Alien Covenant Review Roundup

[NickisSmart]

Looks like immature tripe to me. I don't give any credence to a review like that whatsoever...

Giving up on Ridley, is what he ends is review with. Like, seriously. It's just a movie.

[Rankles75]

Not overly worried about the lack of action in the first hour or so tbh. You could say the same about Alien (and Aliens to an extent), and I don't think anyone had an issue with that. I'm all for a film like this taking time to build up to the action, allowing us to get to know the characters before the shit hits the fan...

[Predaker]

Not overly worried about the lack of action in the first hour or so tbh. You could say the same about Alien (and Aliens to an extent), and I don't think anyone had an issue with that. I'm all for a film like this taking time to build up to the action, allowing us to get to know the characters before the shit hits the fan...

Alien had the discovery and exploration of the derelict craft with the jockey; Aliens had Ripley waking, the board meeting, introduced the marines, and built tension with Hadley's Hope/Newt. Covenant apparently spends nearly an hour before they even land on the planet so I could understand why that might be boring for some, especially if Fassbender is the only rock solid performance going for it among the characters.

[iain]

Ive never paid attention to reviews and critics. I'll form my own opinion once ive seen the movie which im sure will be great regardless of a few mistakes which all movies have.

[Z-101]

Looks like immature tripe to me. I don't give any credence to a review like that whatsoever...

Giving up on Ridley, is what he ends is review with. Like, seriously. It's just a movie.

Some people don't like spending their money on people who ritually dissapoint them.  While I don't disagree i also have no problem spending ten to fifteen bucks so while I have already given up on Ridley Scott I will still be seeing this movie, just maybe not all the way through....if it sux too bad

[𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯]

From HuDaFuk (Xenopedia editor) -
Another issue I had was the big final twist. To say it was obvious is a huge understatement; I saw it coming about 20 minutes before the end of the film, and being so obvious, it was hard to get even slightly thrilled by it. It was just so blatantly telegraphed from the moment it was set up.

Great review Corporal, good to see you being honest with both the shortcomings and positives of the film.

@HuDaFuk

If I remember correctly, the final twist was a little bit too subtle in the earlier test screenings. People didn't pick up on it and they had to change it, make it more blatant and obvious. Shows you why test screenings are never a good thing.

[Rankles75]

Looks like immature tripe to me. I don't give any credence to a review like that whatsoever...

Giving up on Ridley, is what he ends is review with. Like, seriously. It's just a movie.

Some people don't like spending their money on people who ritually dissapoint them.  While I don't disagree i also have no problem spending ten to fifteen bucks so while I have already given up on Ridley Scott I will still be seeing this movie, just maybe not all the way through....if it sux too bad

For me, Prometheus wasn't a bad film, it was just very average and fell below expectations as a result. I'm expecting Covenant to be better, though not by that much. Maybe a 3/5 type of film, which would make it my third favourite of the series. It's kind of an uphill battle for me to get fully behind a film that's effectively built off a lie (seeing as the "jockey" in Alien is much bigger and a different species/race to what these prequels have given us), and that apparently rewrites what we know about the xeno. I'll probably go and see it a few days after it's release...

[Z-101]

can someone direct me to HuDaFuk's A:C review can't find it maybe im just blind

[𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯]

can someone direct me to HuDaFuk's A:C review can't find it maybe im just blind

Here ya go mate: http://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/index.php?topic=57224.msg2208460#msg2208460

Maybe the Corporal could frontpage it with his own review?

[Z-101]

can someone direct me to HuDaFuk's A:C review can't find it maybe im just blind

Here ya go mate: http://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/index.php?topic=57224.msg2208460#msg2208460

Maybe the Corporal could frontpage it with his own review?

Thank you sir

dumb f**king chracters again? Ridley.....
showing too much the creatures?
pacing and 2nd/3rd act is off?

that doesnt sound so good. fingers crossed

Sounds to me like Prometheus all over again, just with aliens throw into it this time instead of engineers and trilobytes etc Ridleys been struck by fan service Prequel pressured Light sabre syndrome. 

[echobbase79]

Jeremy Jahns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaK7cAZ4trs

Beyond the Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzD7X2Jz90E

Cannot stand both of them. Paradises.

I like Jeremy Jahns. Sure, his reviews can be a bit histrionic, but I find them fun. 

[monkeylove]

I think what happened was similar to the development of the recent Mad Max movie: producers assumed that most viewers would be young and would know little about the first Alien movies. Thus, a movie was produced that would retell the story to them using elements from the first movies while appealing to their sensibilities through stunning visuals and dialogue that reflected their ethos, which included more discussions on characters' personal views, etc. The result is, for those who saw earlier films, a rather ordinary work.

[harlequinade]

I think what happened was similar to the development of the recent Mad Max movie: producers assumed that most viewers would be young and would know little about the first Alien movies. Thus, a movie was produced that would retell the story to them using elements from the first movies while appealing to their sensibilities through stunning visuals and dialogue that reflected their ethos, which included more discussions on characters' personal views, etc. The result is, for those who saw earlier films, a rather ordinary work.

Except Fury Road is an extraordinary film that actually tops the original films

[The Cruentus]

From HuDaFuk (Xenopedia editor) -

Overall, I liked this more than Prometheus, but it had definite faults.

It was undeniably a more commercial, less ambitious movie than Prometheus, but I thought that ultimately worked in its favour. There were a few hints of some of the higher concepts of the kind explored in the previous film, chiefly in the scenes involving David, but on the whole it was a more straightforward film. More action-packed, more intense. I'm also happy to say it fixed one of my biggest criticisms from Prometheus - whereas the crew in that were terribly cardboard and uncharismatic, I'm pleased to say the characters in this immediately came across as more interesting and likeable to watch.

However - and this was my main problem - it was one of those movies that suffers quite badly from a case of deterioration; it seemed to get less impressive as it went along, culminating in a final act that I thought was, disappointingly, pretty weak. The Neomorph birth sequence, seen in the previews, was excellent and probably the best part of the movie. But towards the end, more and more things started happening that really disappointed me.

Spoiler

For instance, they once again messed with the details and timescale of the Alien reproductive cycle. Crudup's character is infected and gives birth in about ten minutes, whereas later in the film someone is impregnated after a Facehugger is in contact with them for no longer than a few seconds. Seriously, they're never even knocked unconscious before the thing is cut off them, and yet they're still infected. Also, for some reason the Chestburster is now a fully-formed, miniature version of the Alien, with arms, legs and head, rather than the slug-like design from the previous films.

[close]

Another issue I had was the big final twist. To say it was obvious is a huge understatement; I saw it coming about 20 minutes before the end of the film, and being so obvious, it was hard to get even slightly thrilled by it. It was just so blatantly telegraphed from the moment it was set up.

It's a shame most of the things I disliked were towards the back end of the movie, because it was a let down after the great opening acts and kinda soured the whole experience with a disappointing conclusion. As I said, the final act aboard the Covenant in particular was quite weak - it felt way too short and didn't portray the Alien in particularly good light. Still, overall it was an entertaining movie, and a definite step up from Prometheus. I've actually seen it twice now, and I enjoyed it more the second time around.

Oh, and as I was asked - I'd probably rank it fourth, after the first three but ahead of Resurrection and Prometheus 🙂 Might be a better-made film than Alien 3, but I have a soft spot for that.

I missed this during my posting in this thread but it seems to match with what other reviewers have said more or less, that the latter half of the movie is weaker.

My friend's gripes about the

Spoiler

life-cycle is justified, from what both his and Hick's reviews reveal, they messed this up big time and twice in one movie too, first you got your silly AVP version of the life-cycle during Oram's incubation and a Defiance one for that other guy. I know some folks don't care about this but anyone who cares about the lore will, especially if are more concerned about logic and plausablity.

[close]

[Robopadna]

From HuDaFuk (Xenopedia editor) -
Another issue I had was the big final twist. To say it was obvious is a huge understatement; I saw it coming about 20 minutes before the end of the film, and being so obvious, it was hard to get even slightly thrilled by it. It was just so blatantly telegraphed from the moment it was set up.

Great review Corporal, good to see you being honest with both the shortcomings and positives of the film.

@HuDaFuk

If I remember correctly, the final twist was a little bit too subtle in the earlier test screenings. People didn't pick up on it and they had to change it, make it more blatant and obvious. Shows you why test screenings are never a good thing.

Test screenings are invaluable and can help fix many issues with a film. In this case it was probably helpful and an important clarification to make.