Alien: Covenant (2017) ***
As I wrote the first time I saw it, Alien: Covenant (2017) is yet another flawed but intriguing and entertaining film in this franchise. I don't think this is any better or worse than the third or fourth films, which get a lot of flack.
With Covenant, Ridley Scott tried to satisfy both the fans of his lofty Prometheus (2012) and of his proto-slasher masterpiece Alien (1979) by continuing the story of gods, creation, and power from the former and ramping up the action, horror, and iconography from the latter. Ultimately, for this fan, he failed, due to numerous decisions—too much CGI, tonal disparity, a half-assed attempt at a new Ripley, and poorly-drawn characters that make incredibly dumb choices.
But on "Take 2", I still enjoyed parts of Covenant—the brilliant dual roles of Michael Fassbender, the handsome cinematography, and a better execution of the ideas explored in its predecessor. Due to the box office underperformance, I've not sure if a sequel (part of a planned trilogy?) is still happening, but here's hoping Scott can get the blend right in the next one.
You can find my Ridley Scott Feature Films Ranked list here.
With Covenant, Ridley Scott tried to satisfy both the fans of his lofty Prometheus (2012) and of his proto-slasher masterpiece Alien (1979) by continuing the story of gods, creation, and power from the former and ramping up the action, horror, and iconography from the latter. Ultimately, for this fan, he failed, due to numerous decisions—too much CGI, tonal disparity, a half-assed attempt at a new Ripley, and poorly-drawn characters that make incredibly dumb choices.
But on "Take 2", I still enjoyed parts of Covenant—the brilliant dual roles of Michael Fassbender, the handsome cinematography, and a better execution of the ideas explored in its predecessor. Due to the box office underperformance, I've not sure if a sequel (part of a planned trilogy?) is still happening, but here's hoping Scott can get the blend right in the next one.
You can find my Ridley Scott Feature Films Ranked list here.
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