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

*Alien: Romulus* made a significant impact on both critics and fans, raking in a staggering $350 million at the global box office. Its success has paved the way for a sequel, *Alien: Romulus 2*, with director Fede Alvarez potentially at the helm. However, one aspect of the film received universal criticism: the CGI used to bring back the late Ian Holm, who portrayed the iconic android Ash in Ridley Scott's original *Alien*. Holm's CGI character in *Alien: Romulus* was widely criticized for being distracting and unrealistic, leading to a fan-edit that completely removed his character from the narrative.

In response to the backlash, Alvarez admitted in an interview with Empire that the CGI wasn't up to par due to time constraints during post-production. He acknowledged the negative reactions and took responsibility for the flaws. For the home release, Alvarez insisted on revisiting the CGI work, stating, "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 updated version for the home release shifted the focus from CGI to more practical puppet work. However, fans have mixed feelings about the improvements. While some noted a slight enhancement, many still found Holm's appearance distracting and questioned the necessity of his return. On Reddit, users like Kwtwo1983 commented, "Better, but still awfully uncanny... and for no sound reason," while thelastcupoftea suggested, "Should've messed his face up much more." Smug_amoeba expressed frustration, stating, "Still such a needless and distracting part of the movie..." and Worried_Bowl_9489 added, "Both look bad and one is a bit darker lol."

The home release does show a more subdued CGI face, with a greater emphasis on the practical puppet elements. Yet, the consensus among fans remains critical, with TheUrPigeon summarizing the sentiment: "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* successfully revitalized the franchise upon its debut in the summer. Looking forward, 20th Century Studios announced in October that they are developing *Alien: Romulus 2*, which will continue the story from the first film, with Alvarez potentially returning to direct.

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