"Alien: Romulus CGI Fixed for Home Release, Fans Still Disappointed"

"Alien: Romulus" was a smashing success both with critics and at the box office, quickly earning enough to greenlight a sequel. However, one aspect of the film drew widespread criticism: the CGI used to bring back the late Ian Holm, who originally played the android Ash in Ridley Scott's iconic "Alien." Holm's digital resurrection in "Alien: Romulus" was widely criticized for being distracting and unconvincing, leading some fans to create edits that removed his character entirely.

Director Fede Alvarez acknowledged the backlash in an interview with Empire, stating, "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, Alvarez ensured that the CGI was improved for the home release, emphasizing a shift towards more practical puppet work over digital effects. "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.

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Despite these efforts, fans remain divided on the revised Ian Holm scenes. While some acknowledge a slight improvement, many still find the character distracting and question the necessity of his return. "Better, but still awfully uncanny… and for no sound reason," said Kwtwo1983 on Reddit. Another user, thelastcupoftea, suggested, "Should’ve messed his face up much more." Smug_amoeba commented, "Still such a needless and distracting part of the movie…" and Worried_Bowl_9489 remarked, "Both look bad and one is a bit darker lol."

The home release does show a more subtle use of CGI, focusing more on the practical puppet work. Yet, as TheUrPigeon pointed out, "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 these criticisms, "Alien: Romulus" successfully revitalized the franchise, grossing an impressive $350 million globally upon its summer release. The success led 20th Century Studios to announce in October that they are developing "Alien: Romulus 2," which will continue the story from the first film, with Fede Alvarez potentially returning to direct.