"Alien: Romulus CGI Improved for Home Release, Fans Remain Unimpressed"

*Alien: Romulus* has been a smashing success, captivating both critics and fans alike, and its impressive box office haul of $350 million has paved the way for a sequel. However, one element of the film received widespread criticism: the CGI portrayal of Ian Holm, who reprised his iconic role as android Ash from Ridley Scott's original *Alien*. Holm, who passed away in 2020, was brought back via CGI in *Alien: Romulus*, but the execution was widely criticized for being distracting and unrealistic. The backlash was so significant that a popular fan-edit completely removed Holm's character from the narrative.

Director Fede Alvarez acknowledged the criticism in an interview with Empire, admitting, "We just ran out of time in post-production to get it right. I wasn’t 100% happy with some of the shots, where you could feel a bit more the CG intervention. So, for people that react negatively, I don’t blame them." In response to the feedback, Alvarez took steps to improve the CGI for the home release of the film. He stated, "We fixed it. We made it better for the release right now. I convinced the studio we need to spend the money and make sure we give the companies that were involved in making it the proper time to finish it and do it right. It’s so much better."

The Alien Movies in Chronological Order

9 Images

For the home release, Alvarez shifted the focus more towards practical puppet work rather than relying solely on CGI. Despite these efforts, the reception among fans has been mixed. While some acknowledge a slight improvement, many still find Holm's portrayal distracting and question the necessity of his return. On Reddit, user Kwtwo1983 remarked, "Better, but still awfully uncanny… and for no sound reason," while thelastcupoftea suggested, "Should’ve messed his face up much more." Smug_amoeba noted, "Still such a needless and distracting part of the movie," and Worried_Bowl_9489 commented, "Both look bad and one is a bit darker lol."

The comparison between the theatrical and home release versions shows that the latter pulls the shot of Ian Holm to emphasize the practical puppet work, reducing the visibility of the CGI face. TheUrPigeon expressed strong sentiments, stating, "Let's be real, it's still awful and garish to resurrect a dead man so needlessly. They can only improve upon it so much because the initial effort was so poor."

Despite the CGI controversy, *Alien: Romulus* has breathed new life into the franchise. Its success led 20th Century Studios to announce in October that they are developing *Alien: Romulus 2*, which would continue the story from the first film, with Fede Alvarez potentially returning to direct.