A fascinating turn in different direction

Rating: 9/10 (18 May 2017)

Personally, I expected way less out of this movie - I expected a mediocre thriller which the current ratings seem to classify it into.
The previous Alien movies focused more on the alien itself and the human protagonist (Ripley). In Covenant, the focus is shifted onto an antagonist David - an artificial intelligence robot designed to act as a commanding officer aboard the seed ships. David, as well as newer and updated versions of David, are all played by Fassbender whose acting was almost mesmerizing.
David is an extremely complex individual, and the way the writer combined his intelligence with creativity to create a "perfect human" (Michelangelo's David, who he is named after) is quite impressive.
This perfection and superiority of David is often contrasted by weaknesses and irrational decisions of human officers.
I feel as if this entire plot, who links the origin of Alien and the story of David greatly enriched the whole universe of Alien. The story of the seed ship and the question about whether or not humans are replaceable makes it a solid science fiction piece.
Finally, even though a significant part of the plot, the aliens themselves felt less important.
Overall, highly recommendable even if you are not familiar with the Alien saga.