Scary and visually impressive, Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant seals a thrilling fresh return to the franchise

Rating: 8/10 (1 June 2017)

The Alien franchise has been driven with ups and downs for over the past three decades. Its most troubled history was greatly redeemed in 2012 when Ridley Scott helmed a prequel to the franchise 'Prometheus'. Following his return to the franchise, only some would expect that his next project to the series would be a bridge connecting the stories of Prometheus and 'Alien'. Visually stunning and suitably scary, this film following the events of the former sees Ridley Scott returning with his immersive talent in visual storytelling and direction to bring this grounded story to life. What the director fails to bring however, is new ideas to the franchise which will serve as a minor burden for some, but leave others who are less demanding for a game changer satisfied. As a result, this new installment to the series is scary and thrilling as ever, and not without the admirable talents both in front and behind the camera. This film follows a space crew aboard a spaceship called The Covenant. Consisting of members including the humanoid David (played by Michael Fassbender), Dany Branson (played by Katherine Waterson), Christoper Oram (played by Billy Crudup), chief pilot Tennessee (played by Danny McBride), Sergeant Hope (played by Demien Bichir), and Christopher's wife Karine (played by Carmen Ejogo); the crew sets out to investigate a distant planet, only face an unspeakable extraterrestrial terror that awaits them.
If there is anything disappointing about Ridley Scott brings to the table, it may the lack of new ideas to the series; whereas the previous film introduced more complex themes such as the debate between creationism and evolution. Scott, nonetheless, proves that he knows how to deliver a thrillingly effective ride. From the gorgeous imagery in and outside the spaceship, to the breathtaking cinematography Dariusz Wolski, this film engages viewers with a powerful visual heft while lighting fire to a pulse-pounding, tautly-paced story that takes them on the darkest corners of a vicious alien onslaught. When the mission goes awry and several crew members meet their gruesome ends at the hands of flesh-eating xenomorphs, Scott almost never fails to deliver the edge-of-your- seat thrills as well as drenching the screen with a reasonable amount of blood and gore. With aliens once again bursting out of human bodies and snacking on human flesh in a blood-fueled fiasco, this is a terrifying ride that only those with a strong stomach should board, while the rest are likely the find themselves curling into a ball. One of very few moments of levity stands when they find shelter on the distant planet they believe is safe haven. But it is only a matter before the sense of hope turns to dread when we and the characters learn that his uncharted planet is the only the beginning of their nightmares. The final twenty minutes, while somewhat effective, mark when the movie ceases the challenge against expectations and begins to rely on heavy predictability. The death of characters are scary, but perhaps less effective when you see them coming miles upon the horizon, let alone how the movie fails to take its time developing some of the characters.
With Michael Fassbender standing as the only returning member from the 'Promotheus' crew, the movie introduces an all-new cast with a number of A to B-list actors to the bunch. Stepping in the shoes of one of the main characters is actress Katherine Waterston, arguably best known for her role Chrisann in 2015 biopic 'Steve Jobs'. Waterston's performance is definitely on point and certainly more admirable than her character. If you go in expecting something of Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, you will likely be targeted for disappointment. Billy Crudup, Demien Bichir, and Carmen Ejogo bring their A-game to the roles, but the staleness of their characters sadly set them with only little to work with. There is one major surprise however, that a very few may come to expect in a science- fiction horror picture, and that is the performance by Danny McBride. Stripping away from his rowdy, comedic typecast, McBride ignites a fair amount of maturity in his role, although nothing that blows anyone of the cast out of the water. After all, the sharpest and most versatile figure in the crowd here is Michael Fassbender who shines with plenty of emotional gravitas and potency in his role as David. To add on icing on the cake, his talent is greatly challenged in a role involving a subplot (which shall not spoiled) that is surprisingly effective and adds gravity to the already compelling storyline. Calling this role for attention of an Oscar may be asking for a lot, but it's not too unreasonable.
Alien: Covenant is a scary, yet thrilling fresh ride that manages to build a bridge between Prometheus and Alien with unexpectedly satisfying results. On both a visual and a narrative scope, this movie is a smart, if somewhat predictable experience that may not grab the attention of those unconverted to the franchise (or at least with Prometheus) but effectively shows the bright side of both the franchise and Ridley Scott's impressive directorial talent.