Alien Covenant Fan Reviews

[Immortan Jonesy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAQGAOPu1k0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmI2z1vZeCM

lol How can you stand this guy? he is so f**king annoying! 

[Jonesy1974]

Tennessee because his character took some time to develop. He was the last to get down to the planet and we learned more about him as a person before he arrived and was thrust into danger. That scene when he found out his wife died? Gut wrenching performance!

On the flip side, when Daniels husband died, I didn't care because we didn't know them. I don't think we were meant to care about the captain, but we were supposed to care that Daniels cared. And it didn't work for me.

I liked Tennessee and Daniels tbh but I felt Oram was the most fleshed out character and had the best arc. Next time you watch it you might appreciate him a little more.

I'll keep an open mind but I'm doubtful. Orem was fleshed out, sure, but I didn't like his character all that much. Personal taste, really. I think I'll enjoy the book more than the movie to be honest. I'm sure we'll get to know all the characters better in that medium.

I'm in the Oram camp too. Initially he was shown as a warm person when he was waking up Daniels, then we saw him disconnected from the rest of the crew, trying to establish authority, doing things by the book and determined. We were being set up to hate him, especially after when Daniels voiced her disapproval of his decision. Then he showed some idiosyncracies and he had good chemistry with Carmen Ejogo (Karine, his wife). Next he he was getting along nicely while on planet and he even had some clever lines. Then he was channeling a lot of emotions with Daniels. He was constantly falling apart and picking himself up again. His confrontation with David was brilliant. Maybe his demise not as good but the initial part when at the same time I was fascinated by bonding of David with the Neomorph and rooting for them, but on the other hand Oram did a wise thing and he demanded an explanation. The set-up that led him to his demise could have been altered slightly, because the whole act itself, I really felt it...it was the most touching death I can remember in any Alien film. I thought he's gonna be a shill, weakling or simply a dick...but he was neither, and yet he was something way more than any of those archetypes. And my wife liked him a lot too and she agreed with me. For me liking him was very unexpected yet I cannot stop thinking about his performance! He's like a Hudson of this film I mean a character that constantly makes this film still alive and a character to watch for, but in a totally different way.

Yep, what he said ^

[DB]

The short of it: didn't give me ebola but also wasn't particularly great.

Movie adequately demonstrates the importance of wearing space helmets no matter what your computer tells you. That way alien dust particles can't make albino Silent Hill demons in your ass. This movie is also home to potentially the dumbest decision ever made in a franchise with lots of poor decision making.

I liked the first half much more than the second. The buildup to back burster was pretty nice.

I noted how David has simply decided, after much reflection, that becoming robot Lex Luthor was the correct career choice for his skillset. Fair enough. This franchise doesn't have enough evil robots, after all.

Spoiler

So in the end it was David who gave the space demons penises for heads,
mostly because he thought it'd be cool. It's what everyone did with Spore, so I can sympathize.

[close]

I found

Spoiler

the death of the Engineers fascinating. I actually felt Scott's psychic remnant. It said "So since none of you ingrates liked Prometheus enough, f**k the Engineers. You wanted to know why they hated humanity and shit? Well, f**k 'em, they all died. Here, have some more phallic headed monsters, you plebeians.

[close]

The black goo is fascinating, and rather ironically I think the Predalien can make sense to me now. The black goo does whatever it wants, because it can. Voodoo space magic has no limits, really. It can disintegrate people, or make them into excellent garden sculptures, or make demons, or spider demons, or whatever the f**k. Sounds about right for this franchise, really.

The Aliens in this movie seemed particularly pissed off to me. They've always had temper management issues, but I guess they just picked it up from their fathers, it's not their fault really. These guys are just so angry all the time, if they can't find someone to f**k up they'll just beat whatever's closest, living or not. I am a licensed psychologist - I recommend a deep psychoanalysis to find out what needs they've been missing. Maybe if they had a proper motherhood figure, like Kerrigan, or a big T-Rex like creature that can give them love and affection they'd mellow out.

It was also very nice for Scott to weigh in on the "did the Alien survive getting blasted by space thrusters" argument. Over the years I've seen many who felt that the only reason the Alien didn't burn to a crisp in the first movie was because Scott didn't have the budget or they just didn't have the technosorcery to make that happen on-screen. f**k all of you. Said Ridley Scott.

To be honest I don't feel like I know more about the Alien at all and don't even understand why they are in the movie (besides putting butts in seats). In the end,

Spoiler

they are made from a space virus, a weapon designed by the space jockeys, which is then made even more EVIL by an EVIL mad scientist robot. The only part I didn't already suspect was the robot's hand in it.This is the same shit we've been talking about for years. They were made as weapons for unknown reasons by very perturbed alien jerks. Well, thanks for confirming it, I guess.

[close]

They could have just kept albino space monkeys throughout the whole thing and not much would have changed. The Proto-Alien even acts the same way, he just looks meaner. Oh well.

[WinterActual]

This is my first post since a very long time but I just wanted to share my frustration about Covenant with some true fans.

Lets start - I never bothered following whats going on with Covenant. I knew it was coming but I decided just to wait and see the movie. The only thing I watched was some trailer, just one trailer and I was like "Holy shit that's gonna be a massacre - definitely going to the cinema for this!". Usually I don't go to see the movies at launch at the cinema, I just wait for the DVD.

So, a few days ago I went to see the movie with wifey. I am pointing this out because I made her an Alien fan. She never watched the movies before she met me so I want to share her opinion too as just a normal viewer who liked Alien and Aliens and A:R to some degree but she is not a die hard fan.

The movie started somehow good. The scene with David. But then it became SO SLOW! What was it? An hour before anything happened? Something like that. And even during this "blank" hour nothing character wise happened. We couldn't "touch" the characters, they were just some people with their problems (dying husband, new promotion, etc). The characters were bland, imo. It was not like in Alien or Aliens where the first time you watch the movie the moment you see the characters you feel how strong they are. This is missing in Covenant.

During this hour they were showing some spaceship tech and how it functions. But why? It never had any role with the events in the movie later on. I mean in Aliens for example they show the ship just for a few moments so the viewers can realize how big it is and then they show how the marines prep for the mission - with the guns, used later in the movie, the power loader, the apc. So the viewer can say hey they were showcasing those in the beginning! In Covenant all this showcase is for nothing - its just a filler. I felt ripped off after the movie ended because of that.

Ok, then the planet landing happened. I liked the scene with the human crops. It was so scary and nice for me Then the spores scene happened and both me and my girl thought This is bullshit but it is what it is, if the rest is good this wont break the system right? Sadly the rest wasn't good. The "infection" process began and we were in anticipation of the good stuff. We loved how the new alien developed and bursted out of the guy, it was nice even if it was too fast for something that came out of a spore. The scene in the dropship was great imo. I liked the bitch acting of the Tennese's wife, how both girls slipped, the explosion after that. After that the ambush with the multiple aliens it was nice also. What I LOVED about the movie was the gun sounds, they sound so loud and deep. And this is where the movie ended for me, honestly.

The rest was shit to say the least. It felt like the whole movie is about the android. The (kinda?) classic xeno part was somehow decent but the CGI ruined it for me. In the end of the movie they tried to make it a horror since they failed at the action part in the woods/field. Well, they failed at both. The movie is not an action film nor a horror film.

After the movie I asked my girl if she can remember any of the characters, he barely remembered Tennese. And this is what I remember too - Tennese and his wife, thats about it. The rest are random people who die like all the nameless soldiers in We were soldiers, Band of Brothers, and so on. She, as casual viewer didn't liked the movie at all. She said its boring for the most part, the action was too little and the horror was non existent. Which is true.

The main protagonist was boring and blank too. The moment I saw Daniels or whatever, I knew she would be Ripley 2.0 as sole survivor doing all the dirty work. How original... For years the movies have taken this "canon" the girl to be the sole survivor, they could have change it a little this time. Its so obvious now.

Aaand of course the alien play was bad - too many CGI, the new (proto?) aliens development is too fast, way too human like (I didn't liked that personally). I'll rather have a movie where both alien species fight each other and the humans are caught in between, something like the first AvP.

The movie is 3/10 at best for me, solely for the sounds.

I know one thing for sure though - I am not going to cinema ever again. Such a waste of money.

[Dirty Harry]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAQGAOPu1k0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmI2z1vZeCM

Cameron fanboy for sure.
Just ignore him.

[MasCot]

I saw the movie yesterday, and didn't really like it.

Ironically, the best parts were the androids and the continuation of the themes from Prometheus, while the third act with the aliens was much weaker, it went too quickly with no suspense whatsoever, Ridley Scott clearly wasn't that interested in the Xenos, who weren't even that threatening by the way, the Neomorphs and David himself worked much better as antagonists.

My main issue with the movie, however, is that it is destroying the mystery of the aliens by making them a product of a human-made android. They are no longer even "alien", just some genetically engineered monsters not unlike the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. The accelerated lifecycle I will not even comment on...

I liked the characters, for the most part at least. Daniels was okay, Oram was the most developed (surprisingly), Tennessee was the most sympathetic, while the two androids were superb. I'm very disappointed that Dr. Shaw was killed off-screen, similary to Newt and Hicks. Why? Why was she replaced with Daniels who had no meaningful development?

The music was great though.

(So what should they have done? IMO: keep Shaw, make her the enemy of David on the planet after he kills the Engineers. The Xenos should be kept as a project of the Engineers (perhaps they are released after David wipes out the Engineer City?). David should be the father of the lesser Neomorphs. The part with the aliens should be longer and much more suspensful.)

4/10.

My ranking of the Alien movies:
1. Aliens
2. Alien
3. Alien3
4. Prometheus
5. Covenant
6. Aliens vs Predator
7. Alien: Resurrection
8: Aliens vs Predator: Requiem

[Scorpio]

Leaving aside nitpicks, because I don't care I just want to be entertained.  I loved it.  This is right up there with Alien and Aliens, but in many ways it is a much better movie than those two.  It's far more ambitious. 

This Alien fan is very, very happy.

I give it 10/10.  Please Creator, let there be a sequel. 

[SyntaX]

Leaving aside nitpicks, because I don't care I just want to be entertained.  I loved it.  This is right up there with Alien and Aliens, but in many ways it is a much better movie than those two.  It's far more ambitious. 

This Alien fan is very, very happy.

I give it 10/10.  Please Creator, let there be a sequel.

People hate this movie because it actually takes away the mystery that surrounded the Xenomorph. The same happened with The Force Awakens. Where people were, somehow, unable to let go of what they interpreted as "canon". Unable to expand their own vision and allow themselves to be suprised.

Instead of being it's own species and (presumably) having it's own planet .. Covenant shows that these things are made by a synthetic with a God-complex.
That being said, I accepted the fact that the Xenomorph is engineered. A perfect organism that takes the best attributes of it's host. Mind you, the Xenomorph we see in Covenant is still not the same as we saw in Alien. So David still has alot of work to do. The only thing I really hope is that Ridley Scott acknowledges the fact that the Alien Queen is part of the "lore". That the Xenomorphs evolved and are able to reproduce themselves.


Sure, the movie has some serious flaws (why are the characters so dumb) ... but it still looks great. I'll stick with my 7/10 though ... at the same time, I'm crossing my fingers that an Extended Cut gets released someday.

[FiorinaFury161]

Spoiler

Since David got so close to being shot in the film, perhaps there is a sense of "I need to have my creation continue if something happens to me". He has thousands of experimental hosts after all, so he can figure out how to produce the egg creator.That is, if Sir Ridley lets him.

[close]

[Gash]

People hate this movie because it actually takes away the mystery that surrounded the Xenomorph.

Strange really, I always thought the very word xenomorph started the rot there.

[Scorpio]

People hate this movie because it actually takes away the mystery that surrounded the Xenomorph.

I understand that, but this is a new universe we are dealing with and a new series of films (with only links to the old one).  If you want the mystery, then just watch the old films.  I, for one, want something new and interesting and I think they achieved that.  They expanded on a few of the themes already present in the Alien saga as well.  It works within the context the film.  If people keep comparing it to Alien and Aliens they will always be disappointed.

[SyntaX]

People hate this movie because it actually takes away the mystery that surrounded the Xenomorph.

I understand that, but this is a new universe we are dealing with and a new series of films (with only links to the old one).  If you want the mystery, then just watch the old films.  I, for one, want something new and interesting and I think they achieved that.  They expanded on a few of the themes already present in the Alien saga as well.  It works within the context the film.  If people keep comparing it to Alien and Aliens they will always be disappointed.

As I stated, the same happened with The Force Awakens. We're people, who call themselves fans, hated the idea of a female being the lead and TFA being a sequel to ROTJ. Sure, TFA took the safe route but it was a great setup for a new trilogy. 

Alien Covenant expands the Alien lore. If people want to hold on to the fact that Alien/Aliens can not be touched upon ... they are wrong. Again, Alien Covenant is a good movie but has some serious flaws. Covenant is much more of an Alien movie than Prometheus was. The only thing that connected Prometheus to the Alien-universe were the Engineers and the Daecon at the very end. Seeing something fresh, like the Neomorph was great. Seeing the first Alien (despite it looking different) felt great. The only problem I had with the movie is the stupid decisions the crew make.

"Yo! We are on an unknown planet, but let's just split up!"

[HuDaFuK]

I, for one, want something new and interesting and I think they achieved that.

I'm not sure what Covenant did that was terribly new or interesting. Most of it came across of a retread of things the series has done before.

[SyntaX]

I, for one, want something new and interesting and I think they achieved that.

I'm not sure what Covenant did that was terribly new or interesting. Most of it came across of a retread of things the series has done before.

You sure?

I'm pretty sure we haven't had a synthetic create life? 
Nor did we have a Neomorph (Alien) burst out of someone's throat or back.

There's plenty of new stuff in Covenant.

And there is more new stuff coming ... I hope.

[HuDaFuK]

You sure?

I'm pretty sure we haven't had a synthetic create life? 
Nor did we have a Neomorph (Alien) burst out of someone's throat or back.

Having an alien emerge from a slightly different spot is hardly anything new and exciting, it's just the the same thing with the vaguest of twists.

And the evil robot thing is hardly new to the franchise, even if he's done something new. We had Engineers creating life in the last film, now suddenly because it's a robot doing it instead it represents a new epoch?