Review by Geoff Jenke
Ridley Scott has returned to his creation. The movie Alien first hit the big screens way back in 1979 with Ridley Scott directing but in a strange move, three more different directors were used for the sequels. (Four if you count Alien vs Predator.) Ridley did return for Prometheus, the prequel to Alien, in 2012. Now five years later we have the first of three planned new Alien movies, Alien Covenant.
The new movie is set 10 years after Prometheus. The colony ship, Covenant, is bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, a planet they wish to colonise. After a random star burst damages the ship, the crew are prematurely awakened. They intercept a strange transmission from an unchartered planet, which looks like paradise, and decide to investigate. Spoiler alert, the planet is actually a dark and dangerous world and there may be aliens involved.
The movie builds nicely with the audience getting to meet the crew and along the way we also get to play the guessing game, which crew member will die first and who will survive to the end.
While there are references to the movie Prometheus you could easily watch this and follow it without having seen the movie.
The movie nails some of the ideas from the original Alien movie, but also comes across as fresh and new. Yes there are chest (and back) bursting scenes and also lots of blood. Fans of the series will enjoy it even though it is in fact at times, predictable. Yes, my guess as to who would be still there at the end was correct. Not so my guess as to who would die first. I was way off.
The acting is superb, especially from Michael Fassbender who plays two roles and the settings on the planet magnificent. Naturally the special effects are also outstanding, as one would expect from Ridley Scott.
In the era of sequels, many of which don’t just work or are dismal to say the least, Alien Covenant is a thoroughly good entertaining sci fi/horror/thriller movie. Where will Ridley Scott take us next?
Starring; Katherine Waterson, Michael Fassbender and Billy Crudup.
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