ALIEN COVENANT review
starring Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston
directed by Ridley Scott
A review by Helen J. Reynolds
The Alien series returns with a sequel to its less successful prequel, Prometheus. This time we start with a new crew, travelling the stars on a colonising mission.
The opening is Blade Runner-esque with a shot of a clear, unblinking eye. It's then revealed to be David (Michael Fassbender 8.0) who is, as his maker explains, an updated, more perfect version. I can't argue there.
The movie is engaging only in Fassbender's dual role. The David from Prometheus and this film's Walter (a mega-upgraded Fassbender) are very different characters that have an interesting brotherhood. One of them even recalls Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer, Blade Runner), daring to pursue more than his creator intended and delivering it with appropriate insanity.
Space also plays its part in adding to the catastrophes, bringing action early on as we lose the Captain (James Franco) before he's even woken from deep sleep. Under new rule, the plan that was over a decade in the making gets scrapped and they chance it on a freshly discovered habitable planet. Have they hit space lottery? Well, not exactly...
For a horror movie, Alien Covenant certainly sticks to all the conventions; almighty storms interfering with communications, dark corridors with very focused artifical light, crew members never following orders and even a B-movie homage to Psycho. There are jump moments and plenty of gore, but what would have made this a welcome (or even needed) addition to the franchise, is if there were any moments of real surprise. The tensest moment is let down by editing that shows too much, allowing the audience to piece everything together much faster than the characters.
Nor are the characters much to write about. Dialogue is as bland as it comes and the strongest trait they all have in common, is that they're all incredibly disposable. Daniels (Katherine Waterston) is far in the shadows of predecessors Ripley and Shaw. Her character lacks the interest Sigourney Weaver and Noomi Rapace brought to their roles. She doesn't build up to anything, starting out under tragedy and never hitting any other note, with scenes that feel more recycled than epic.
Naturally, the visuals are beautiful and the sets very atmospheric, but a pretty-looking movie isn't enough to be called entertaining. Ridley Scott has really just hashed Alien and Blade Runner but without the substance that made his previous works the classics they are.
A combination of:
Life (2017)
Prometheus (2012)
Blade Runner (1982)
The movie is engaging only in Fassbender's dual role. The David from Prometheus and this film's Walter (a mega-upgraded Fassbender) are very different characters that have an interesting brotherhood. One of them even recalls Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer, Blade Runner), daring to pursue more than his creator intended and delivering it with appropriate insanity.
Space also plays its part in adding to the catastrophes, bringing action early on as we lose the Captain (James Franco) before he's even woken from deep sleep. Under new rule, the plan that was over a decade in the making gets scrapped and they chance it on a freshly discovered habitable planet. Have they hit space lottery? Well, not exactly...
For a horror movie, Alien Covenant certainly sticks to all the conventions; almighty storms interfering with communications, dark corridors with very focused artifical light, crew members never following orders and even a B-movie homage to Psycho. There are jump moments and plenty of gore, but what would have made this a welcome (or even needed) addition to the franchise, is if there were any moments of real surprise. The tensest moment is let down by editing that shows too much, allowing the audience to piece everything together much faster than the characters.
Naturally, the visuals are beautiful and the sets very atmospheric, but a pretty-looking movie isn't enough to be called entertaining. Ridley Scott has really just hashed Alien and Blade Runner but without the substance that made his previous works the classics they are.
A combination of:
Life (2017)
Prometheus (2012)
Blade Runner (1982)
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