Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Alien: Romulus!
Summary
Alien: Romulusfeatures a major reference to Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, but it was the film’s only moment of humor.Alien: Romulusattempted to recapture the tone of Ridley Scott’s original film, and it did so in a way that none of the otherAlienmovies have been able to do. However,Alien: Romuluswas still able to sneak in onereference to the originalAlienprotagonist, with this being the only true joke in the movie.
Alien: Romulustakes place betweenAlienandAliens, with it taking more notes from the 1979 original than any otherAliensequel has. The film follows another group of Weyland-Yutani employees who board one of the company’s abandoned space laboratories in an attempt to steal several cryosleep pods. Thecast of characters inAlien: Romulusis entirely disconnected from Ripley and the otherAliencharacters, which makes this one Ripley reference a bit odd.
What Does the Alien Franchise’s Future Look Like After Romulus
Alien: Romulus has been considered a return to form for the franchise, so where does it go from here?
Andy Repeating Ripley’s “Get Away From Her, You Bitch” Line Was Funny
Quoting The Iconic Line From Aliens
Nearthe end ofAlien: Romulus, Andy swoops in and saves Rain from a Xenomorph at the last second, tackling the creature to the ground before shooting it. As he kills the Xenomorph, Andy quotes one of theAlienfranchise’s most iconic lines, with him saying “Get away from her” before pausing and adding a humorous conclusion of “you bitch.”
The film’s timeline placement means that Andy actually said this quote before Ripley.
Although the character doesn’t know it,this line is a direct quote of a line that Ripley said inAliens. Ripley kicks off the epic climax of the action-packed sequel by saying this to the Queen Xenomorph before engaging her in one of the franchise’s most iconic fight scenes. The line has become a staple of theAlienfranchise, so it only makes sense to include it inAlien: Romulus. However, the way in which Andy says it is a bit funny, with it coming off as more of a joke than the passionate tone of the original line.
Why Alien: Romulus Needs to be the End of the Franchise
Alien: Romulus has gotten rave reviews, so should the franchise end on a high note?
Alien: Romulus Was Right For Including So Little Humor
Which Is Why The Ripley Reference Is Weird
Alien: Romulus' more grounded tone was the best direction for the legacy sequel, as it is a reminder of what was so great about the original. The lack of self-aware humor makesAlien: Romulusfeel more grounded, allowing viewers to become engaged in the sci-fi world without constantly being reminded of how fantastical the premise is. TheAlienfranchise has already tried a comedicfilm withAlien: Resurrection, one of the most notorious movies in theAlienfranchise.
Because of this incredibly strong tone, Andy’s Ripley reference does stick out a bit, with it rubbing some viewers the wrong way. The quote is very clearly meant to be a reference toAliens, and it could have the effect of pulling some viewers out of the movie. Despite this, the tone ofAlien: Romuluswas overall great, with it being the perfect path forward for the franchise.
Alien: Romulus
Cast
Alien: Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focus on a new young group of characters who come face to face with the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone film and takes place in a time not yet explored in the Alien franchise.
