Run.

Rating: 7/10 (20 May 2017)

After a week worth of Alien films, I think I'm about ready to take a break from the trapped in space sub-genre for a bit. Alien: Covenant has its moments, and is certainly miles above the 3rd or 4th film, but struggles with the same problems as Prometheus, trying to juggle too many things at once.
Although Ridley Scott returned to the series with Prometheus, Covenant is more of an official return to the beloved face-hugger franchise. As I said with Prometheus, Alien: Covenant is truly an awe to look at. Every frame is oozing with gorgeous cinematography and stunning production design. Scott's direction is still uneven like in Prometheus, as he still hasn't decided whether he wants to make a slasher/horror film or a philosophical science fiction piece. However, there's no denying that this film is his vision, and I can always appreciate movies that are able to supersede the wants and needs of a major studio.
With that said, I really wish Covenant was more than just a solid monster film. There's nothing overwhelmingly different or surprising about Covenant. It's just your prototypical monster film where a crew go somewhere they're not familiar with, meet dangerous creatures, and get attacked by said dangerous creatures. I just feel like Alien & Aliens had so much more underneath the surface. You cared about the characters in those movies, and that's not the case at all here. I can't say I cared about a single one of the humans aboard Covenant.
I guess it's not entirely fair to say Alien: Covenant doesn't add anything to the series because there is plenty of proposed ideas that Covenant continues from Prometheus, it's just that those ideas don't feel like they belong in this particular adventure. I like that David, one of the two characters Michael Fassbender plays, is obsessed with creation and becoming more than just an android. I think that angle of this story is fascinating, and it plays out in a rather terrifyingly dark way, but I'm not sure how well it meshes with the rest of the film. In fact, his disturbing presence tends to overshadow the Xenomorphs for a good portion of the film. I don't think I should come out of an Alien film raving about how disturbing an android was instead of the two-mouthed face huggers themselves.
There are plenty of thrills to have with Covenant and the film is about as beautiful to look at as any, but if we're talking about it compared to the rest of the series? It really doesn't hold a candle. Hopefully the sequel can build on the lore and give us a more terrifying and surprising experience than Covenant did.
+Another gorgeously shot Ridley Scott film
+Proposed ideas
-But not everything always comes together nicely
-Nothing is shocking or surprising
7.1/10