Director: Ridley Scott Studio: 20th Century Fox Genre(s): Science Fiction/Action Rated: R (For sci-fi violence, bloody images, language and some sexuality/nudity) |
I’m going to admit upfront that I walked away from my
viewing of “Alien: Covenant” with very different thoughts and feelings than
most people are going to have. I watched
the movie as a Ridley Scott film. I
watched it and thought about its place in the entire ‘Alien’ universe. I watched it and thought of it as a
compromise for an artist wanting to continue the story of “Prometheus” but had
to incorporate more of the ‘Alien’ mythology in order to become more
profitable. I am watching the movie and
thinking about what has come before, what came during, and what the potential
consequences are for a film that has to include marketable material if it is to
continue to get the budget it requires for a vision that is growing bigger with
each subsequent installment. I
acknowledge many people who are interested in this movie only want to know if
it is exciting and if it has a lot of violence.
For those people I can safely answer ‘yes’ and you can move
on and buy your ticket. It isn’t action
packed like a typical summer blockbuster and is styled more like a horror
movie, but there are a few scenes of outright action and at least one where a
woman fights an alien on a moving spaceship, so that should suffice for many. For those who want the full story I am here to
tell you that while this has ‘Alien’ in the title it is very much a sequel to “Prometheus.” I find the marketing to be deceptive but
seeing how people walked away from that movie more confused than enlightened, I
think the studio insisted Scott make something with a name they could sell.
Thankfully for Scott, he positioned “Prometheus” as a pseudo-prequel
to “Alien” at the end of that film, so that gave him a way to make the sequel
he wanted to make while still giving the studio a marketable movie. I’ve never given Scott much credit as a
businessman (I sort of go back and forth on whether or not he’s even a great
director), but this was really sneaky of him.
He even pulls a fast one on the audience, as the crew members of a new
mission trip discover a planet that is potentially inhabitable by humans and
make a detour to see if their mission can end early. What they discover is the fallen Prometheus
spaceship, a lot of black creatures who are vicious, and an android who loves
plants named David (Michael Fassbender).
What stands out about David is that he is an earlier model of the android
that is traveling with them named Walter (Fassbender again).
When the two are in the same room it is interesting to see
how they were both programmed with the same basic functions and duties in life,
but how each of them interpreted that programming differently. The movie is at its best when these two are
discussing what is moral, righteous, and proper in a world that is occupied by
a species that seems determined to tear itself apart. How from David’s perspective the black aliens
are the saviors of the universe, while to Walter they are the thing that will
destroy the very creatures that can nurture nature back to life. From an acting perspective, it is a brilliant
performance by Fassbender, who acts so similar as both characters yet manages
to infuse slightly different personality traits that are not overstated but
stand out enough so that we in the audience are always aware of the differences
between the two.
The rest of the humans all have feelings and fears, but like
most horror movies they exist to fight the monster until there are one or two left
standing. So, in a way, “Alien:
Covenant” is two movies for the price of one.
Fans of the ‘Alien’ franchise are going to get their mix of action and
horror in how the humans deal with the creatures that want to kill them. Meanwhile, Scott gets to make his
philosophical sequel to “Prometheus” with the interactions between the
androids. Ultimately, it isn’t a perfect
mix, and there is a strong sense that focusing on one style over the other
would result in a better movie. But this
is the reality of Hollywood. They want
marketable films. Scott knew this but
wanted to make his vision. So, he came
out with a hybrid film that is likely to please most on a basic level. Maybe not a deeper one, but enough to
recommend. How this will pay out in the
future is still the major question I am pondering, and I’m forced to wait until
the next movie comes out to see how Scott plays his cards.
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| CONSUMER ADVICE |
Parents, as with most movies like this, there is lots of violence, some strong language, and one (very pointless) sex scene. Recommended for ages 17 and up.
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