Alien: Romulus u2605u2605u2605 (out of 4 stars)
Don’t trust anyone over 30
Sigourney Weaver was only 30 years old when she starred in Ridley Scott’s seminal 1979 “Alien,” but her character, Ripley, was a mature woman, a feminist icon, and a leader—in that case, of men. Cailee Spaeny (“Priscilla” [2023], “Bad Times at the El Royale” [2018] and “Civil War” [2024, as the naïve, determined, wanna-be photo-journalist]) was 25 when “Alien: Romulus” was filmed last year in Budapest, but her character, Rain, plays as a teenager (our 18-year-old companion thought she might be 15) and, while competent enough and possessed of a steely, inner intensity, she’s never compelling as a leader, of men or women.