The embargo has officially lifted! Alien Covenant reviews from around the Web are starting to pour in and so far, the reviews are quite positive! Many of the reviews are praising the cast, locations, sets, visual style and terror while some of the criticism is directed at the pacing of the final act when the Xenomorph we know and love appears. A few of the reviews also lament the use of CGI for the Neomorphs and Xenomorph as opposed to using good old-fashioned practical effects. Though the reviews do have one thing in common – Alien Covenant is a far more enjoyable movie than Prometheus!
As for Rotten Tomatoes, remember Prometheus did get mixed to positive reviews and eventually settled on a score of 72%. Alien Covenant is currently sitting on 75% based on 108 reviews. We’ll keep this post updated throughout the day. Feel free to discuss in the comments section below.
Positive
IGN (7.3/10)
JoBlos (8/10)
The Hollywood Reporter (Positive)
Bloody Disgusing (4/5)
The Wrap (Positive)
The Independent (5/5)
Forbes (Positive)
Birth Movies Death (Positive)
Telegraph (5/5)
Mirror.co.uk (5/5)
Entertainment Weekly (B+)
DigitalSpy (4/5)
The Playlist (B/B+)
Daily Star (4/5)
New York Daily News (4/5)
Fangoria (4/4)
Mixed
Alien vs. Predator Galaxy (6.5/10)
Collider (B-)
CinemaBlend (3.5/5)
TimeOut (3/5)
Metro (3/5)
We Got This Covered (3/5)
The Guardian (3/5)
Empire (3/5)
Total Film (3/5)
The Verge (Mixed)
Cnet (Mixed)
Den of Geek UK (3/5)
HeyUGuys (3/5)
Negative
CraveOnline (Negative)
We Live Entertainment (Negative)
Den of Geek US (2/5)
Destructoid (3.5/10)
Wired.co.uk (4/10)
io9 (Negative)
Here’s some specific extracts from the reviews.
It’s won’t be your favorite Alien movie, but it’ll probably make you want to watch it again. Perhaps I am blinded by my love of the franchise and too easily seduced by the stunning beauty of Scott’s images, but even the ramshackle hybrid narrative and disappointing treatment of compelling characters can’t keep me from finding a lot to love in the frustrating film.
Collider
As a standalone watch, it’s an intense and fun ride, but as a piece of the overall series it’s very much a piece of a puzzle. I’m sure some people will walk away disappointed, while others will be excited and buzzing about where this series goes next, given the events that transpire and where that leaves it. Love it or hate it, I think it’s a film that will be discussed at length and many folks will head straight home and pop in PROMETHEUS to connect the dots. For me, I love the doors it opens, the questions it answers, the villain it creates and the direction it’s headed, even if it misses some beats along the way.
JoBlos
Alien: Covenant strikes a more favorable balance between the unwieldy philosophical ideas of Prometheus and the classic horror and suspense of the 1979 original film. Despite continuing Prometheus’ questionable line of inquiry into the xenomorphs’ origins and occasionally adopting its histrionic tone for entire scenes, Covenant’s framework and exciting action put enough new spins on the series’ most reliable touchstones that the cast is able to carry it through to a satisfying end.
IGN
If the only question you want to be answered by this review is whether or not Alien: Covenant is better than Prometheus, then that answer is a resounding “Yes.” If you were hoping that it would totally leave the ideas introduced in Prometheus behind, you might be a little disappointed with certain parts, but as a whole, I think you’ll probably enjoy it. The story is self-contained for the most part, but it does open up some plot threads for a sequel. With that said, Covenant is the shot in the arm that the franchise’s future needed it to be.
Bloody Disgusing
Scott and the writers have achieved an outstanding balance in Alien: Covenant among numerous different elements: Intelligent speculation and textbook sci-fi presumptions, startlingly inventive action and audience-pleasing old standbys, philosophical considerations and inescapable genre conventions, intense visual splendor and gore at its most grisly. The drama flows gorgeously and, unlike in many other franchises in which entries keep getting longer every time out, this one is served up without an ounce of fat. It provides all the tension and action the mainstream audience could want, along with a good deal more. Stylistically, the film is a thing of cool beauty, with superb effects and a lovely score. Creatively, it’s a major re-set on a level with the series’ best.
The Hollywood Reporter
But, in the context of a film that is strongly and coherently pieced together in its pacing, its tone, and its themes, those eccentricities only make the whole thing feel more mesmerising. It immediately begs to be re-watched, to be savoured. It’s relentless and overwhelming, but all in the very best of ways.
The Independent
Yet it is also the point where Scott gets to indulge his Blade Runner-Prometheus preoccupation with playing God in on-the-nose discussions. At its best, aka The First Two, the Alien series works as dirty B movies (a slasher horror flick, a war film), embedding all the (psycho-sexual) meaning in the imagery. Here it is done in dialogue about the frustration of not being allowed to create and the loneliness of dreams. It’s just a shame that one of cinema’s greatest image-makers couldn’t deliver his ideas visually. Still, as The Martian proved, Scott is still good at this sci-fi malarkey, be it the big stuff (the Covenant sprouting sails to harness power) or the telling details (alien atoms get highlighted in smoke rings). John Logan and Dante Harper’s screenplay, after the laugh-free Prometheus, also adds a joke or two. At one point, there is a Phantom Of The Opera gag. Perhaps this is Covenant’s biggest scare: some 90 years from now, Andrew Lloyd Webber is still a thing.
Empire
Our own Alien vs Predator Galaxy review will be posted in a couple of hours.
Mel Brooks could do a one-by-scene remake of Covenant changing only about 15% of the content of the scene and it could perfectly work as an Alien parody film
I learn something new every day here. Cheers!
The recorder is a member of the internal duct flutes
It's a recorder, not a flute..
irony
Stupid review. Someone who doesn't understand the flute scene is an utter idiot. This guy didn't understand it.
That's very funny and bang on the nail.
Fun review imo
T himself said in a video that he was surprised that the company let him join the mission. so i guess he is not exactly the professional type of pilot or maybe even had some minor criminal records, like stealing or fighting whatsoever. however, the videos that every crew members made were not shown in the film, i guess that's why the characters are not fully built, because not everyone will go online and search for these extra materials.
my theory is that since this is a initial colonist mission, most of the guys who get the chance chance to participate are those who kinda fxxed up on earth, even the crew members might be mingled with professionals and ordinary guys (with related background and after training of course). the company planned to sent the elites after 20 or 30 years, after everything is settled on the planet.
He was pretty happy to break quarantine protocols when Kane got face hugged wasn't he? Some captain that is according to your views.
And no way on earth would you have got me in those ventilation ducts..... unless it was to save my wife of course!
Dallas only made one 'mistake': following company orders, ya know, his employer, regarding Ash having the final say about Kane and the Xeno... Enlighten me as to which mistakes he made that are even remotely comparable to Tennessee willing to sacrifice 2000 colonists just in the off chance he would be capable of saving his hysterical wife...
Actually, the only reason the Covenant ship managed to enter that ionosphere was plot conveniences... That ship would have been toasted and two thousand souls lost... Again, he is not just a crew member, he is the captain when Oram and Danielis are off ship... It would be more likely that the forgettable co-pilot and her forgettable boyfriend would mutiny before risking so many lives for just the few... That and MU-TH-UR overriding his commands and setting the ship on auto pilot outta there... Plot conveniences, nothing more... Realistically, this selfish, incompetent, reprehensible retard would be in the ship's brick for that... And those two retarded crewmen are as irresponsible as he was... And duty supersedes emotions, ESPECIALLY for someone in charge of two thousand lives... That is why these pilots and crewmen are usually of military background: they follow orders without question, even when their loved ones are at risk... That is the discipline but even though the colonists are supposed to be couples, why the hell were the security personnel, crew and pilots with their counterparts as well...? That is a blatant violation of military code, and an obvious potential menace to the integrity of the orders and chain of command should trouble rise... And this movie shows very well why there should not be couples in crews... They make irrational decisions that could and would jeopardize people if this was real and not a movie... And boy, they truly are irrational from start to finish... And Tennessee's wife, also a pilot, should be far more mentally prepared than she clearly was... She was in space, in another, unknown world that could have lots of indigenous wildlife that could kill them, and the first time crap hits the fan, she becomes hysterical and making all idiotic decisions...? These people are SUPPOSED to be prepared, trained to endure all kinds of stress... That is how real astronauts are trained... These guys are more moronic and hysterical than drunk hillbillies... First and foremost, these guys are trained astronauts and most even military or with military background.,, No, it is not believable in the slightest astronauts with military training would go all Lambert... They are not mere blue collar workers.. I am sure Dallas had military background, and surely Ripley was from the Air Force, the usual source of astronauts and pilots... All militarily trained...
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aaaaand? your point is? Dallas made nothing but bad decisions throughout the whole film...It's just he appeared manly and that's all. But that didn't make him any more competent.
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Of course they are plot conveniences, isn't everything?
Dallas made decisions he shouldn't have as captain. Ripley went back for a CAT!!! and later a little girl she'd known a few hours. The so called elite colonial marines, who had military training, behaved like drunk hillbillies with no dicipline as soon as they enter a combat situation and they left the ship totally unmanned.
You could pick holes like this in any film, including the true classics. You don't like the film and that's fine but these are still silly criticisms.
Actually, the only reason the Covenant ship managed to enter that ionosphere was plot conveniences... That ship would have been toasted and two thousand souls lost... Again, he is not just a crew member, he is the captain when Oram and Danielis are off ship... It would be more likely that the forgettable co-pilot and her forgettable boyfriend would mutiny before risking so many lives for just the few... That and MU-TH-UR overriding his commands and setting the ship on auto pilot outta there... Plot conveniences, nothing more... Realistically, this selfish, incompetent, reprehensible retard would be in the ship's brick for that... And those two retarded crewmen are as irresponsible as he was... And duty supersedes emotions, ESPECIALLY for someone in charge of two thousand lives... That is why these pilots and crewmen are usually of military background: they follow orders without question, even when their loved ones are at risk... That is the discipline but even though the colonists are supposed to be couples, why the hell were the security personnel, crew and pilots with their counterparts as well...? That is a blatant violation of military code, and an obvious potential menace to the integrity of the orders and chain of command should trouble rise... And this movie shows very well why there should not be couples in crews... They make irrational decisions that could and would jeopardize people if this was real and not a movie... And boy, they truly are irrational from start to finish... And Tennessee's wife, also a pilot, should be far more mentally prepared than she clearly was... She was in space, in another, unknown world that could have lots of indigenous wildlife that could kill them, and the first time crap hits the fan, she becomes hysterical and making all idiotic decisions...? These people are SUPPOSED to be prepared, trained to endure all kinds of stress... That is how real astronauts are trained... These guys are more moronic and hysterical than drunk hillbillies... First and foremost, these guys are trained astronauts and most even military or with military background.,, No, it is not believable in the slightest astronauts with military training would go all Lambert... They are not mere blue collar workers.. I am sure Dallas had military background, and surely Ripley was from the Air Force, the usual source of astronauts and pilots... All militarily trained...
Tennessee doesn't actually take the ship into the storm. He takes it thousands of feet above it. It's still risky but he's concerned about his wife and aside from some EM damage, nothing actually happened.
In regards to David and his hair, if I was on my own all that time I'd let myself go. One of the first things I'd do when I returned to some semblance of civilization would be to groom again. It's one of those little things that ADF tidies up in the novelization and acknowledges.
Peoples emotions do not centre around logic. Human beings are not mr Spock. None of the behaviours you have referenced are unrealistic in anyway. You may believe you'd react differently but that doesn't mean everybody else would.
Risking the colonists lives is of course irrrespinsible but I simply could not and would not leave my loved ones to die. It was a calculated risk he believed worth taking. You could pick Holes like this in just about every film ever made if you wanted to.
But Oram's wife was already backing away with the knife way before she knew what it was... We have Daniels and Walter seeing that David cut his hair EXACTLY like Walter and suspected nothing... Daniels saw David not healing and suspected nothing... And Tennessee's wife knew nothing about quarantine procedures since she was sprayed with that guy's blood so she should be inside with Oram's wife as well... The medic hugging the infected guy... They truly were morons...
Great sense of responsibility and duty there, mate... Usually, common sense and logic state the other way around, you sacrifice the few for the many...😁😜
Actually, you never got that from the actual movie before he did what he did, but from promo clips that never made the theatrical version... I would compare it with the Return of the King scene where the Witchking is saying to Gothmog he would break Gandalf, referring to a scene that never made the theatrical version but only the extended one... Tennessee was never defined in the theatrical as a rebellious crewmate, one who defied authority or standard operating procedures until he just did... And MU-TH-UR alone should have prevented it especially since the payload was far more important than just a few lives... But we are talking about the obvious reason why you should never have wives or girlfriends in positions like those... Commanders are supposed to be logical and responsible... He certainly was not... I know that with Oram and Daniels off ship, he was in charge, but that decision was as dumb, irresponsible and wreckless as they come... And his crewmates ought to have him removed from command the moment he decided to do it and ignore their remarks entirely...
Because they didn't like the film, which is fine, but then feel the need to nitpick tiny little non issues like this. It's no different to the vickers/shaw running in a straight line non issue. Yet they give films like Aliens a free pass for simular things. It is tiresome.
I would risk the lives of 2000 colonists for my wife, no question.
I completely forgot about Tennessee doing that, I've only seen the film once, but that did bother me hahaha. As for his wife and the medic Karine, I would say their decisions are justified in the fact that they could not have thought rationally under those circumstances. I mean in the matter of an hour everything around them went to hell and they saw someone vomit up blood and violently convulse only to have a creature break through his back. Seeing that could make anyone act irrationally so I don't really see their decisions as being on the same level of bad/dumb as Tennessee or Oram.
Well, for starters, Tennessee wanting and actually risking the lives of 2000 colonists just to try to save his wife who started shooting shotguns next to high explosive containers... Or the medic that retreated in fear of a tiny creature she could have killed easily with the knife before it even got outta its embryonic sack... Or Oram who follows David blindly after having threatened it just minutes before... I could go on and on... 😉
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alien_covenant
Cinemassacre Review
15 rewrites 4 people hired to write the script. ...........and stilll
How's this possible. ?
I dumbfounded. No LIndelof
'I just don't get how Weyland Yutani keep employing the dumbest people..'
'The Script just sucks'
You tell 'em, girl.
Not a happy bunny. C+ or 6/10
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Something pretty drastic (and unrealistic) would have to happen for that to be true.
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/alien-covenant-bursts-with-pomposity
"'Alien: Covenant' and the Too-Many-Monsters Problem"
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/29/alien-covenant-and-the-too-many-monsters-problem
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alien_covenant
One of my biggest gripes about the AVP movies were due to liberties taken with the lore. So while I may enjoy this movie, I probably won't be able to forgive those errors. Its the same with Alien 3, I like that movie but the magic egg thing sticks out so much that I was on the fence when there was going to be a continuity reset by Alien 5.
It's not a review because it doesn't offer any meaningful critique of the film not because I disagree with it. It's disrespectful to Ridley Scott because it suggests he has no integrity and Covenant isn't disrespectful to The alien universe. You didn't like it, that's fine I have no problem with that at all but I did and I'm a fan too, unfortunately you didn't get the film you wanted but that doesn't mean the film is disrespectful.
Because you disagree with it it doesn't mean it's not review. It's review but odd one. I agree with it. It's funny and yes, it's disrespectful because Covenant as a movie is disrespectful towards Alien universe.
I disagree and that's not a review, it's moronic, disrespectful and deeply unfunny
Garbage? Actually a lot what's said in that review is true. Sad but true.
That so called 'review' was total garbage. Go and see the film and make your own mind up, you never know you might actually like it.
Great stuff!
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alien_covenant