Review: Alien: Covenant (2017)

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“I think if we are kind, it will be a kind world.”
– Walter

SYNOPSIS: 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. – via IMDB

Alrighty, this is a movie I have been looking forward to for some time, and I know that my review is rather late in posting, especially considering I actually watched it weeks ago when it first came out. Alien: Covenant is worth the watch. I know that there has been some bitching online, but people need to breathe. There were some niggles to be had here, and there were some things that should be celebrated too.

First and foremost, Covenant managed to balance what I had hoped Prometheus would have when it came out: the gore and the existential philosophising. This is handled really well. The creation question still emerges and is dealt with far better here than in its predecessor, as it handles the themes as introduced in Prometheus more successfully, yet still delivers the blood and gore one craves when watching an Alien movie. It sets an atmosphere again that is both isolated and creepy as hell, much like the Alien films of old. It also has plenty action and some deep themes to look into, and there is blood. Oh yes, all that blood.

The cast, too, was pretty good here. Yes, a lot of them were there purely for sacrifice and the bloodletting we spoke about above, but then there are some performances that stand out. I was surprised that Danny McBride didn’t get under my skin as always, and I actually quite enjoyed Tennessee’s scenes, he was entertaining. Then there is Katherine Waterson’s Daniels, a resolute woman who is easy to root for, and I appreciate that. Naturally everybody has been raving about Michael Fassbender’s performance(s) in this, and I totally get why. The man is brilliant and an absolute scene stealer. I mean wow. He totally got involved here and brought all the goods to the table.

Now, I did have some issues. I didn’t like that the one huge plotsie that was set out here is so damn transparent it is impossible to miss. I would have liked some more mystery there. Another thing, I was not overly sold on all the different xenomorphs here. Yes, we get different ones for each film, yes, they all bring something to the table, but these ones made me thing a lot of the cat-like, super bad CGI xenomorphs of Alien³. Really. Also, the effects were a little dodgy at the best of times and pulled me totally out of the experience, which sucked a bit. A huge gripe I had was that ridiculously unnecessary sex/shower scene that was tacked in here. It had no place in the movie, and was totally uncalled for. Not a fan.

Alien: Covenant hits the ground running with its story and execution. Definitely nothing new at all, but it is brutal, fast paced, carried by good performances, and sets an atmosphere for the audience. The pacing is also quite good, as it doesn’t feel rushed or drawn out. While not a perfect movie, it is a damn enjoyable one. Scott gets to balance out his Prometheus themes with the horror of his original Alien, and so Covenant is birthed and I can appreciate it. Worth a watch I say, especially if you are a fan of the Alien franchise.

18 thoughts on “Review: Alien: Covenant (2017)”

  1. I pretty much thought the same! 🙂 There’s a little something in Covenant for both Alien and Prometheus fans. I did see the “twist” coming from a far mile as well, so that was a letdown. Still, Fassbender is such a brilliant actor, which made for a thoroughly enjoyable sequel overall. Fantastic review, Zoë!

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  3. I agree Zoe. Fun and wicked when it’s really good. Other parts are not as assured and certainly feel a little….cliche.

    I loved those little baby xenomoprhs though. I want one as a pet.

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  5. Awesome review Zoe, I’m a massive fan of the Alien films (particularly the first two) and I even enjoyed Prometheus to a certain extent (I enjoyed the existential elements as well)…but I really have mixed feelings about Covenant. It started out great but I had serious issues with the direction the plot went in (i.e. where it concerns the origins of the xenomorphs) and the rushed finale felt lack a rehash of Alien, Aliens & Alien 3 without any real tension…and yes the CGI was pretty bad in places!

    But Fassbender is great, as he always is…shame he’s counted himself out for Bond. Hopefully the new Predator movie will be more successful…

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    • Thanks Chris! The first two Alien films are excellent. I see this film got a seriously mixed reception and I can understand as there are elements that aren’t appealing, but for the most part I really enjoyed this one. Gosh the CGI was cringe-worthy at times.

      Man he was fantastic! Will see where the Predator one goes.

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