Alien: Covenant (2017)

 

Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror 

Time: 2h 4mins

Director: Ridley Scott

Quick Summary: The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.

Okay, somehow they got a crew that is even more stupid than the previous one.

Though it is a wonderful sequel to Prometheus which starts to explain and bridge the gap to the original Alien, even if it isn't a great explanation. 

The opening act of this sets the tone perfectly by slowly introducing us to the characters and laying the foundation for the plot. It creates a sense of familiarity with the crew, which makes it easier to relate to them but sadly it doesn't do that very well. The pacing of this part of the film is just right, making the experience enjoyable and engaging. The similarity to the original Alien movie is cleverly executed, and it adds to the excitement of the story.

As I watched this, I couldn't help but notice that the writing had some major flaws, which were in line with those in Prometheus, where highly trained individuals make incredibly poor decisions. Surprise, surprise. It was a shame because the movie's main theme was quite intriguing, exploring the dynamics of creation and creator. The way the theme was portrayed, especially through David, the Android from the previous film, I really enjoyed though various elements that are revealed throughout the film.

Despite this, the crew's actions were as useless as before. While they weren't completely incompetent, it seemed as if they lacked common sense. Their decision-making skills were questionable, and I found myself wondering if they were even trained in combat. There were multiple times they just stood there looking panicky. 

The score is great and the sound design is spectacular. The gore and the horror elements to this were great too! I actually really liked the design of the Aliens in this and how much more violent everything was. They were more brutal and feral. I also liked the end fight. It wasn't anything action-packed, but it was a smart fight that felt like realistically someone would think to do. 

In the end, I found the crew's characters to be interesting. However, there were some minor flaws in the character development, and it could have been improved. The film had the potential to be great, but it was ultimately let down by some poor writing again. It looked as beautiful as the previous which I was happy to see.

7/10

"When one note is off, it eventually destroys the whole symphony, David."

"I'll do the fingering."

" I think if we are kind, it will be a kind world."