WLR #15

Alien: Romulus

Directed by Fede Alvarez

I love the Alien franchise—even the so-called "bad ones." Sigourney Weaver is an icon, a treasure, beauty, grace. So, on a day when I needed an escape from the weight of my life, the burden of my talent (kidding), this film arrived like a lifeline, delivering exactly what I hoped for at exactly the right time.

Ridley Scott and James Cameron’s entries set the bar so impossibly high that, let’s face it, any sequel will inevitably feel a little smaller in comparison. It’s important to get over that. Quickly. While this latest doesn’t quite ascend to the heights of “Greatest of All Time,” it’s a solidly executed genre film that gets a lot of things right.

The atmosphere is claustrophobic, the scares are legit, and though the fan-service callback to the original character will certainly divide audiences, I found myself appreciating it. I know, you’re saying, “Wendy Lee, you hypocrite! You hate fan service!” Fair point, guys. But in my defense, the character’s appearance was brief enough to avoid dragging the film down, and, IN AN ERA WHERE FAN SERVICE IS A SUBSTITUTE FOR CREATIVITY (SEE DEADPOOL X WOLVERINE) this felt relatively restrained.

Fede Alvarez, a horror vet but now in charge of a beloved cultural artifact, does an great job with the story and its history. He’s got good instincts for suspense. The pacing feels natural, and he deploys jump scares in just the right moments. One point of contention: the film’s geography. I often found myself disoriented, unsure of which characters were on which ship or shuttle, which took some of the momentum out of certain scenes.

But even with that bit of confusion, the film was a kick-ass ride that has earned it’s place among the franchises’ best offerings.

Three-and-a-half stars

Didi

Directed by Sean Wang

MySpace. Facebook. AIM. Dial up. Emerica. Being called a ‘fag.’ Lip smackers. The mall. Buddylists. Smarterchild. Skating. Skating videos. Flip phones. LG Chocolate. Butterfly hair clips. Angst. Duh. After school fights. Peer pressure. Awkwardness. Are you nervous?

Nostalgia deserves more.

Two stars

Skincare

Directed by Austin Peters

Cheetah Print. 2013. Starbucks is “new.” iPhone w/ Aux. I won’t do this again….

Aside from Elizabeth Banks, who brings her usual flair, I found the film to be a mess. Out of sheer curiosity (I know, I know), I glanced at the Rotten Tomatoes consensus, which said something like, "The script could use some rejuvenation, but Elizabeth Banks’ superb performance gives this thriller its own kind of radiance." Some rejuvenation?!? I honestly thought the script might’ve been written by a fourth grader. In red crayon. Who greenlights this stuff? I don’t mean to sound jaded but Wendy lee can do better!

I swear I can!

Two stars