*Alien: Romulus* has been a resounding success, both critically and at the box office, even spawning a sequel. However, one aspect of the film received widespread criticism: the CGI used to bring back the late Ian Holm, who played the android Ash in the original *Alien* film. Holm's digital resurrection in *Alien: Romulus* was met with disapproval from audiences, who found it distracting and unrealistic. The backlash was so significant that a popular fan edit removed Holm's character entirely from the movie's narrative.
Director Fede Alvarez acknowledged the issue in an interview with Empire, admitting that time constraints during post-production led to subpar CGI. "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," he said.
The Alien Movies in Chronological Order
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For the home release of *Alien: Romulus*, Alvarez assured fans that improvements were made. "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," he insisted. The home release version leans more on practical puppet work rather than CGI. However, the reception to these changes has been mixed. While some fans noticed a slight improvement, many still find Holm's digital presence distracting and question the necessity of his return.
Alien Romulus - Rook CGI Updates BluRay vs Digital
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On Reddit, fans shared their thoughts. "Better, but still awfully uncanny… and for no sound reason," said Kwtwo1983. "Should’ve messed his face up much more," added thelastcupoftea. "It looked awful in theaters and it looked awful when I rewatched it on Blu-ray." "Still such a needless and distracting part of the movie…" commented Smug_amoeba. "Both look bad and one is a bit darker lol," said Worried_Bowl_9489.
The comparison reveals that the home release focuses more on the practical puppet, reducing the visibility of the CGI face. "Let's be real, it's still awful and garish to resurrect a dead man so needlessly," TheUrPigeon commented. "They can only improve upon it so much because the initial effort was so poor."
Despite the CGI controversy, *Alien: Romulus* successfully revitalized the franchise, grossing an impressive $350 million globally upon its summer debut. In October, 20th Century Studios announced plans for *Alien: Romulus 2*, continuing the story from the first film, with Fede Alvarez potentially returning to direct.
