Prometheus was widely considered a disappointment by fans, but the hope for a while now has been that Alien: Covenant would make things right. Based on the first wave of reviews, it appears as if that is the case. However, while the movie currently sits at 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, even the positive reviews seem to be mixed as it seems as if Ridley Scott has gone back to the past to make this work.
That's not necessarily a bad thing considering the fact Alien is widely hailed as one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all-time, but this may movie doesn't seem to be the step forward some have hoped for.
Even so, it definitely sounds like a fun time and a far more effective prequel than Prometheus. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 currently dominating the box office, it will be interesting seeing just how well this movie is able to perform when it opens. Are you guys excited to check it out next weekend?
“Alien: Covenant” is probably not the movie you were expecting. Yes, there’s body-horror and action, nightmare-inducing monsters, and a kick-ass heroine. But then there’s so much more. Some of it is tedious, halfhearted pontification about the power of faith. Some of it is intriguing backstory, knitting “Prometheus’s” tale more tightly with “Alien.” And the rest is just so damn weird that I can’t help but be impressed!
SOURCE: Comic Book Resources
Alien Covenant is a film of very little faith. It doesn’t have faith that you’ll notice how formulaic its story is, and it doesn’t have faith that you’ll see the most predictable plot “twist” in years coming half a movie away. And when someone doesn’t have faith in you it’s only natural to feel the same way about them. Alien Covenant is so familiar, so disposable, and so baselessly self-important that it might just make you lose faith in this franchise altogether.
Instead of looking to the franchise’s future, it is hopelessly stuck in its past, reworking old tensions with a few new jumps and blood splatters that quizzically stay bloodless. It might end with a set-up for another sequel, but that threat is merely the closest it comes to a genuine scare. [**]
SOURCE: Den of Geek
Much like The Force Awakens did with the first Star Wars, Covenant succeeds by recreating what it feels like to watch Alien. The tropes it plays with are the ones the original created. Here, they’re reproduced so slickly that you remember why you fell in love in the first place. But a well-done retread is still a retread. [B+]
SOURCE: Entertainment Weekly
The vu has never been so déja: it’s a greatest-hits compilation of the other Alien films’ freaky moments. The paradox is that though you are intended to recognise these touches, you won’t really be impressed unless you happen to be seeing them for the first time. For all this, the film is very capably made, with forceful, potent performances from Waterston and Fassbender. That franchise title is, however, looking increasingly wrong. It is a bit familiar. [***]
SOURCE: Guardian
Working as a sequel to Prometheus and a prequel to the Alien trilogy, Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant, as the title alludes to, certainly seems to share more in common with the latter, as a self-contained science fiction blockbuster that thrives in its simplistic premise. Where Prometheus was somewhat ambitious narratively, instead this sequel can be appreciated more so as a standalone survival flick simply belonging to the same universe – and the film benefits greatly as a result. [***]
SOURCE: HeyUGuys
Further proving his mastery of creating tension and thrills, Scott has effectively created a satisfying hybrid of "Alien," "Prometheus" and even James Cameron's "Aliens." Those looking for one of the better movies in the "Alien" franchise should appreciate what the latest movie brings to the mix. But it's not for the squeamish or faint of heart. [****]
SOURCE: New York Daily News
For reasons too spoilery to give away, Fassbender is electric, giving a spectacularly skin-crawling performance. ‘Covenant’ has the same beautiful design as ‘Prometheus’ and once again the script is being all clever and profound, asking the biggies: Who are we? Where do we came from? What's missing is one of the franchise’s unforgettable scenes that feed your nightmares for weeks – like Noomi Rapace’s do-it-yourself alien caesarian in 'Prometheus', or the chestbuster in ‘Alien’. And every time a crew member stiffened, an alien about to burst out of them like a blackhead being popped, my mind drifted back to the original. [***]
SOURCE: Time Out
What’s frustrating is this could have been a pretty stellar Alien movie. Waterston, Crudup, Danny McBride (playing a character named Tennessee!), and Demián Bichir are all really great. And Fassbender is terrific as Walter. A new crew! Fun! But then David shows up and forces us to watch Prometheus again. David is such a killjoy.
SOURCE: Uproxx
With everything said, Alien: Covenant is a “fine” addition to Ridley Scott’s space-age terror franchise. It gets back to the more military roots of Aliens while going full-out gonzo gorefest, but the script both overcompensates with backstory (social satire) and dodges other plot-hole-territory details (a David/Walter exchange in the finale). You’ll cringe, whimper and recoil, but not with devastating or lasting repercussions. Scott’s latest is a thrill-ride that blasts through celestial carnage, while building a bigger Alien world that might not be 100% necessary. Out of all the films in the franchise, Alien: Covenant has the least stand-alone potential – but dammit if it’s not a wild, warp-speed-killing-machine adventure.
SOURCE: We Got This Covered