I found Alien: Romulus by Fede Alvarez to be a solid addition to the franchise. Finally, after years of waiting, a competent director has produced an Alien film worthy of the name, sitting comfortably among Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens. It gets better with every viewing.

Oddly enough, despite mostly glowing reviews, fans seem to be divided on the sequel/prequel, with many decrying the numerous nods to previous films. In particular, the inclusion of a computer-generated Ian Holm as an Ash-like robot named Rook, combined with the reuse of classic lines such as “Get away from her, you bitch!” uttered by David Jonsson’s synthetic Andy at a pivotal moment, has drawn criticism.

Make no mistake: modern cinema has made millions from audiences’ nostalgia. The question is: when does fan service go too far? And is Alien: Romulus doomed to follow other “requels” into oblivion?

The requel

In 2015, Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens kicked off the “requel” craze by offering sequels to Jurassic Park and Star Wars that functioned as soft reboots. Studios pounced on the concept like sharks on bait, sluggishly churning out one sequel after another to long-dormant franchises, drenched in a thick layer of fan service that sugarcoated their hollow design.

Sometimes a new addition like Top Gun: Maverick, Creed, or Spider-Man: No Way Home slips through the cracks and adds intriguing wrinkles to their franchise’s legacy. More often than not, though, slavish devotion to a beloved property weighs down a product and prevents it from truly taking off. Ghostbusters: Afterlife, for example, dutifully delivered a loving homage to Ivan Reitman’s classic Ghostbusters, replete with not-so-subtle nods that undermined the newer characters. Every time Afterlife threatens to go down a new path, the film slaps audiences over the head with another hackneyed Easter egg that reminds you of better times long ago.

The Matrix’s belated fourth chapter, aptly titled “Matrix Resurrections,” took a cheeky, metaphysical approach, poking fun at the idea of ​​a “sequel” but still fully embracing it. Audiences ignored the lazy effort. If the creators don’t care, why should we care?

Twisters, on the other hand, went to great lengths to distance itself from Jan De Bont’s 1996 Twister, resulting in an exciting start to a new franchise rather than a 100% re-creation of an older model. I’m still shocked that Helen Hunt didn’t play Daisy Edgar-Jones’ mother. The Cobra Kai TV series also honors its source material, but always seems to find unique ways to expand on the lore already established. Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep happily paid tribute to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, but built on that film’s legacy.

Fan service works in the right hands.

Of course, often the only way to revive a flagging franchise is to give fans what they want. Deadpool & Wolverine tries hard to please the masses, delivering the kind of silly, action-packed spectacle that made the Marvel brand a financial success. The result? Audiences came out in droves and reinvigorated the flagging superhero genre. Deadpool & Wolverine will probably age faster than any of Deadpool’s snappy comebacks. For now, it’s working. At least it’s made enough money to fund a handful of new Marvel movies.

Is it a creative success? No, definitely not. D&W did its job. Nothing more, nothing less. Is that enough?

Alien: Romulus’ use of fan service

Which brings us back to Alien: Romulus, a film that, like Deadpool & Wolverine, never strays too far from the beaten path. Alvarez creates a thoroughly entertaining crowd-pleaser that manages to sneak a few new concepts into the formula, especially in the wild third act.

Have we seen all this before? Yes. Where else can you experience the Alien saga?

Romulus faced a difficult task: A) gauge audience interest in an age-old franchise, B) introduce Alien to a new audience, and C) remind fans why they fell in love with the work. Given the poor reactions to Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, not to mention the terrible AvP films, Alien needed a jolt to lure audiences back into this strange future world. Alvarez largely accomplishes that goal, producing a film that satisfies longtime fans (like me!) and sets the stage for greater adventures to come.

No, it’s not reinventing the wheel, and yes, there are occasions when it relies too heavily on nostalgia, but this approach was necessary to get the franchise back on track. So far, so good. Romulus has grossed $225 million worldwide in two weeks on an $80 million budget, and should (with any luck) gross around $350-400 million by the end of its run.

Combined with Dan Trachtenberg’s equally successful Prey, fans can now look forward to another round of Alien/Predator sequels directed by people who truly love this universe.

Mission: accomplished?

Ultimately, fanservice is a double-edged sword – it can reignite passion and captivate audiences, but it can also stifle creativity and prevent a series from moving forward. In Alien: Romulus, fanservice works, but the longevity of this approach remains uncertain. As the franchise moves forward, it will need to balance honoring its legacy with exploring uncharted territory to truly succeed – otherwise it risks sinking into the lonely void of space along with the other sequels.