Watched Alien: Covenant (2017) yesterday.
It’s a seventh Alien film and the sequel to Prometheus (2012), a jumbled mess of inconsequential events and terrible script writing, compensated by Ridley Scott’s strong direction.
Only this time the script is better. It has more focus, better defined characters, and story that you can actually follow. It has a number of plot problems but not many enough to ruin the experience (at least while I was in the theatre).
While I think it was a good follow-up from Prometheus, it still has a very weak connection to the original Alien (1979). It’s as if the screenwriter(s) hasn’t seen it for a while and do not remember how it starts.
The best character is Michael Fassbender. His android character has a lot more depth and clearer motivation than David in Prometheus, and is a joy to watch.
The main girl from Fantastic Beasts is okay but not strong enough, easily overshadowed by Fassbender.
The Alien creature is good but underused. I think editing was too efficient with the creature, and things happen and end without enough tension built around. It does a good job when it’s on screen, but it was not given enough weight.
It’s a good Alien film, but a pretty formulaic one. Ridley Scott does great job at storytelling both in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, it’s just that the story he’s got wasn’t good in the former. This time it’s better – but not great or memorable.
There are huge gaps between Alien and Aliens duo, and the rest of the franchise. I think Alien: Covenant sits right between them. 7⁄10.
It’s amazing that Scott is still directing films despite his age (nearing 80), but I am not sure if he should spend the rest of his creative life making sequels, which seem at this point just nostalgia-based cash-grabs.
—toshi omagari
Flommist Toshi Omagari fights many things, most recent of which is the auto-correction of his title to florist. Copyright © 2017 Toshi Omagari.
PLEASE SUPPORT FLOMM
TIPS + DONATIONS DISCREETLY ACCEPTED