Not what I had hoped for ...but very good!

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2017)

I knew I would enjoy it but I didn't expect this: Covenant adopts a fresh take on the Alien franchise.
Faces are hugged, chests are burst and it provides everything fans could expect from an alien movie. On top of that, it also approaches some fundamental issues of our time.
The most prominent subject is artificial intelligence while the one (barely being acknowledged) is global overpopulation. Artificial intelligence becoming self aware and a threat to humanity is a very successful theme and increasingly popular. After films like The Terminator, a lot of other titles have been expanding the issue, among which Transcendence, Ex-Machina, Chappie and Automata just to name a few.
If you're into this subject you've probably also read Frank Herbert's Dune series where, in the aftermath of a war between man and machine, any sort of artificial intelligence was banned outright.
If you're anything like me, this makes watching Alien: Covenant even more compelling!
The matter of earth becoming overcrowded (which is the whole point of this expedition in the first place) is overshadowed by the issue of a sentient machine deeming its maker (mankind) unfit to coexist with it.
As usual, I avoid spoilers like the plague so, other than the main trailer and "The Last Supper" prologue, I've managed to steer clear of anything and everything out there. As a consequence, my expectations were somewhat off the mark – which was a good thing!
I thought the ship would either go to LV-426 (the planet in the first movie) or the action would be focused on what happened to Elizabeth Shaw after the events in the previous movie.
The movie does indeed answer some of the questions raised by Prometheus, vaguely covering Shaw's fate, but it sort of leaves the main plot open ended. This, by all means, is a good thing – because many fans tend to dwell on specific connections in the alien universe which simply don't appear to make much sense in the presence of the latest two titles.
In my case there's just one link I'd like to see, but I feel like mentioning 3 things that (to my knowledge) Ridley Scott either promotes or hasn't disavowed (yet):

The original xenomorphs predate Prometheus - Sentient Artificial Intelligence exists - Cloning is a possibility

In light of these facts, I would assume anything and everything is possible, including something completely off the reservation like ties between Prometheus/Covenant and Alien vs. Predator. I know exactly how far fetched this may seem, especially since Ridley Scott himself discarded AvP, saying he couldn't watch it
On a final note – I think this movie also hints at the beginning of the background theme that is consistent throughout each and every alien movie out there: the start of the obsession which is taming the beast!
My questions would be:

Who's obsession is it really and what purpose does it serve? - Who is actually running Wayland Industries during the first 4 movies?

Hopefully the sequels will shed some light on these too.
P.S. I gave it a 9 because I rated the movie for what it is and what it shows us, not for whether or not it solves mysteries from Prometheus, which may be revealed anyway.