Sorry that all my Alien Anthology reviews this past week have been published later than expected but I should be making up for that soon with early reviews for Baywatch, Wonder Woman, and Baby Driver all on the way. I'm trying something different with this review and if it's well received, I'll be going back and altering previous reviews and use the template for future reviews.
'Alien: Covenant' Review
Alien: Covenant escorts the coupled crew of the colony ship Covenant bound for prospective planet Origae-6. En route the Covenant encounters a space storm and whilst making repairs, the crew receives a foreboding human transmission. The crew investigate its source only to find an even closer planet and head there in hopes of discovering a pristine paradise. Of course, as things always do in these Alien flicks, nothing goes according to plan and the crew are forced to fend for themselves on an unfamiliar world against an unknown entity.
Alien: Covenant takes place between Prometheus and the original Alien, acting as a bridge between the two in more ways then one would suspect. Ridley Scott returns to the director's chair after experimenting with Prometheus and brings both his creative children together for an impressive amalgamation. The best way for me to describe Alien: Covenant would be that a studio executive locked Prometheus and Alien in a room and told them to play nice, only to return a while later and discover the two are now the best of pals. However, it's worth noting that Alien: Covenant bears the resemblance of a Prometheus sequel more than the guise of an Alien prequel.
Jack Paglen and Michael Green set the story while John Logan and Dante Harper penned the film's screenplay, building upon the groundwork Prometheus laid out to weave a satisfying tale that answers some pressing questions Prometheus ignored (don't expect answers to every disregarded inquiry though). Ridley Scott and his team of screenwriters effectively meld the excellent elements of each (Prometheus and Alien) to great effect, finding a deft balance between horror and philosophy. At times the film strays too close to the plotting of both those films, feeling a tad formulaic and predictable, but Alien: Covenant will still successfully startle and surprise viewers. If you haven't watched Prometheus or the promotional Alien: Covenant prologues released on YouTube, I'd recommend checking them out before seeing Alien: Covenant to enhance your understanding of things but none of them are essential viewing and it won't affect your level of uneasiness if you opt out of watching any of them.
Ridley Scott and crew demonstrate terrific technical prowess with commanding cinematography, magnificent visual effects, and striking scenery. Dariusz Wolski's camerawork amplified the serene essence in the film's quiet moments and instantly instilled a frantic vitality when things got terrifying. On the long list of Alien: Covenant's accolades, the hair, make-up, and production design teams collaborated seamlessly along with the vfx artists to craft some chilling chest-bursting sequences and an idyllic aesthetic to juxtapose opposite the gruesome bloodbath. The computer generated Xenomorphs manage to move with a fervent frenzy that simply can't be brought to life any other way so hats off to the animators behind that monstrosity. Meanwhile, Jed Kurzel's musical score fittingly intensified the proceedings. Kurzel's compositions strike a sweet spot, boasting vacant volume and an eerily intense, ethereal sound matching the duality of Scott's vision.
Elsewhere, Alien: Covenant accommodates an accomplished ensemble who exceeded my expectations. Katherine Waterston offers an all-encompassing performance demonstrating her range, thus making Daniels a serviceable female lead. Billy Crudup also digs deep as Captain Oram and Danny McBride's serious turn as Tennessee was a shocking delight. The remaining crew members are serviceably portrayed by Demián Najera, Carmen Ejogo, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Amy Seimetz, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby, Uli Latukefu, and Tess Haubrich respectively, but these characters wound up feeling shallow in the grand scheme of things. I can say the ensemble worked together well as the sense of the crew's camaraderie is felt from the very beginning, aided by the fact each character has a spouse among the crew. The real scene stealer unsurprisingly turns out to be Michael Fassbender, who's definitely a proven commodity at this point. Michael Fassbender exceptionally brings a two-pronged performance playing the respectable robot Walter and reprising his role as sinister synthetic David. Fassbender excels in both facets, impressively playing against himself as two different droids with a similar basis. I won't say much else about these characters because that would approach the dreaded spoiler territory but I can say there's one scene that will make Fassbender fangirls around the world squeal in giddy joy.
In conclusion, I highly advise a trip to the theater to see Alien: Covenant for fans of horror or the Alien franchise itself. If you're wondering about tamer offerings, I can vouch that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 holds up well for repeat viewings (I've now seen it three times) or you could give poor King Arthur a hand at lifting that epic sword and check out King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (which hasn't had the greatest run at the box office). However, Alien: Covenant definitely delivered the thrill-ride I was hoping for and stands as another strong science fiction entry in this summer season's blockbuster catalogue. Alien: Covenant is tense, riveting, and bursting all-around with accomplished aspects, making it the most satisfying suspenseful sci-fi epic this franchise has seen in years!
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