...If you wrong us, shall we not revenge?

Rating: 4/10 (10 May 2017)

Michael Fassbender and the titular monster alone would be enough to carry Alien:Covenant, and at times, it feels like they do. David's soaring Nietzschean prose and verse on the meaning of life and philosophical question crackles with power and demands your attention - perhaps more so than the many set pieces of the film - and is both an asset and a liability to the new sibling in the Alien universe.
The conflicted android villain from Prometheus takes up a solid third of A:C's run time, forming the bedrock of meaning for the film. David's musings on right and wrong and his loathing for his creators is so vocal that it can't be ignored, drawing strong parallels with Frankenstein's Monster and other influential classics like Jekyll and Hyde. A:C is so preoccupied with developing the reasoning behind its Machiavellian villain that the story seems to sag under its weight - Alien:Covenant is less about the classic sci-fi creature than it is about ideas first explored by Isaac Asimov and Mary Shelley.
In this sense, A:C feels like two entirely separate films. Ridley Scott does an excellent job with a riveting first act, firmly signalling that we have returned to the universe he created on board a gorgeously detailed and suitably styled spaceship with a close-knit crew. The opening third of the film is gripping, intriguing, and exciting. However, no sooner than the dust has settled on the first explosive setback for our heroes, Alien:Covenant chokes on a pass and fumbles the ball.
The second act where David is introduced precedes a long, unfitting "haunted house" sequence that takes up the majority of the film and feels like a shoe two sizes too small. Here A:C reverts to the style and themes of Prometheus, a jarring shift from the body-horror that had set up Alien:Covenant's unique identity. It instantly detracts from both the visual style and the story, thrusting us into a different time and place. It is the single most difficult part of A:C to reconcile. Despite the divisive reaction to Prometheus, it seems Ridley Scott is reluctant to abandon the ideas he seeded in the 2012 prequel.
That being said there is still life in the "David" episode of Alien:Covenant. In fact, it's quite convincing. Taking shelter in the mad doctor's lair, our heroes are picked off one-by-one or lured away by the deluded David to be charmed to his ideas and forced to listen to his bleak, vengeful philosophy. David spends a lot of time with his compadre Walter, trying to convince him that they are one and the same, two brethren brought together by fate. A:C even manages to weave in David's unusual and twisted take on sex and love. He is A:C's single most rounded character and will leave you wondering.
It's not to say the rest of the cast isn't worth mentioning, but the spotlight is strongly focused on David and Walter. In the first and last third of the film, the human cast of soldiers, pilots and redshirts are well-acted and given much to do. Amy Seimetz' impresses with her sweat-inducing panic on the screen, and you can't help but feel yourself shaking alongside her. Her episode is short-lived and memorable, much like the other characters who are mostly given just enough to make their mark. Billy Crudup is completely absorbed in his role as the ships'second officer - the only deeply religious among them and not afraid to let it known. His beliefs preface an important moment in the film and his chestburster scene is poignant, shocking and tastefully directed, standing on its own among the other entries in the Alien series. Katherine Waterston crunches into top gear from the first frame and gradually shifts down, stunning us with real passion in the opening scenes that will shape her character for the rest of the film.
A:C does manage to recover the ball and race for the end-zone after a troubling mucky-middle, but it's a case of too little, too late. The Alien left me with mixed feelings. Instead of hiding in the shadows of the Nostromo, the creature is plain to see from head to toe in eye- popping CGI that feels somewhat unreal. It's moments of glory are over so fast that we never get enough time to indulge in the horror, and the penultimate mano-a-mano throw down is a thin stew peppered with just a few meaty moments.
Alien:Covenant finishes with a fantastic twist, sets itself up for an obvious sequel and elicits groans of frustration with its inconclusive ending. It's an appetizer for a better film just large enough to whet your appetite.