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  • BRUCE R. MILLER bmiller@siouxcityjournal.com

Movie critic Bruce Miller says "Alien: Romulus" isn’t afraid to throw in a good ol’ popcorn surprise when you least expect it. You don’t have to know a thing about the earlier “Alien” films to enjoy this one.

Before you get wrapped up in the new “Alien” television series (yup, it’s coming in 2025), you might want to peek at “Alien: Romulus,” a fascinating look at events around the time of the original film.

Blessed with old school technology and a series of unfortunate situations, “Romulus” pulls a working stiff, her android brother and their friends onto a decommissioned space station. There, they hope to recover some pods in order to escape to a planet that isn’t being strangled by an overzealous company.

Once aboard, they’re in for the same kind of surprises the original “Alien” team encountered.

This image shows Archie Renaux, left, and Cailee Spaeny in a scene from "Alien: Romulus."

Co-written and directed by Fede Alvarez, “Romulus” has a proper look and pace. It’s extremely dark, but so much better for creatures to ooze out of the duct work. While some of the friends disappear before we even get to know their names, Alvarez manages to reintroduce a couple of original characters who help explain what in the world is going on.

One tests the bounds of Artificial Intelligence (is this the future for films like this?); another merely reminds you of the connection. Both, however, suggest Cailee Spaeny as Rain, the contract worker, is going to be headed down Sigourney Weaver’s path at some point. She handles all the surprises well and has a super bond with Andy (David Jonsson), her android brother. He twists and turns as much as the plot and manages to keep his ultimate goal in mind at all times.

Others try to deter him – and her – as they make their way around the ship. But two key factors – temperature and gravity – serve them well.

The creatures, who still can terrify, benefit from crucial lighting and the ship’s circuitous layout. Numerous countdowns work in the film’s favor. And the script’s twists (offering details about the original invasion) help us understand where the trouble began. Ian Holm, as Rook, an android with clues to the past, tries to steer the activity every time he has an audience. He’s more straightforward than some human characters, but it’s a good idea to disengage from everyone on the mission. That friend you think is loyal may not be; the human with an upset stomach could be harboring an alien.

A scene from "Alien: Romulus," opening Aug. 16

“Romulus’s” best moments come when Spaeny and Jonsson ride the rails of an elevator.

Alvarez succeeds by telling his own story and avoiding a rehash of the past. It has references, but it doesn’t play the same beats. “Romulus," instead, makes the leads more aware of their fate and the need for an exit strategy.

While it might have been nice to get to know some of the other crew members, “Romulus” doesn’t mess around with red herrings. Sure, there are surprises, but this isn’t one big curve.

Spaeny, in fact, seems more like Mia Goth than Weaver and never quite assures you she’ll get out of one situation before she’s confronted with another.

Jonsson, with his shifting personality (he switches from innocent to expert in seconds), becomes the character who could launch a sequel and still keep the guessing going.

Dark and brooding, “Alien: Romulus” rewards fans with those Easter eggs from the past. It isn’t essential that you make the connection, but if you do, you’re two popcorn buckets ahead of others.

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 Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal.