Just got back from the IMAX cinema. I'm a bit tired now but i'll write down some of the thought this film inflicted on me, i'm sure there's a lot that i forgot to add. I know i've had a negative attitude towards the film since the first images and clips started to appear but i still didn't believe it would be that far removed from the real Alien films and even Prometheus. So in a way i'm not very upset because it quite easy for me to dismiss it as another non/canon separate fiction a la tha AVP movies. It felt more like a bizarre nightmare that Shaw would see the first night the juggernaut left the LV-223, this is the only possible way i could believe it would take place in the same universe. This is a fairy tale, a fantasy, a genre that i'm also very fond of, but the original movies at least tried to be as realistic as possible (as much as sci-fi space creature feature could be). As i've said before, Alien feels like a documentary next to this.
As a an Alien film i probably hate it, too soon to say. But imaging it being as a non Alien film it's still deeply flawed yet the Fassbenders perfomance makes it interesting in places that certainly is a welcome diversion from the usual Marvel, F&F and other blockbusters.
Here's my ratings for different categories (mostly viewed from a biased fans perspective):
1. Screenplay and story - 3/10
If you thought that the Prometheus characters behaviour was a bit suspect, then multiply it with 2 and you get this. And it's just not Oram, it would take too much time to list all of the problems.
I think the script is also responsible for serious pacing issues, lack of plausibility and other problems, like not being scary at all.
And last but not least there's the controversial revealing of Alien Origins and engineers fate + Shaw and the changes to the aliens lifecycle. I was open to see if Ridley could sell me these ideas, but you already know the answer. On other hand, when David appeared, the b-movie esque atmosphere was oddly captivating, he did some strange unconvetional things, which i found amusing to witness. That said the creationism etc is right on the nose, all the sublety was flown out of the airlock. It fails both as an Prometheus sequel and Alien prequel.
2. Sound - 7/10 Functional, but nothing stood out as something that would emphasize atmosphere (think the sounds in Nostromo before the crew wakes up). The neomorph sound like clickers from The Last of US.
3. Visuals - 6/10 This is perhaps one of the most generic looking films Ridley has ever made, which was really suprising. Don't get me wrong, it looked good, but nothing stood out as being very memorable or awe inspiring. It doesn't have it's own identity. I liked the practical sets of the spaceship, but the lightning and the camerawork was a bit weak tbh. The creature cgi was inconsistent, sometimes great and sometimes not very good but always there. I just rewatched Chappie and the droid in that looked more believable than the creatures in A:C. So in that regard, i don't think the cgi here is the best the technology could currently offer, it also wasn't terrible. Holding back on the cgi and using practical fx as much as possible would have helped immensly. Neomorphs looked a bit more real then the protomorph. Overall Prometheus is visually much more memorable and expensive looking, although at least A:C didn't have Guy Pearce with that ridiculous makeup.
4. Actors - 7/10 I think the poor characters of the film were not the fault of the actors, they did what they could with the material. Many seem to agree that Fassy is excellent as David. Though i would have certainly changed a few of the actors, for example i didn't like the pair of Jussie Smollet and Callie Hernadez the same way i didn't like Holloway.
5. Music - 4/10 the only music i remember that was there besides the reworked classic Alien music + the main theme of Prometheus, was the sappy piano daytime tv show music during the sadder moments and
Spoiler
wtf was with the music when the xenomorph bursted, was it supposed to be humorous?
I would have loved something with the same atmosphere of Sicario and Under the Skin, this just doesn't cut it. Edit: the pulsing music (inspired from Alien again) when the shit really hit the fan was pretty good and fitting.
Overall - as Alien fan this gets a 4/10 from me, as it's own thing id rate it with 6.
You see, it requires certain amount of finesse to make a proper A L I E N film, in that regards the Alien:Covenant failed miserably.
That said, I think Ridley could still pull it off if he has a strong script, The Martian was good. But i also sense that he is not that interested with the creature anymore, or hasn't been for some time. The main themes of this film suggest that he would have rather liked to direct the Blade Runner sequel.
And Hollywood, please stop with the prequel bs! It just doesn't work.
