Though it seems I was one of the few who actually enjoyed Prometheus, despite its numerous flaws, I couldn’t resist a smile when I heard touches of Jerry Goldsmiths original Alien (1979) score creep into Alien: Covenant opening space sequence. Knowledgeable fans will also enjoy a tip of the hat to the unique typographic treatment found within Alien’s own classic opening titles.
A sense of familiarity is also evoked when the Covenant’s synthetic android, Walter, is forced wake up the crew up from hyper-sleep after a rather philosophical, but engaging prologue. A couple of the characters stand out in the film’s opening scenes (female crew member Daniels, a sort of proto-Ridley, and Oram, the ship’s reluctant pilot) but most of them will become cannon fodder. Ask any seasoned horror fan, however, and they will tell you that most of the characters in many a genre film will eventually become cannon-fodder to their decisions. Danny McBride as Tennessee is perhaps the most memorable character other than Daniels, with some good character beats.
Micheal Fassbender clearly steals the show with his sinister performance as we are re-introduced to the android David from Prometheus; the synthetic ‘brother’ of Walter, as David remarks. The next best performance comes from Katherine Waterston as Daniels, who effectively echoes Ripley’s female warrior in the films later action sequences. For the Xenomorphs themselves, the predictable and not wholly convincing use of CGI takes some of the creature’s frightening power away and varies in its impact from scene to scene. As such, perhaps the most effective scenes are those without Xenomorphs at all but in the curious interactions between Walter and the calculating David.
Though we don’t get to know the other crew members so well, Scott still manages to create a heightened and effective atmosphere of terror when the Covenant’s crew first encounter the first form of alien creatures through to their more recognisable and fully evolved appearance near the end of the film. The director’s visual style is also clearly present through the impressive use of lighting and shadows by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski.
One improvement addressed from Prometheus is a more streamlined and less complex narrative. This works both in and against its favour. Prometheus was criticised by many fans for not tying into the existing Alien mythos enough, instead focusing what could be argued as pretentious musings on man’s creation. For this reviewer, at least, this was a welcome refreshment. In response to this criticism, Ridley Scott’s direction in Covenant could be criticised itself for trying too hard to blend in a little too many Alien tropes. As a result, though undoubtedly effective in many parts, it doesn’t feel particularly memorable.
Despite being one of the goriest films of the series Ridley Scott fails to reach the atmospheric heights of his original 1979 film. The signature visual motifs of the original series are all there, the competent action beats meanwhile are sure to remind you of James Cameron’s Aliens and the decisions of our characters may make you scratch your head as John Hurt made audiences do in 1979.
Ultimately, though Alien: Covenant doesn’t quite make you scream in space, that doesn’t mean this solid and often enjoyable entry in the franchise isn’t worth watching.
For me, Alien: Covenant scores a deserved 7/10.
words MAX DEAN