Movie Review: Alien: Covenant

As one of the most extraordinary science fiction franchises to endure the test of time, nothing is more frightening than the "Alien" film series when it comes to experiencing horror in space. When the original film was released in 1979, Ridley Scott gave viewers a reason to believe the tagline accompanying the poster "In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream". True enough, when Sigourney Weaver faced down the very first Xenomorph alien in that movie - everything about having a "horror house" type setting with an unknown lifeform came to head - the discovery of the Space Jockey and Facehugger infecting a crew member - leading to the terror that would only grow in numbers with the 1986 sequel "Aliens" and the series' subsequent follow ups.

Fast forward to 2012, and Ridley Scott returned to the Alien universe to tell an offshoot prequel story with "Prometheus" - which followed the crew of the exploration ship of the same name landing in the moon called LV-223 to discover mankind's origins and creators. What they found was something "unexpected", leading to strands of DNA connecting to the origins of the titular "Alien" species fans know but not quite giving a definite answer. Scott aims to change that with the release of his follow-up "Alien: Covenant" - a sequel to Prometheus and taking place years before the 1979 Alien film, explaining how the Xenomorphs came to be and what exactly happened to the survivors Elizabeth Shaw and the android David.

After seeing the film courtesy of 20th Century Fox PH some weeks back, here's a straightforward review for "Alien: Covenant" - which is now playing in theaters!

Set roughly a decade after the events of "Prometheus", Alien: Covenant follows the crew of the colonization ship "Covenant" as they set out for a remote planet to start a new life and expand humanity's reach in the stars. Unfortunately a series of devastating events forces the crew out of hypersleep with casualties among its inhabitants - and a discovery of a transmitted message that leads them to a nearby planet that cuts away their journey time and looks habitable for colonization. What the Covenant crew don't realize is that they are going somewhere that contains dangers they will never see coming, not to mention the discovery of the remnants of the lost expedition ship "Prometheus" and the android David - who holds dark secrets that will change everything as we know it.
ALIEN: COVENANT TRAILER
As a sequel to Prometheus, Alien: Covenant delivers on its promise to "correct the course of events" that the Alien franchise needs to build on its prequel timeline to explain the evolution and origins of the Xenomorph race. Michael Fassbender returns as the near human like and dangerous android David, whose actions quite literally define what happens to make the movie's plot go forward and explain the gaps left by Prometheus. He also pulls double duty by playing the Covenant's android Walter - a future model that is more loyal to his crew and less prone to unpredictabile behavior than his predecessor. Katherine Waterson of "Fantastic Beasts" fame stars as the lead female character Daniels - who's not unlike Sigourney Weaver's Ripley in finding out first hand the dangers the planet they land in contain. Round up the other cast members in Billy Crudup and Danny McBride, and you have quite the human cast to root and be afraid for with all the stuff they're walking into unwittingly. In a way the film does deliver answers, but it also leaves a lot more questions when everything is said and done. It's required to visit the Alien Facebook or YouTube page and see the prequel entries that 20th Century Fox has uploaded to get a full gist of the story - that won't be included in the theatrical cut of "Alien: Covenant" at all and there are parts, such as seeing more of James Franco's role before the events of the film and Noomi Rapace reprising her role as Elizabeth Shaw, that are fleshed out better if you do so.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend Alien: Covenant to fans who want answers and are seeking more from the franchise in trying to chart out new adventures that ultimately lead to what takes place in the 1979 film. It does have a slow start and takes its time to introduce new players into the game, but ultimately it pays off when the characters land on the planet David and the Black Goo are in. Ridley Scott is revisiting familiar territory that doesn't eclipse his original or James Cameron's "Aliens", but it is serviceable and keeps the interest alive for future installments. If anything, expect more of the franchise down the line as the years go by - there's still plenty of mystery and stuff to explain with the Xenomorph legend that gets us to the Notstromo and Ripley's adventures in the future.

Rating - 3/5