Alien: Covenant

Mixing science fiction with horror is something, that usually does not work well. We have seen so many low budget horror films, trying to mix these genres together, and most of the films fall flat to the ground. But there are of course exceptions. And i think one of the most well known science fiction horror classics of all time, has to be the 1979 film Alien. This turned out to be a very dark, frightening sci fi horror film, that had a very unique look. The film became a huge box office success, and critics were really positive ( for the most part ). Sigurney Weaver as Ripley became one of the most iconic female action stars. Alien did not look like any other science fiction film around this time, so director Ridley Scott have really proved himself to be one of the best science fiction directors of the late 70´s. It would take many years until a sequel would be on the way. Of course, there was a lot of skeptical people about a sequel, how on earth can you do a film as good as Alien ? Then in 1986, we got the answer we all have waited for. The Terminator director James Cameron, took on the job to direct Aliens, and oh boy was this a good call. Aliens could be the best science fiction action horror film of all time, honestly. This is such a well made film, on so many levels. The aliens look bad ass, the characters are bad ass, the special effects are fantastic, and the cinematography as well. Aliens knocked everyone off their cinema seats. Critics loved it, audiences worldwide loved it, and i can still today call it the best Alien film ever. Director James Cameron really showed the world that he was the perfect choice to direct this film. After the successes of Aliens, it seemed that there were discussions about Alien 3. But there seemed to be problems surrounding the script, and the film got delayed. Until director David Fincher was chosen to make the film. Looking back at Alien 3, i can say that this could have been a good film. But i understand that director David Fincher did not get to do this film, the way he wanted to do it, because of the film studio demands. The final result turned out to be a big difference to Aliens in 1986. You could say that Alien 3 have some potential ideas, but did not manage to pull them out correctly. Sigourney Weaver did at least what she could with her role, so no need to blame her for anything. In 1997, after a lot of negative reactions of Alien 3, french director Jean-Pierre Jeunet was chosen to direct Alien Resurrection. This film did go back more to the roots of the Alien franchise, but was also critisized by critics and fans, for being a lame sequel. I actually had fun watching Alien: Resurrection in cinemas, it was an improvement from Alien 3. After the 4th film, it seemed as if Alien would not return for a long time ( unless you count in the Alien Vs Predator films ). And director Ridley Scott, did return with a sort of a prequel called Prometheus. This film was supposed to give us an idea of how it all started.  I enjoyed it, but did not really see it as an Alien film. So here we are in 2017, with a brand new Alien film in cinemas called Alien: Covenant, and director Ridley Scott is back as the director. Do we finally have an Alien classic in our hands, or is this the sequel that never should have been made ?

In the year 2104, synthetic android Walter ( Michael Fassbender ) is controlling the ship Covenant. On board the ship there are thousands of colonists on board the ship, sleeping in pods. When a sudden neutrino burst damage the ship, a lot of colonists are killed. Some of the survivors manage to wake up, and begin to repair the ship. Among the space ship survivors, we see Daniels " Dany " Branson ( Katherine Waterston ), Christopher Oram ( Billy Crudup ), Sergeant Lope ( Demián Bichir ), Tennessee Faris ( Danny McBride ) and many more. When a signal is picked up from radio transmission from a distant planet, the crew begin to investigate where this planet is located. It turns out to be the remote planet Origae-6. Since no one knows what is down there, or if there are any survivors down there that might need help, they decide to go down and check out for any signs of life. 

Since my early childhood, the Alien films hold a special place in my heart, especially Aliens from 1986. So, going in to the cinema to see Alien: Covenant, of course i had high expectations. Especially since director Ridley Scott is the director of the film, it has to be good, right ? Well, let´s just say maybe my expectations was too high. You see, this Alien film does have some quality to offer. You have a very good looking film, with well made cinematography by Dariusz Wolski. The film also manage to deliver, from a technological perspective. And i especially enjoy Danny McBride as the chief pilot Tennessee Faris. His character is exactly what a crew like this needs in space. Michael Fassbender, in double roles as David and Walter, manage to deliver a solid performance, as both characters. Katherine Waterston does a good performance, as the tough terraforming expert Daniels. I do enjoy the space sequences as well, surrounding the space ship. I found out recently that the space ship was actually build by hand. and that is very impressive.

Now, let´s bring up some problems.

For being a throwback to the classic Alien genre, director Ridley Scott makes it a bit too easy for himself. If he really wanted to make a film, that true Alien fans would want, he would have done a story with much more depth. Alien: Covenant is far too simple in the plot. It is basically the same story we have seen so many times before, except for a few details. I would have liked to see an unexpected twist in the plot, that no one would predict. A simple story can be good, but you have to bring something interesting into the story, or it will be forgotten pretty easy. Another problem is the fact that you don´t get to see any major battle scenes between aliens and humans. There are a few, that looks ok. But considering this is an Alien film, you would expect lots of gore, blood and brutality. There are a few moments where you recognize the Alien theme, but these moments don´t feel crafted in the right way. 

So what is my overall opinion of this film ? I feel kind of split in some ways, because i do enjoy some parts of the film, and we have seen worse Alien films in the past. So if you enjoy the previous Alien films, i don´t see why you should not see Alien: Covenant. There are some positive things in this film, and it feels more of a throwback to the traditional look of Alien, than what Prometheus did. Director Ridley Scott is without a doubt a technical director, and this is where he prove himself best. And a film like this needs to look very stylish, from a technological perspective. If he only could have changed the story, and thrown in some more solid ideas, we might have had a much stronger film. As it stands now, this is a film that will most likely split fans, with many different opinions. I still enjoyed seeing Alien: Covenant, even though the film have problems. This film looks really good, and the cast does help the film work ( when other problems become obvious ). I heard that there is another film on the way. I really hope that we will get some details improved to next time. Until then, you might as well see Alien: Covenant in theatres. Especially if you have seen all the other films, then you might want to know some details about the past. Remember the phrase:- In space, no one can hear you scream ? I don´t think you will scream this time around, but you might have some popcorn fun in the cinema seat. Flame thrower anyone ? You might need one, just in case those mean bastards climbs out of the cinema walls.

Rating: DDD