fter her parents pass away, Marie Raines Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) and her loyal “brother” Andy (David Jonsson) remain stuck in dead-end jobs at a sun-deprived mining colony with seemingly no hope of escape. Desperate for a chance to reverse her dismal future, “Rain” agrees to meet Tyler (Archie Renaux), an old friend with the promise of an easy way out for both her and his crew – by stealing cryo-pods from a derelict Weyland-Yutani spaceship drifting in orbit above them. Reluctantly agreeing, Rain and Andy, along with their new shipmates Tyler, Kay (Isabela Merced), Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Navarro (Aileen Wu), travel to the floating vessel, only to discover that their target is actually a research facility and whatever caused its abandonment was both sudden and horrific. When their search for supplies triggers lockdowns across the station, the group must find a way to navigate the labyrinthine levels while evading an aggressive alien life form intent on making sure they never leave.

As expected, from the title graphics to the computer systems to signage (and semiotics!) to technology/weaponry to the music to the sound effects to architecture to so, so many minor components, nods are continuously made to the prior films. At virtually every point throughout this umpteenth sequel, similarities to previous entries in the series can be felt or seen (centerfolds are still plastered on walls in private spaces, and people still consume cornbread!). The bustling nature of Rain’s original home, where she suffers from financial and economic shortcomings that must be circumvented, reminds of the pollution-ruined postapocalyptic vibe of “Blade Runner,” brimming with squalor and overpopulation and indentured servitude – which might be somewhat new to the “Alien” universe, even if it’s not new to sci-fi endeavors.

Yet even in the moments that aren’t exact recreations (during various scenes, it’s evident how specific renovations come directly from “Alien,” “Aliens,” “Alien: Resurrection,” “Alien: Isolation,” “Prometheus,” and “Alien: Covenant”), there isn’t a lot of newness visible. This is, essentially, a patchwork of not just the former films, but also countless other science-fiction and horror concepts from preexisting sources. In its efforts to balance homage with revision, it finds only duplication – and it derives too much from “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” and not enough from “Alien” and “Aliens.”

Employing a young cast (with youthful optimism) is one of the slight deviations for the franchise (though certainly nothing special for a monster movie), but this isn’t exploited in a way that mines additional sympathy. In fact, with its interest in rushing into action and suspense, which it handles admirably, “Alien: Romulus” forgets that character development is absolutely integral when personas start dying off. When personalities are limited or nonexistent, and when motives and backstories and relationships are hastily assigned, it’s almost impossible for audiences to relate or care. Here, it seems obvious who the leading lady is, which gives her an air of invincibility, while the others are so unimportant and uninspired that their names are instantly forgotten, their stations on the ship and in each other’s lives are practically interchangeable, and – the worst thing for a slasher – it becomes increasingly easier to root for the villains instead of the protagonists.

What the picture does right is almost exclusively in the visual department. Outer space shots are stunning; set decoration and production design in general are pristine and faithfully laid out (the attention to details is exquisite); and the creature effects, predominantly with animatronics and slime and gore, are exceptionally creepy and disturbing (hordes of scampering facehuggers will surely make an impact). Embracing the standard themes and ideas of the exploration of ostensibly abandoned locales (they are, of course, teeming with deadly organisms), claustrophobia and darkness, grisly aftermaths of destructive tragedies, body horror and related violence, the utilization of recognizable tech and synthetics, and the use of heartbeats or other scare tactics (replete with jump scares) to amplify the unease are comparably commendable.

“We’re not giving up now.” Unfortunately, sensational imagery alone cannot salvage a dearth of originality and vision. A few developments with the xenomorph lifecycle will undoubtedly please longtime fans (this is both a bridge between the early films and an additive to the mythology and lore of the later chapters), while the suspense during climactic battles or confrontations generates some genuinely horrifying sequences, but the lack of worthwhile heroes is severely disappointing. And the finale, though rip-roaring and tense, reveals that too many influences are taken from the wrong materials, failing to stick to the (perhaps unsurpassable) formulas of the unmatched 1979 blockbuster that started it all and its pulse-pounding 1986 follow-up.

– The Massie Twins