"I think this is where all our trouble originates: expectations and trends. If Fox hadn't marketed A:C as another alien movie with corridor chase scenes etc., would this man right here feel Ridley was choosing the wrong platform?"
Exactly. Covenant had no business having the word Alien in the title at all. It felt nothing like an Alien film, although it somewhat seemed like it could be from some of the trailers I saw. Whenever the xenomorph was featured, I couldn't help feeling it was a included briefly as some sort of "here you go, now shut up" to the fans. That, and the creature was used pitifully. Attacking an obviously mechanical device like it's another biological creature? And in the daylight no less, I just couldn't believe it. It felt like Ridley was so annoyed at having to include an Alien in a movie called Alien Covenant, that he just wanted to make them look stupid as dirt and make their encounters as boring, bland, and short as possible so maybe folks would say, "yeah, he's right the Alien's cooked so let's leave it behind". Between his "use" of the alien in covenant and his comments regarding the creature since, I just think he's stuck squarely in Blade Runner mode and he using the only other viable avenue to make his A.I. masterpiece. Unless of course there are xeno's on mars and Matt Damon is available for work.
As for the whole "covenant haters are Aliens fans" thing, let me just say that Aliens is not my favorite of the films. I personally rank them 3,1,2,4. With Alien 3 just barely edging out the original due to it's characters and the dark tone fincher gave it. Aliens was the first of the films that I ever saw, and therefore holds a special place in my heart, but I personally prefer a lone yet powerful Alien vs a small group of reasonably intelligent and grossly unprepared people. I don't care for pulse rifles or power loaders in these films, and wouldn't cry if we never see them again. The characters in the prequel films have been idiots of the highest order, and this alone gives the movies a cheap chainsaw massacre feel. I also feel the all-important tension is gone. The search for the chestburster from the first film, the initial contact in med-lab from Aliens, with the slow build up to Newts first appearance are all good examples of the quality and tension of the original movies. The whole idea of "Something is out there, and it's headed this way", is scary. What did we get in covenant? Aliens in the daylight and seeing the neomorph and xenomorph in full view roaming along.
It obviously wasn't the movie he wanted to make. And I just have to wonder, when it comes to the whole "creature being cooked" thing. Why so averse to it's use? It's an amazing and iconic villain, and it bears some responsibility for Ridley being as famous as he is. They still make James Bond movies for crying out loud, and last I checked, skyfall is considered one of the best bond movies ever made. There's always a story to be told. But for now, many of the elements that make the films so special are gone. But we do get a lot of nicely framed shots of fassbender in a well-shot artificial human interest piece. Alittle something for the ladies I suppose.
