The bridge between Prometheus and the Alien franchise

Rating: Null/10 (27 June 2017)

Ridley Scott once again returns to the Alien franchise, this time focusing on the events after the film Prometheus. Some years have passed and once again a spaceship full of ignorant travellers land on a planet where they really shouldn't.
These prequel films have gathered their fair amount of hate from the fans of the original films. And I can understand why. They change things. Ridley Scott of course always had some idea about where the xenomorphs came from or what they really were, but it was never talked about in the originals. Because it wasn't necessary. And there was an elegance to that, which is lost in these prequels as things and mythos get thicker and thicker.
And yet I do admire these newer films for undertaking the task of trying to explain, and explain in a way that would make sense, not just logically but also emotionally. And they do succeed. Granted, it's not perfect, and Prometheus especially had some pretty weird and jarring things in it, but this film largely makes up for that. After seeing it, I can see the path from Prometheus to Alien. And it makes sense, is properly horrific as is fitting for this horror franchise, and genuinely works as an overall story.
That being said, it stumbles around as a movie. The first third is actually really good. The new characters are interesting, the new planet looks amazing, the horror is there, the anticipation, the tension and when the violence finally comes, it's genuinely thrilling and gory. The second third starts to go downhill. I have nothing against Michael Fassbender in these films, but as we focus on him so much, it almost seems like the xenomorphs become superfluous. And in a way they do, and that's a problem. It simply doesn't feel right when a xenomorph is a B-plot in an Alien film.
The final third is much the same as the second, but the final ending is something that I have to admire. Because it's not a typical Hollywood ending. Not even a typical Alien ending in a way. And kudos for that, Ridley Scott.
Alien: Covenant doesn't come close to matching the brilliance of Alien and Aliens. But it just might be the third best film in the franchise anyway. It has the vision as well as the ambition, plus beautiful visuals, good action and the best horror moments since those two. A mixed package, but ultimately worth a watch.