ALIEN: COVENANT Review

Movie Information

Release Date: May 19, 2017

Director: Ridley Scott

Writer: Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett, Jack Paglen, Michael Green, John Logan Dante Harper

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Amy Seimetx, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby, Uli Latukefu, Tess Haubrich, Lorelei King, Goran D. Kleut, Andrew Crawford, James Franco, Guy Pearce, Noomi Rapace

MPAA Rating: R

Runtime: 122 minutes

Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Brandywine Productions, Scott Free Productions, Scott Free Productions, TSG Entertainment (is association with)

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Language: English

Country: UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA

Budget: $111,000,000 (estimated)

Director Ridley Scott started something great back in 1979 with his classic hit film Alien.  Today it’s still praised by the majority, and will be for quite some time. Different directors have taken a swing at the material, with some delivering a worthy sequel continuing the story, while others had a tougher time. Scott picked things back up in the same universe with Prometheus (2012), which had mixed reviews, but showcased so much promise for the future to come. Now the original man behind the camera wants to ramp things up again, delving back to his roots in the sixth film in the franchise (not including Alien vs Predator). However, the biggest mistake in this film is a large one and may bring it all to a halt.

Prometheus was perceived as an entertaining film with problems. Some viewers considered them large, and others small. Though it is safe to say there were a large amount of questions left unanswered, but they might have been answered in the sequel. That was the end take from the finale in the last film; which is fine as long as you deliver with the next installment. Alien: Covenant did, but in the most minuscule of ways. The film fails with the near complete abandonment of what came before. This was possibly due to the negative responses, but for Scott to have potentially paid so much attention to such remarks in preparation for the current film, it feels he had no faith in his original ideas back in 2012. Prometheus ended as if you were going to learn the secrets of the universe and who may have possibly created Man, or where we all come from. Instead of addressing the questions, they’re forgotten just to make another cheap alien movie with characters you care nothing about.

You really care nothing for these characters in the slightest. Even if you did for a moment that would deteriorate shortly after due to their moronic decision-making skills and lack of hustle. No one on the team obeys orders, which continues to cause deaths, but apparently they didn’t notice. These are the characters Scott and the writing team wanted us to get a hold on? In Prometheus, we got to know Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and what she believed in through her faith. Even with her lover slightly sharing a difference of opinion, they felt like people. The entire cast did. As I’m writing this review I remember nothing about anyone, or why the mission was important. Just weak individuals who choke in the face of danger, throwing any and all training out of the window. These are supposed to be advanced space travelers on the brink of discovering whatever your mind can imagine. Yet when times get rough one character panics beyond belief, which screws the entire mission. The characters were taken out by clumsiness, rather than aliens, at times. This is disgusting filmmaking to say the least. Lastly, again, none of the characters follow orders, and they replace logic with emotion that only sets them further back.

The decision with the story is possibly the worst Scott could’ve come up with. For some reason he decided to give the middle finger to wherever this franchise could go. There’s no happy ending at all. It’s confusing how bold this move was, because it appears the plot has hit a brick wall going 1,000 miles an hour with no seat belt. The good guys don’t always have to win, but the film could’ve at least thought it through. The highlight of the film came with a hand to hand battle between two foes. Considering this to be an Alien movie, a vicious sense of disappointment clouds your air.

Having really enjoyed Prometheus, I despise what was done here. Any interest in what’s to come next has been eradicated with no possible future to look forward to. There’s a gapping plot hole as big as space itself, but it’s clear all reason for writing this script has sunk deep within. Characters are picked off left and right, not using higher judgment; which leads to a nonstop stupidity fest that is painful to watch. The main problem is the ending and where the film is headed. It’s shocking this was approved as a good idea, because it shows no future for where the franchise can go. 

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