Alien: Covenant

Mark Rushow 6/23/2021 3:57:59 PM 8.4

Watched Alien: Covenant a 3rd time. It is a lot better than first meets the eye. The drastic difference from what we were expecting in direction from Prometheus threw all of us off. We had expectations of what we would get to see and we didn't get those. There is so much detail and such good acting. It takes multiple watches to pick up on it all. It blends the styles of Alien, Aliens, and Prometheus all together and does it very well. There is also a lot of subtle reference to Terminator 2. The dynamic between the androids Walter and David and the acting that went into that is something quite special. In that alone is a reference to T:2. My first 2 watches I didn't appreciate the android Walter like the character deserves. I was biased against his character in light of the android David. The android Walter and how he was portrayed also blends the style of android we see in Aliens. The actor's voice and demeanor reflect that of the android Bishop and gives us a bridge to his design. Michael Fassbender really did one hell of a job acting those two parts of Walter and David. Near the end of the movie there is another nod to T:2 as a beam is clearly marked as such and the scene that follows has a strong T:2/Aliens sequence and taste in styling to it. Through and through the acting is very good. Details are abound everywhere. There are a few points of rather convenient plots however overall the film is now among my favorites right along side Aliens and T:2.

AnAwe 6/23/2021 3:58:33 PM 8.4

Though Michael Fassbender did a sublime job and the movie itself was visually immersive, the actions of the main characters did not seem very smart. I could forgive the decision that the newly installed captain Oram (Billy Crudup) took about going to the unknown planet. But everything that happened after David cut his hair exactly the same way Walter head just makes you shake your head in amusement and think ‘Oh, come on!’. David, obsessed with the act of creation that had value in its end, uses any means available. It is remarkable that no one from the remaining crew has questioned imposter Walters’s identity and just carried on like the worst was left behind. Meanwhile, the last scene when Daniels (Katherine Waterston) realizes (finally!) that Walter is, in fact, David and she had totally screwed up with the thousands of colonizers and embryos on the ship… does give you slight goosebumps.

Repo Jack 6/23/2021 3:58:47 PM 8.4

I would hate to be in the shoes of a filmmaker that needs to please a rabid fan base. The "Star Wars" sequels are a perfect example of this. Ridley Scott has the same challenge with the "Alien" prequels which you see in user scores. I loved "Prometheus" with its attempt at something bigger than just more face huggers and xenomorphs wreaking havoc. It was clear he was building a grander story to the eventual bridge to the original "Alien." He continues that bigger story with "Alien: Covenant" and whether he meant to provide fan service or not, we get that with face huggers and xenomorphs. (No spoiler as both are in the trailers.) Do yourself a favor and watch the short clip "Last Supper" (youtu.be/EkXgRlRao5I ) before you watch the movie. At only five minutes, it gives a better introduction of the Covenant crew than the movie does providing deeper emotional investment in these characters. Ultimately "Alien Covenant" delivers an excellent, fast-paced sci-fi action horror thriller (yes, it hits that many genres) like only Ridley Scott can that continues exploring the "Prometheus" theme of creation.