Review of Alien: Covenant (2017) by Pen G — 29 May 2017

Nearly five years ago, Ridley Scott introduced a new generation to the Alien lore with Prometheus, an indirect prequel that benefited entirely from its cast and great visuals. In his second go-around featuring a continued story 10 years from the last movie's timeline, Covenant keeps the entire franchise in stasis mode, much like its colonists aboard a vessel destined for another Earth-like planet. Once again, the plot is confusing and muddled under the sight for grandeur and exposition, while the acting, particularly for Michael Fassbender (again), outshines the script written for it.

Unfortunately, though Covenant may look just as good (and better at most times) as the last...the jumps and scares, the shock and awe...come entirely from the action and none of it from a predictable plot. One twist was so badly telegraphed, it almost ruined the final third of the film with its on-the-nose happenstance.

Fassbender is once again allowed to shine as Walter, yet another Android creation first introduced to the audience in Prometheus. The rest of the crew, led by Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Katherine Waterson and others don't particularly get a chance to let us root for them with all the mayhem from scene to scene. Scott felt so focused on the science fiction of it all that he forgot to include a story the audience could relate to and understand. I get the mythology of it all, but it feels like we jumped head first into a bigger story than what the movie leads you to believe.

Outside of those issues, Covenant still offered good action and solid thrills with some satisfying deaths an Alien movie should deliver. While at just under two hours, it surprisingly felt even quicker, but that might have just been me ready to call it quits in the final third after the twist was so hilariously defined.