Writer: Nur Iman Syasya

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Watch this if you liked: The "Alien" franchise

The Good, the Bad and the new Aliens:

"Alien: Covenant" is the third movie in the Alien franchise that is helmed by Ridley Scott, the first being the very movie that started the franchise, 1979's "Alien" and the last one, "Prometheus" (2012).

As a fan of the franchise, watching "Alien: Covenant" made it feel like it was a satisfying hybrid of "Alien" and "Prometheus".

You have the badass female heroine and the deadly Xenomorph running around the base like in "Alien". You also get the creepy android and the endless philosophical questions as introduced in "Prometheus".

However, unlike in "Alien", only one human versus alien fight happens on the ship, while the rest happens outdoors, even in broad daylight which allows the audience to better see the alien move and lets them somewhat know where the alien will attack from next... not that it helps with how fast the thing moves!
And, unlike "Prometheus", the philosophical questions in "Covenant" aren't left entirely unanswered and each character obviously has their own opinion on the matter.

The setting of each scene perfectly matches the mood of the film, particularly one with the bright wheat field that the crew walks through when they first reach the new planet and found, what they thought to be, hope for an alternative new home to the gloomy grey plaza filled with statues posed in agony after their first encounter with a deadly alien.

Of course, we can't forget the real stars of the show: the aliens. The classic Xenomorph makes its appearance, as expected, but there is also the addition of the white Xenomorph-like alien-a new species that fans are already calling a 'Neomorph'-which is a terrifying new welcome to the franchise.

The characters of "Covenant" are unique to the previous films, in which they are all married to each other-which makes sense, since they are pioneers on a colonial mission.

So, any time a character doesn't survive an alien encounter, there's the added knowledge that not only are their numbers dwindling, they are leaving behind someone who would grieve over their death more than anyone else; so any of their questionable judgements calls or sudden bouts of determination can be attributed to their recent loss.

It needs to be said how phenomenal the acting was. Michael Fassbender had to play, not only one, but two robots with differing views on humans and creation. Katherine Waterston plays our resourceful supporting crew member turned heroine deftly well. But is she the new Ellen Ripley? Perhaps she's halfway there.

Billy Crudup is great as the rationalist who suddenly finds himself in a position that is obviously way out of his league. And, of course, Danny McBride's character is quickly established as the crew mate that you're supposed to find the most likable, which we do.

That isn't to say that the movie was perfect. Fans entered the cinema expecting answers to all the questions left behind by "Prometheus", but not all of them were answered. If anything, they were left with more questions, like: why wouldn't scientists wear protective suits that cover their entire body when entering an unknown planet to keep things like deadly parasitic spores from entering their nostrils and ear canals?
"Covenant", while action-packed and definitely featured more aliens than "Prometheus", felt more like a slasher film and leaves you wondering which characters are going to be the one left alive at the end.

The computer-generated Xenomorphs have opened a whole slew of opportunities that was executed brilliantly in "Covenant" and is to be expected again in future films.

Trivia:

• Some of the scenes were filmed in Sydney, Australia at Fox Studios. While there, Ridley Scott had to give Michael Fassbender time off between takes so the actor could attend the "X-Men: Apocalypse" premiere that was being held in the same area.



Cinema Online, 09 May 2017