Review of Alien: Covenant (2017) by Seb B — 28 May 2017

Covenant is all over the place. Each sequence feels like a bridge to the next but never really seems to go anywhere. As an audience we never really seem to connect with the characters or the story.

The Xenomorph is over used and in the open far too much - gone are the days of the alien sticking to the shadows and slowly picking off crew members one-by-one until it's finally revealed. The Xenomorph of Covenant just walks right up to our characters and goes for the kill. More like a by-the numbers horror movie monster than the intelligent and graceful alien of the original movie run - teasing and toying with its victims.

There is very little suspense or tension built as our heroes/cannon fodder stumble from one locale to another without ever really exploring or engaging with the environment until the pre-finale sequence, which serves as mere exposition to explain what has happened in the ten years between the ill fated mission of the Prometheus and now.

Fassbender, again, is the saving grace, as David (as well as Walter - the Covenant android), giving a chilling performance. Catherine Waterson gives it her all as Daniels (our pre-Ripley Ripley) but again it's hard to engage with her in the context of what is going on around her.

All in all Covenant will please moviegoers looking for gore and a seemingly unstoppable killing machine to stalk the crew but diehard fans will once again be disappointed.

Covenant definitely feels more like a traditional Alien movie than its predecessor but Prometheus's slower build and the lack of the Alien itself, along with its eyes-to-the-stars mystery elements of mankind's origins and place in the universe made for a much more coherent and enjoyable narrative.