Entertaining if utterly familiar and predictable

Rating: 6/10 (22 May 2017)

"Alien: Covenant" (2017 release; 122 min.) is the latest addition to the "Alien" franchise. As the movie opens, we see David, a synthetic android, in discussion with his creator. "If you created me, who created you?" wonders David, We then go to "December 5, 2104", on board the space vessel Covenant. A major deep-space shock wave causes most of the crew to awaken (seven years too soon), and even killing one crew member. It's not long before an unknown earth-like planet comes along, and the captain of the Covenant decides to send a group of about 10 crew members down to check it out. At this point we're not even 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: Ridley Scott returns as director to what he calls the sequel of "Prometheus", which also was just vaguely connected to the original "Alien" ("Prometheus" and "Covenant" being prequels to "Alien"). The story line is all too familiar, and frankly predictable, from the get-go. Yet I enjoyed "Covenant" more than I did "Prometheus" for a couple of reasons: one, there is a lot more horror action in "Covenant", and very well done at that (it's been almost 40 years since the original "Alien", and film-making technology is more sophisticated, for one); second, Michael Fassbender is front and center in this, playing not only David again (which he also did in "Prometheus"), but also a newer generation android called Walter, who serves on the Covenant. Katherine Waterston is supposed to be the 'new' Sigourney Weaver (but nobody can pull that off, sorry). Watch out for a blink-it-and-you'll-miss-it cameo from James Franco (less than 30 seconds). The production is slick and exquisite throughout. In all, there is nothing "wrong" with this movie, although when all was said and done, I was a bit disappointed with the utter predictability of it. And there is more where this came from: already a further sequel to the prequel has been announced, with the possibility of more after that (I guess as long as there are people buying enough tickets, they'll keep making them).
"Alien: Covenant" opened wide this past weekend. The early Sunday evening screening where I saw this at here in Cincinnati was packed to the rafters, which didn't surprise me, given it was the movie's opening weekend. In any event, the commercial success of the movie will depend more on the international markets, not the US. If you are in the mood for more slickly produced deep-space horror, "Alien: Covenant" is right up your alley.