Alien: Romulus 'Fix' Still Fails to Impress Fans

Alien: Romulus, a critical and commercial success, has already spurred a sequel. However, one aspect universally criticized was the CGI depiction of Ian Holm.

Holm, who passed away in 2020, famously portrayed the android Ash in Ridley Scott's Alien. His controversial CGI return in Alien: Romulus drew widespread criticism for being distracting and unrealistic, prompting a popular fan edit to entirely remove his character.

Director Fede Alvarez addressed the issue, stating in an Empire interview that post-production time constraints hampered the CGI quality. He acknowledged viewer dissatisfaction and admitted to being less than fully satisfied with some shots.

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For the home release, Alvarez implemented improvements, allocating additional resources to refine the CGI. The result emphasizes practical puppetry over CGI, though opinions remain divided. While some acknowledge slight improvements, many still find Holm's appearance distracting, questioning the necessity of his inclusion.

A Reddit thread (u/Davidedby in LV426) showcases comparisons, revealing that the home release utilizes more practical effects, minimizing the overly prominent CGI face. However, comments like "Better, but still awfully uncanny… and for no sound reason" and "Let's be real, it's still awful and garish to resurrect a dead man so needlessly" highlight persistent concerns.

Despite the CGI controversy, Alien: Romulus's $350 million global box office success and 20th Century Studios' announcement of a potential sequel with Alvarez's return demonstrate the franchise's continued vitality.