it, the plot sadly not being one of them. Cheers!
Welcome back guys Totally agree this film was so disappointing , Aliens is one of my all time favorite movies too. And we didn’t get the awesome face hugger popcorn bucket in Uk😂 I do recommend the Penguin though - 3 episodes in so far and it’s brilliant. I think you boys will love it
I rather enjoyed, I’ll admit most of that is coming from the fact that the last 20+ years of Alien movies has been to put it lightly, complete shite, and hey it’s done really well & has seemingly revived the IP cause a sequel to Alien: Isolation is finally happening.
I think Fede Alvarez saying Romulus was inspired by Isolation certainly returned that game to prominence and I'm glad the Isolation sequel is finally happening.
@@jamesatkinsonja Yeah, regardless of your opinions of the film is, it’s good to see both the Alien & Predator franchises back in swing after years of mediocrity to garbage.
Great to see you both doing well. Were you deliberately going for the angel vs. demon split screen effect or was that just fate having a sense of humour? XD
I agree with everything you both said. Amazing sets, some excellent visuals, but ultimately disappointing. Alien isolation sequel, though, can't wait for that. 😊
Thanks Richard and Duncan, great to see your handsome faces. I saw this on a Saturday morning in a cinema with 4 other people in attendance. I did enjoy it despite it being such an heavily compromised script. Your example of the goo being mandated by Ridley-Diddley was the first thing that came to my mind when it appeared on screen, and having Ian Holm there was awful, they should’ve gone with Martin Freeman as a different Android instead.
Newborn wins easily due to being the son of Ripley and an Alien Queen. He can pilot a powerloader, duct tape weapons together, and even resist the charms of Winona Ryder.
IMO, they have never been able to make a great film in this franchise since Aliens! From the "just OK" (Aliens Resurrection and AVP), to "less than impressive" (Prometheus), to total garbage (Alien3, AVP: R, and Covenant) has been the norm since the early 1990s; Romulus falls into the latter category as I didn't even consider it a letdown, but it was another movie in the franchise that lacked the same magic from the 1979 and 1986 movies. Maybe they need to at least give the Xenomorphs a 10 year break or retire them all together - I would prefer those options over the dumpster fires they've been releasing.
I still think you're beautiful, Richard. Like a beautiful butterfly... But yeah, thought the film was mid. Which is the worst place to be on my list 'o' opinions. At least Prometheus was funny.
With smart enough writing and direction I think you can get away with it, but in this one they disposed with the tension in favour of having a whole hive of the creatures being gunned down with a pulse rifle.
Hi lads, I too found it to be an underwhelming watch. The constant callbacks were incredibly distracting. The Ian Holm droid was unnecessary, it could have been anyone (it could have been a working Joe, that might have been cool). Having him repeat the exact same lines as those in Alien just made me roll my eyes. A pity because, as you highlighted; it looked great and Alvarez is a very competent director. A real missed opportunity.
Bloody hilarious title. Honestly I thought Romulus was 💩💩💩💩 I’m glad you guys are not afraid of calling out Ridley. I personally think he is massively overrated. You guys make me pee myself laughing, good to see you back. This is Ben Gibbons btw, new channel 😂
Romulus is a well made film but is basically a mix tape of Alien iconography from across the franchise. With the exception of a new stage in the Alien’s lifecycle nothing new was added to the mythology, therefore landing as another pointless studio endeavour, just like Prey imho.
@@ValVerdeBroadcasting I enjoy Alien 3 (the assembly cut) but the things I like best about that movie is the stuff between the prisoners, their hopelessness, and their religious beliefs and hope for redemption and the utter despair that permeates the film. I like aspects of Prometheus, some of the themes such as the desire to live forever, to learn our place in the universe, a spiritual need to seek a larger purpose and connection to a higher power. In Romulus I was intrigued by the idea of this corporation screwing over the young woman by extending her time on the planet and arbitrarily sending her to the mines. But none of those things is what most people look for in an Alien movie. The problem is that there is nothing left to say about Alien. Cameron added onto what Ridley had started, but since then we’ve been spinning our wheels. At this point what is there left to say or do with these franchises? (Terminator/Alien/Predator)
ALSO, I wish to know if VAL VERDE BROADCASTING would be willing to accept paying short ads on your channel. Mr. Duncan once before stated it wouldn't be artistically ethical to take payment in leu of reviewing independent film or videos, which I understand, but would your channel be interested in receiving short paid ads on your channel? For an example, I have a short video-movie called 'THE GENIUS & THE DARKNESS: NIKOLA TESLA vs. ALEISTER CROWLEY' that I would wish to start promoting in late December 2024. Let me know..... - James D. Watkins, artistic director of PHOENIX PRODUCTIONS.
Hiya James - I dunno about paid ads. I suppose you could sponsor an episode or something, but that's not necessarily necessary. We'd be happy to chat about how we can help support your film. We pride ourselves on sharing the perspective of filmmakers who are 'in the trenches' so let's have a chat! valverdebroadcasting@gmail.com 👍 P.S. Wasn't Aleister Crowley the sex magic guy?? 😳
@@ValVerdeBroadcasting Yes, Mr. Duncan and he is notoriously evil and he's even respected by JAY-Z and even OZZY OSBORNE wrote a song about him called- DEAR MR. CROWLEY and the concept is he is trying to plunge the world into complete chaos and darkness and the only person who can save us is none other than NIKOLA TESLA because TESLA wants to bring light to the world(just like he did in real life by developing Alternate Current). It's an imaginary concept told through drawings, graphics and voice overs. I could certainly do a paid sponsorship that would be totally unbiased. You deserve to get paid just like others who bring something to the table. I will email you the video-teaser and the short feature. And if not, no problem, you and Richard have a quality platform. - J.D. Watkins
@ValVerdeBroadcasting I always thought I couldn't pull off wearing a diver on my small wrists, so I never really looked at the 58. It was by chance I saw the 54 in a store window and was so drawn to it that I went inside to try it on. Once it was on, it was an immediate purchase. The smaller dimensions and vintage callbacks tick all the boxes for me. The water resistance helps when giving the kids a bath too.
Utterly horrendous film where you can actually claim “nothing makes sense from scene to scene and characters act incredibly stupid.” A worthless script
Yeah but what IF Slender man came out your fanny!!? lol. In other news, this is yet another modern film I will never watch. Aliens ended with Ripley, Newt, Hicks and Bishop sailing off into the sunset. The End
More please gents when you get the time.
We have Terminator Zero coming soon
@@ValVerdeBroadcasting I think that's quite a good one. That's my review, feel free to use it.
Thanks 😂
They done put the aynus where the paynus is supposed to be.
I've seen some people mentioning that Neil Blomkamp 'Alien 5' proposal [a direct sequel to Aliens bringing Ripley back] online recently and honestly I think it was better not being made, particularly due to Blomkamp's recent track record. But like many 'unmade' projects [like additional Lazenby+ Dalton Bond's or the 70's Dune film] it not being made means it's fans can say it was 'the best film you never saw' as there is no result to disappoint [similar to if Shane Black's 'The Predator was never made I can imagine given his track record people assuming that would have been great...unfortunately for everyone it was made!].
Unmade films are unmade for a reason
On the positive side of this, Creative Assembly has finally announced a direct sequel to Alien Isolation in response to the renewed interest this film has brought to the franchise. Richard better get that Isolation 1 playthrough finished in the next five years so he can start the next one.
I’d argue we are getting a sequel is because the renewed interest in the game is because its still really popular even 10 years on, the renewed interest has zero to do with Romulus😂
Apparently a lot of the creative team behind that game have now moved on unfortunately.
@@halomultiplayermoments The director of Romulus said Isolation was a big influence on the film and it does seem linked that a sequel to the game is announced shortly after the movie became a hit.
@medalion1390 I believe the director or creative director is said to be on the sequel. It could be a whole new team but if they put the proper care into it, it could be good.
Naturally - they now have the cast of Romulus to scan into the game and use as recognisable characters. If the sequel doesn't feature Andy the android I will be very surprised.
But here's the thing: the facehugger is on Kane's face for something like 17 hours if you go by Brett's estimate for repairs, and you feel the time pass cinematically. From the chestburster to the full alien is over 10 minutes in screen time, with several edits that make it feel longer. They've had time to construct weapons! I believe in the early script, they even find that it's gotten into the food stores, so it's had time to eat.
In Romulus, it's 2 minutes from the time the slenderbebby cradle goes "byeee" into the floor before we see
the adult form, and they look for it straght away. I know it's petty, but it shows a lack of care overall with this story, they're in such a rush to hit all the beats of all the previous films.
Yeah. Now we've got aliens being born and growing in a matter of minutes because they can't think of a way to construct a narrative where that happens more organically over time.
i really liked this film althought tbf and i noticed it also it has got Ridley's handprints over it quite a lot.
Same. I liked it but had to sigh when Ian Holm showed up.
Yeah I enjoyed it, just wish it ended by the time they got on the lift, I dont need any weird engineer baby monster
@@LeonWilias I think it's fairly obligatory for an alien film to have a 'second climax' for better or worse.
Hope you guys are doing well and always appreciate it when you have a new video out.
Its great to see you guys again. I appreciate the honest review of the movie. I personally enjoyed it even though it was derivative of the other Alien movies. It was kind of like the Force Awakens of the Alien movies to me, a lot of callbacks and nods to the previous movies but still a satisfying watch.
If you guys get around to watching Megalopolis, I would love to hear your review on it. It was one of the most insane movies of the year.
I used to watch you guys on Oliver's channel years ago. Found you here quite by accident but I'm pleased to see you both alive and well. Merry Christmas!
And to you!
You had me at the thumbnail.
P.S. I fully support Duncan in his new life as a Lighthouse Keeper. Motherfucker knows how to rock the wool ;)
Great to see you guys back. Duncan riffing on Ridley and Fede disagreeing about the black goo had me creasing.
I need to warm up my impressions. Been a while!
holy crap if you guys were any later i'd be watching the romulus sequel on blue ray right now. Great review guys.
Sorry, we know.
@@ValVerdeBroadcasting no worries. engagement for the algo ;)
lol wtf with the end credits ha ha
Ahoy hoy lads...it feels like an age.
It has been in all fairness 🤷♂️
Personally enjoyed the film, but people are allowed to disagree, still love yas
Well, full disclosure: I really didn't like Prey, thought it was shit (unlike everyone else) but more than happy to add to algorithms.
I enjoyed Romulus, but I intentionally watched the spoilers because I knew it would piss me off and still enjoyed it anyway.
Apart from the Skype call when they were supposed to be quiet amongst the facehuggers.
I enjoyed Prometheus and Elizabeth Shaw was equal as good to Ripley and then Ridley Scott just shat on everything that was good in that for Covenant.
What I want to know is what people thought of The Substance! ❤ (Sorry, completely unrelated)
Each to their own 🤷♂️
@@ValVerdeBroadcasting love you guys, love your content! I always value your opinions and it's always a joy to see a video pop up in the notifications. I look forward to your views about Terminator Zero.
Let's give Alvarez SOME credit, at least they didn't find a fucking cat on that station
There is that, but I think finding the rubbery, pretend living corpse of a dead actor might have eclipsed Jones' grandson or whatever - DC
Yay you guys are back!
Best review of Alien Romulus I've seen so far. I also liked the several massive assumptions that the characters made such as "if we make the heat in this room the same as us then these aliens, which we've never encountered before, won't see us". And "we can't open the door to the other crew member who's about to get killed. That's what the alien wants us to do, even though this is the first time we've ever seen it." And "they will see this gun as a threat and keep away, even though in Alien, Aliens and Alien3 it's established that they're afraid of fire not guns, plus I've done no research"
Thank you! Yes there's a lot of assumed knowledge amid the characters, probably with the assumption that they know we don't want to watch yet another group of characters figure out what we already know.
Ohhh, this is an Alien sequel! I know this! ...Mainly from games and magazines!
Yeah, it's also not true. Even at the same temperature, different things radiate and reflect heat differently. If you turn your heating up to body temperature, every person and stick of furniture will all be perfectly visible on a thermal imaging camera.
I went in expecting to hate it but I quite liked it, I had issues with a couple of things but I liked it overall. I've seen it three times now and have liked it more every time.
You know nothing about cinema
@acidburns4046 I liked it then and I like it now, I hope you continue to cry yourself to sleep
So happy you guys seem to be doing well and dropping a video every so often. Will always be here for your thoughts and discussions 🤝
We also say fanny and bum not infrequently...so there's that 😀
I have just begun to watch this and VAL VERDE BROADCASTING already receives a thumbs up from myself. You two are a prized quality voice on the ever overloaded UA-cam commentary/critical landscape on UA-cam. By the way, please review 'MEGALOPOLIS' by Mr. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA. Here's my review of 'MEGALOPOLIS': After watching that juvenile slop called 'DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE', 'MEGALOPOLIS' is an artistic revelation. Coppola catered to this vision for the last 25 years plus and it showed. It was bold, audacious and in some parts psychedelic. Yes, it was a long in certain sections but the overall creative arc was outstanding. Yes, it's not for the masses because sublimely it touches upon The Tower of Babel, Greed, Lust, Anarchy, Power and The Architecture of the Mind,...so believe me, not everyone is going to get into this movie. However, what Coppola and that cast and crew conveyed was that art, commerce, culture and creativity can be used to hopefully uplift and elevate the human mind and thinking and by creating and financing 'MEGALOPOIS' on his own, FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA has certainly done that. - James D. Watkins, artistic director of PHOENIX PRODUCTIONS.
3 things i would have changed at least.
1) instead of a deep fake looks like shit ian holmes, if they were going to include him then they could have done an anamtronic like they did with bishop in alien 3
2)Get rid of anything to do with the black goo. In the original alien bret and Dallas start beinf turned into eggs maybe build of that if your going to have the story about the original alien from the first film
3) If they were going to have the alien from the first film as the catalist then they could have done more with it such as have it be the big pissed off bad at the end which has mutated and looks grotesque ect.
Overall as a huge alien fan i was disappointed not as disappointed as i was with the 2 prequels but still
That’s the best level of disappointment we can hope for today.
I think if they took out all the Prometheus references, I could have been more satisfied with it. I'm far more forgiving in memberberries and even telling a similar story as the first with new characters if they're interesting characters and they do it in an interesting way.
I was really looking forward to just an alien movie, and not being linked to prometheus. O well maybe next time😂
Same, ignoring Prometheus would have been its saving grace, but nope.
I've been meaning to go and see this since it came out, just never got around to it.Looks like I'll wait for streaming. Can't be doing with fan service being shoved down my gob like a facehugger's "paynis".
Please keep the content coming guys, its been too long.
Regarding the alien growth timeline in Alien, it does seem to grow ridiculously fast, but it happens off screen and we're not exactly sure how much time has passed.
In this film things are actually happening in front of our eyes - that thing at the end is literally a baby and then minutes later it's 8 feet tall. The original film was beautifully made (the performances and dialogue are way ahead of what we get nowadays), so the gaps in logic are more easily ignored.
I think there is a throwaway line from fake Ian Holm about how the Muguffin goo accelerates growth or whatever. Still doesn't excuse it.
Good to see yous back
Funniest reveal for Rook would have been turning him over to reveal Elijah Wood. :D
I feel thin...like, miiiilllk scraped over too much Bilbo.
@@RM_VFX I swear if Rook's first line had been "Would you like a cup of FILE NOT FOUND!" I would have died laughing.
Did you notice how the idiot who had beef with Andy magically had no problem with fake Ash? Almost like the writers were morons who didn't realise that someone who hates one android for being an android, would also hate other androids...
You make a good point
Great review guys!
A bit disappointed by this one. I couldn't help but feel that this was a greatest hits of the Alien franchise crammed into a 2 hour runtime. Harkening back to past Alien film One liners felt a little cumbersome to me at times.
Despite these cons, props go to use of practical effects,set design, photography and the actor who portrayed Andy who gave an admirably different portrayal of an android.
Love the channel and content!
Totally agree. What a disappointment.
Was initially promising but took a huge nosedive. As RLM pointed out, it's just Alien 1-4 mashed together by A.I.
Good to see you boys! Haven't seen Romulus yet and forgot it existed until this video popped up. I'll check it out but I really hate when hollywood graverobs performers, like you guys said just hire a living actor for the love of god. Hope you guys are doing well and really looking forward to checking out Richard and Marc's new project. Viva Val Verde!
Welcome back, fellas! Good to see ya!
Reminds me of that line from Jurassic World; "That first park was legit".
Cool to see Richard and Duncan again 👍
Btw, have you seen Megalopolis yet? 😜
Hi guys, always great to hear your opinion and it was worth the wait! For me in the ranking of poor Alien movies, it's nowhere near the first 3, but I did like it more than Prometheus and Covenant and put on par with Alien Resurrection, as it sits around there with me.
The problem with this patchwork quilt of other Alien films is that when you do an almost shot for shot remake of another scene it invites direct comparison and that doesn't end well for Romulus. There's a scene where 'the guy' (don't know his name) is showing Rain how to use the gun and it's obviously a remake of the Hicks/Ripley scene in Aliens but all it does is remind you how good the original scene was and how shit this one is.
In Aliens Hicks shows Ripley how to use a powerful weapon and it shows he respects her, he sees her as more than just a civilian to be protected, he knows she's capable, brave and smart. When she demands to know how to use the grenade launcher that respect grows, she's someone who will do whatever it takes to win. From Ripley's POV she distrusts the marines who have been behaving like a heavily armed stag do in space up till then but the fact that this guy respects and trusts her enough to arm and teach her to use the weapons instill trust in her. There are also little glances and smirks that show the beginning of romantic interest between them both and it introduces the ammo count and grenade launcher weapon tech too. It's showing two characters respecting, trusting and falling for each other and introducing the weapons, it's doing a lot of work, Romulus just tells you the gun has auto-aim, there's no reason for it to be there.
Added to that it just reminds you of how much on screen chemistry and charisma Weaver and Biehn brought to those roles, you deeply wanted them to make it out alive, in contrast to the apathy you feel for the Romulus characters.
Thanks a lot Duncan! I had $5 in the bag and you had to mention Star Beast before Richard
So glad there's someone out there who actually agrees with my sentiments on "Alien Romulus". It's a paint by numbers exercise in vapidity, with a couple of stand out elements. Every time I voice my opinion on the film, I get a reaction of having pissed on someone's dog, for not liking it. I agree with all the points you guys made. With that, I just wanted to add that I love the content you guys put out; hilarious more than anything and just wanted to say, keep up the good work. 😎👍
I would have forgiven everything else in the movie if instead of Slender Man the "Act 4 surprise" had been the Big Chap. Would have been extremely easy to do - just have the other xenos in the movie be the downgraded dog, Neomorph, or Covenant style monsters, plus have Rook mention the Big Chap was stored after recovery instead of strung up like a Halloween decoration. Then right at the end, the survivors discover the Big Chap was inside one of the cryo tubes all along, and they've accidentally released him.
Would have been an awesome ending, especially if they saved the practical effect slow reveal scene from the cocooned alien for the Big Chap instead.
See now that could have worked!
I actually like the prequels and was a bit disappointed they weren't finished off but given Covenant underperformed I can see why they went for something else. Cailee Spaeny is certainly a rising star [she's part of the cast for 'Knives Out 3'] and David Jonsson was brilliant as Andy and I certainly liked it but it did feel a bit like an 'expanded universe' book they chose to film and I think I need to watch it again to make a full judgement. Given it's been pretty successful [making nearly $350 million on a $80 million budget] we'll certainly get another film although we'll have to see if it's a direct sequel to this or something else.
You raise a good point. It’s hard to get too mad about it when it didn’t have the GDP of West Ghana spent on it.
I just love that Big Chap is floating through space and is eventually picked up like a lost ten-pound note. 😂
Great review, lads. I agree with all your criticisms and yet I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
Already pre-ordered my Blu-ray!
Excellent video guys, thanks. A gorgeous movie with very good central leads seemingly wasted on contrivance and constant, naïve homages to previous films. Certainly things to enjoy in it, the plot sadly not being one of them. Cheers!
Can you believe the other bloke loved it? (The one who makes his living re-wording IMDB trivia)
😱
Who that?
Welcome back guys
Totally agree this film was so disappointing , Aliens is one of my all time favorite movies too. And we didn’t get the awesome face hugger popcorn bucket in Uk😂
I do recommend the Penguin though - 3 episodes in so far and it’s brilliant. I think you boys will love it
They're back!
Didn't bother with it ... I'm sure I'll catch it eventually on streaming or something ...
lads, please do a comentery soon. I miss the old days
I rather enjoyed, I’ll admit most of that is coming from the fact that the last 20+ years of Alien movies has been to put it lightly, complete shite, and hey it’s done really well & has seemingly revived the IP cause a sequel to Alien: Isolation is finally happening.
I think Fede Alvarez saying Romulus was inspired by Isolation certainly returned that game to prominence and I'm glad the Isolation sequel is finally happening.
@@jamesatkinsonja
Yeah, regardless of your opinions of the film is, it’s good to see both the Alien & Predator franchises back in swing after years of mediocrity to garbage.
Could have just used a puppet and kept it practical. Would have been welcome homage and consistent with the look of earlier films.
Is the sequel going to be Aliens Romulus?
Aliens: Romuluses: Resurrections
Great to see you both doing well. Were you deliberately going for the angel vs. demon split screen effect or was that just fate having a sense of humour? XD
Hope ya’ll have a happy Halloween
Somebody wake up Hicks.
I agree with everything you both said. Amazing sets, some excellent visuals, but ultimately disappointing. Alien isolation sequel, though, can't wait for that. 😊
Drop a Predator into feudal Japan or the WWI trenches, drop an Alien onto a submarine or oil rig. At this point, just go nuts with these characters.
Bishop didn’t eat. He gave his food away. Did ash eat? Did they ever notice? I’m not sure I remember 🤔
Yeah, there is a shot of him eating at the table with the others before Kane's death.
Thanks Richard and Duncan, great to see your handsome faces. I saw this on a Saturday morning in a cinema with 4 other people in attendance. I did enjoy it despite it being such an heavily compromised script. Your example of the goo being mandated by Ridley-Diddley was the first thing that came to my mind when it appeared on screen, and having Ian Holm there was awful, they should’ve gone with Martin Freeman as a different Android instead.
Silly Richard, Skynet having the magic ticket from Last Action Hero is a great Terminator reimagining you've already given the world...
Coming soon : Offspring vs Newborn 💀 whoever wins, we lose.
Newborn wins easily due to being the son of Ripley and an Alien Queen. He can pilot a powerloader, duct tape weapons together, and even resist the charms of Winona Ryder.
Can't demean the Biehn.
I'm engaging.
Better late than pregnant... also Michael, such a legend. ❤
Movie had some issues but I think Cailee Spaeny was great in it
Agreed!
Perfect timing gentleman.
Well...a tad late to the party, but thank you
@ValVerdeBroadcasting My first day off in two weeks, woke up from a much needed nap, and saw this notification. Cheers.
3:17 ‘text?’
IMO, they have never been able to make a great film in this franchise since Aliens! From the "just OK" (Aliens Resurrection and AVP), to "less than impressive" (Prometheus), to total garbage (Alien3, AVP: R, and Covenant) has been the norm since the early 1990s; Romulus falls into the latter category as I didn't even consider it a letdown, but it was another movie in the franchise that lacked the same magic from the 1979 and 1986 movies. Maybe they need to at least give the Xenomorphs a 10 year break or retire them all together - I would prefer those options over the dumpster fires they've been releasing.
I rewatched Aliens HUNDREDS of times and showed it to all my friends. Romulus...Meh. I could maybe watch it one more time at some point.
It did a lot well but the bad parts are huge and drag it down.
Well I enjoyed it! Sort of… 😂
It's a question that doesn't get asked enough. What would you do? Stick to the point, and answer?
I'd scream, personally.
ha :P best title ever :P
I still think you're beautiful, Richard. Like a beautiful butterfly... But yeah, thought the film was mid. Which is the worst place to be on my list 'o' opinions. At least Prometheus was funny.
Anyone else mildly annoyed that Michael Biehn couldn’t be arsed to get up from a lying position to do his cameo?
I was more intrigued by the dual wielding of his glasses!
It's ok. Not sure how interesting you can make a monster loose on a spaceship for the 100th time. Not sure what else you can do with it.
My sentiments exactly
With smart enough writing and direction I think you can get away with it, but in this one they disposed with the tension in favour of having a whole hive of the creatures being gunned down with a pulse rifle.
So, worth a rental? Maybe?
Maybe 🤷♂️
Just felt uninspired to me. Bit of a let down tbh
I agree with almost averything. Just ONE thing: Fede Alvarez is Uruguayan. Don´t do him as an italian mafioso, Duncan. Please...!
Hi lads, I too found it to be an underwhelming watch. The constant callbacks were incredibly distracting. The Ian Holm droid was unnecessary, it could have been anyone (it could have been a working Joe, that might have been cool). Having him repeat the exact same lines as those in Alien just made me roll my eyes. A pity because, as you highlighted; it looked great and Alvarez is a very competent director. A real missed opportunity.
I just got irritated that he kept popping up again and again. We didn't need to see fake Ian Holm on TV screens repeatedly throughout the movie.
Half my name is missing on the patron credits. Finger hovering over thumb down button 😂
Oh no! Sorry Dan. We’ll make sure we get those updated. Thanks for letting us know.
@ValVerdeBroadcasting No worries boys. Good to have you back.
aaannnnddd they're gone for another year.
Don't be so sure
Evening all
Evening Simon!
@ValVerdeBroadcasting I'm running about 10mins behind. Loving the video
That title 😂😂😂
Bloody hilarious title. Honestly I thought Romulus was 💩💩💩💩
I’m glad you guys are not afraid of calling out Ridley. I personally think he is massively overrated.
You guys make me pee myself laughing, good to see you back.
This is Ben Gibbons btw, new channel 😂
Romulus is a well made film but is basically a mix tape of Alien iconography from across the franchise. With the exception of a new stage in the Alien’s lifecycle nothing new was added to the mythology, therefore landing as another pointless studio endeavour, just like Prey imho.
There's just really nothing left to say.
@@ValVerdeBroadcasting I enjoy Alien 3 (the assembly cut) but the things I like best about that movie is the stuff between the prisoners, their hopelessness, and their religious beliefs and hope for redemption and the utter despair that permeates the film. I like aspects of Prometheus, some of the themes such as the desire to live forever, to learn our place in the universe, a spiritual need to seek a larger purpose and connection to a higher power. In Romulus I was intrigued by the idea of this corporation screwing over the young woman by extending her time on the planet and arbitrarily sending her to the mines. But none of those things is what most people look for in an Alien movie. The problem is that there is nothing left to say about Alien. Cameron added onto what Ridley had started, but since then we’ve been spinning our wheels.
At this point what is there left to say or do with these franchises? (Terminator/Alien/Predator)
All the weaknesses in this film would have been mitigated had there had just being been a LADY 😂 Alien in it.
Well, I guess now we know the answer to "WoULd yOu LikE sOmE... _MiiiiiLK?"_
The answer is no.
If you watch closely, the answer is in fact a definite yes, when it comes to the Slender Man alien. He very much wanted MIIIIILLLKKK.
Alien: Romcom
28:47
ALSO, I wish to know if VAL VERDE BROADCASTING would be willing to accept paying short ads on your channel. Mr. Duncan once before stated it wouldn't be artistically ethical to take payment in leu of reviewing independent film or videos, which I understand, but would your channel be interested in receiving short paid ads on your channel? For an example, I have a short video-movie called 'THE GENIUS & THE DARKNESS: NIKOLA TESLA vs. ALEISTER CROWLEY' that I would wish to start promoting in late December 2024. Let me know..... - James D. Watkins, artistic director of PHOENIX PRODUCTIONS.
Hiya James - I dunno about paid ads. I suppose you could sponsor an episode or something, but that's not necessarily necessary. We'd be happy to chat about how we can help support your film. We pride ourselves on sharing the perspective of filmmakers who are 'in the trenches' so let's have a chat! valverdebroadcasting@gmail.com 👍
P.S. Wasn't Aleister Crowley the sex magic guy?? 😳
@@ValVerdeBroadcasting Yes, Mr. Duncan and he is notoriously evil and he's even respected by JAY-Z and even OZZY OSBORNE wrote a song about him called- DEAR MR. CROWLEY and the concept is he is trying to plunge the world into complete chaos and darkness and the only person who can save us is none other than NIKOLA TESLA because TESLA wants to bring light to the world(just like he did in real life by developing Alternate Current). It's an imaginary concept told through drawings, graphics and voice overs. I could certainly do a paid sponsorship that would be totally unbiased. You deserve to get paid just like others who bring something to the table. I will email you the video-teaser and the short feature. And if not, no problem, you and Richard have a quality platform. - J.D. Watkins
What's on your wrist nowadays Duncan?
The straps of a nappy bag, kids rucksack and the wristbands from about a dozen play parks that I've forgotten to rip off. You?
@ValVerdeBroadcasting 🤣🤣🤣 the same!, and a Black Bay 54. Sorry, I should have said what watch are you wearing? 🤣🤣🤣
An excellent choice, how is it? I used to have a 58 but I couldn't get on with it.
@ValVerdeBroadcasting I always thought I couldn't pull off wearing a diver on my small wrists, so I never really looked at the 58. It was by chance I saw the 54 in a store window and was so drawn to it that I went inside to try it on. Once it was on, it was an immediate purchase.
The smaller dimensions and vintage callbacks tick all the boxes for me. The water resistance helps when giving the kids a bath too.
Are you gonna review meme the film, I mean cash grab and nostalgic men, I mean Deadpool and Wolverine.
Utterly horrendous film where you can actually claim “nothing makes sense from scene to scene and characters act incredibly stupid.” A worthless script
HEY BOIIIIIISSSSSS Alien Slender man fanny man LOL
Was a disappoint for me some giod scenes but imo didjnt gel as a story also the ending was awful
The guy in the '79 suit was Nigerian. He wasn't a basketball player. #notallblackpeople
We weren't talking about the 79 alien suit #paycloserattention
The guy playing the new creature is a freakishly tall basketball player.
Would've been a funny callback if he'd done Ripley's no-look 3 pointer swoosh out of nowhere.
Yeah but what IF Slender man came out your fanny!!? lol. In other news, this is yet another modern film I will never watch. Aliens ended with Ripley, Newt, Hicks and Bishop sailing off into the sunset. The End
😂
A British fanny or an American fanny?
British darling
Bishop didn’t eat. He gave his food away. Did ash eat? Did they ever notice? I’m not sure I remember 🤔