Fans of the Alien franchise know the moment. It’s late in the film, a haggard, desperate crew is out of answers and out of time in facing the Xenomorph threat. No ammo left or guns available, the crew do the only thing they can–the predictable last resort–“[blow] it out the goddamn airlock.”
When the technique was used in Alien, it was a fresh and creative bit of storytelling as Ripley fought for survival. That it was used again in the 1986 sequel Aliens was acceptable as James Cameron’s homage took the act to new levels of tension, having Ripley grapple with a Queen Xenomorph by operating a Power Loader. The airlock made sense for a creature that big and for a fight on board the ship in space. After all, the Xenomorphs produce an acid that burns right through the decks and the hull of the ship; a Queen would certainly produce more than enough to doom the crew, and that’s if Ripley managed to kill it with weapons.
But then we got the airlock scene in Alien: Resurrection (kind of) when the Newborn was killed by being sucked out a viewing window after Ripley 8 used acid blood to burn a hole through it. And then we got it again in Alien: Covenant when the Protomorph was pinned by construction vehicles and eventually sucked out into space.
When is it enough? At what point does this plot device become a farcical parody of itself?
Say what you will about Alien 3. Yes, the film was a disaster in many ways. But the intricacies of the plan needed to kill the Xenomorph in David Fincher’s film was edge-of-your-seat viewing. People having to work together to overcome insurmountable odds to kill the Perfect Organism is what Alien is supposed to be about. And while Aliens is my favorite film of all time, one drawback the film was transforming the monster into a mere bug, easily disposed of by a Pulse Rifle. (Don’t get me wrong–I’m forever grateful for the world James Cameron created.)
Look. I’ve got high hopes for Alien: Romulus. Fede Álvarez has a good track record with creating claustrophobic, disturbing horror films. I believe he was absolutely the right choice for this “reboot” of the Alien franchise. But trapping a crew aboard a spaceship (or space station) inevitably limits options. The threat remains of acid burning through the hull, so options are limited for killing Xenomorphs with weapons. Perhaps they’ll simply give the station nine or ten decks so the buffer nullifies the acid burning element. But I fear the trapped writer syndrome. Please Fede, don’t back yourself into a corner; or worse, feel the need to give another homage to the original films by having a creature sucked into space.
If this is truly to be a reboot of Alien, let it preserve what’s best of the franchise while avoiding the tired retreads of bygone films.
Tell us what you think! Has the airlock kill been overused in the Alien films? Will there be a similar scene in Alien: Romulus? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.
Featured Image: 20th Century Studios
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