Alien: Covenant (2017)

[thewerepuppygrr]

I saw it last night.

My thoughts on it are that it's a bit like the movie equivalent of buying a compilation album; there are some tracks you'll want to skip, a whole bunch that are OK but you wouldn't buy normally, and then a handful that you really like but that you own already anyway on better albums.

So...yeah. That sums up my experience of Covenant. It's a bit like a greatest hits of all the old classic Alien tropes, but they have been overly-cleaned up so they're far too glossy, intermingled with a bunch of stuff that just doesn't hold the interest as much.

I enjoyed it more than Prometheus, but only by a smidge. 3/5.

[kristoffer]

I liked Promotheus overall the first time, so these reports make me optimistic.

[Merlinpants]

Originally Posted by levcore

Lol which contradicts what you said in your previous post about them blindly praising Covenant.

Not at all, those films were absolute dross and impossible to support without looking biased. Alien covenant on the other hand, you can take a different viewpoint as some like, some don't.

Lets face it, it is going to be worth a watch as it is Ridley Scott and Alien, but where you watch it.....can't say I'm parting with cash for a cinema viewing based on what I have read, seen and heard so far.

[Merlinpants]

Originally Posted by philthehip

Did you do any research for any of that post? Or were you flying blind?

Oh and you owe me a keyboard, your joke about Alien and Aliens made me laugh so much I spat coffee all over my keyboard. It was a joke? Right?

Flying blind, and read into it as you like

[levcore]

Originally Posted by Merlinpants

Not at all, those films were absolute dross and impossible to support without looking biased. Alien covenant on the other hand, you can take a different viewpoint as some like, some don't.

That's the viewpoint many have taken with Exodus Gods and Kings though.

[Merlinpants]

Originally Posted by levcore

That's the viewpoint many have taken with Exodus Gods and Kings though.

Personally I enjoyed that film, and I'm an atheist

[levcore]

I loved it, just needed a longer cut.

[Darkstream]

Originally Posted by thewerepuppygrr

I saw it last night.

My thoughts on it are that it's a bit like the movie equivalent of buying a compilation album; there are some tracks you'll want to skip, a whole bunch that are OK but you wouldn't buy normally, and then a handful that you really like but that you own already anyway on better albums.

So...yeah. That sums up my experience of Covenant. It's a bit like a greatest hits of all the old classic Alien tropes, but they have been overly-cleaned up so they're far too glossy, intermingled with a bunch of stuff that just doesn't hold the interest as much.

I enjoyed it more than Prometheus, but only by a smidge. 3/5.

Funny you should say this, because I was just discussing music with my wife the other day, and I was saying how some bands I grew up with changed their sound over time, and eventually go in a direction that I don't really care for, or at least is not as strong as their earlier work --- but then they have the big "comeback" album that is declared a "return to form," but is essentially just a rehash of their earlier work, and lacks anything original or fresh. That in itself makes their earlier work stand even stronger, because now they are just compiling things they've already done and calling it something new.

Sounds like Ridley Scott is doing the same thing with Alien: Covenant. Sometimes pandering to the original fanbase can backfire when it comes down to artistry.

I'm still looking forward to seeing it, though.

[Himmel]

An example of how people are divided on this movie.

Flickering Myth's Luke Owen gives it ( Film: / Movie: )
https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2017/...covenant-2017/

And here.

Flickering Myth's Robert Kojder gives it (Film: / Movie: )
https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2017/...covenant-2017/



There is no unifying opinion that the film is really bad see the film yourself, and don't let one person decide it for you.

[ditcin]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Engineers have bones.

The bones seen in the fossil in Alien protruded because of the chestbuster. It doesn't contradict the revelation that Engineers wear a suit. Again, as I said, in the movie, it's not definitive. It's vague and open to interpretation - and interpret is what Dallas did. I fail to see the relevance of the alleged color of that part of the fossil or whatever might have been shown in a making-of video.

I see that disagreeing with your point of view makes you mad, or at least condescending (I have seen Alien more than once, and not too long ago, thank you very much). I'll stop here, but be sure that you haven't convinced me.

Actually he is correct to a point. The suit is a suit. Even if the structure was broken the hole made would show another set of bone inside, also broken outward. Only one set of bones are shown or inferred. ...so, truthfully, stupid Ridely although may have thought he was making it interesting actually went against what was originally planned for ALIEN.

Just food for thought

[ditcin]

Originally Posted by Darkstream

Funny you should say this, because I was just discussing music with my wife the other day, and I was saying how some bands I grew up with changed their sound over time, and eventually go in a direction that I don't really care for, or at least is not as strong as their earlier work --- but then they have the big "comeback" album that is declared a "return to form," but is essentially just a rehash of their earlier work, and lacks anything original or fresh. That in itself makes their earlier work stand even stronger, because now they are just compiling things they've already done and calling it something new.

Sounds like Ridley Scott is doing the same thing with Alien: Covenant. Sometimes pandering to the original fanbase can backfire when it comes down to artistry.

I'm still looking forward to seeing it, though.

Please, the original ALIEN score was done by the master Jerry Goldsmith - Ridley was too stupid not to use about half of it. ...and there is no one that rises up to that standard today.

[Darkstream]

Originally Posted by ditcin

Please, the original ALIEN score was done by the master Jerry Goldsmith - Ridley was too stupid not to use about half of it. ...and there is no one that rises up to that standard today.

I think you misunderstand my post. I'm using music as an example medium of how artists rehash their earlier work to cater to fans -- I'm not talking about the actual music within the movie.

I'm saying that (based on what others are saying) Alien: Covenant sounds like a comeback album for Ridley Scott that essentially hits a lot of the same notes and beats (tropes) as Alien, but lacks anything original -- other than maybe just being a more glossy updated production quality.

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by Darkstream

I think you misunderstand my post. I'm using music as an example medium of how artists rehash their earlier work to cater to fans -- I'm not talking about the actual music within the movie.

I'm saying that (based on what others are saying) Alien: Covenant sounds like a comeback album for Ridley Scott that essentially hits a lot of the same notes and beats (tropes) as Alien, but lacks anything original -- other than maybe just being a more glossy updated production quality.

That makes a lot of sense. With the ending of this movie, it seems like it will be really difficult to connect back to Alien and LV426.

[Himmel]

Some bts pics of

[Show spoiler]the xeno, and egg chamber

from the HBO special...

Beware Spoiler Beyond This Point!!

[Show spoiler]

[thewerepuppygrr]

Originally Posted by Darkstream

Funny you should say this, because I was just discussing music with my wife the other day, and I was saying how some bands I grew up with changed their sound over time, and eventually go in a direction that I don't really care for, or at least is not as strong as their earlier work --- but then they have the big "comeback" album that is declared a "return to form," but is essentially just a rehash of their earlier work, and lacks anything original or fresh. That in itself makes their earlier work stand even stronger, because now they are just compiling things they've already done and calling it something new.

Sounds like Ridley Scott is doing the same thing with Alien: Covenant. Sometimes pandering to the original fanbase can backfire when it comes down to artistry.

I'm still looking forward to seeing it, though.

Yup that's another good summation. I'll spoiler the next part because although I'm going to be super-vague, I really don't want to spoil anything for anyone...

[Show spoiler]I feel like with both Prometheus and Covenant, Scott has tried to provide us with a surrogate Ripley, a strong brunette female protagonist.
The thing is, neither Shaw nor Daniels fits neatly into the role without being crow-barred in in someway. It wouldn't hurt to have an entirely different kind of protagonist - not in a gender-flip-for-the-sake-of-it way, but just to move away from the cookie cutter production line.

[Darkstream]

Reading more reviews, I will say this...whether it turns out that I like the movie or not, it doesn't seem that Ridley Scott has much more of anything to say that is important or original with these films anymore, and after two films already that have received mixed receptions, the promise of two more prequel films by Scott seems like overkill. I think maybe he should take everything he has left to say and only do one more film. Don't stretch anything out, don't leave it hanging for another potential chapter. Just take us up to where it needs to go to set up the original Alien film, in one more film, and then walk away. Just make it a prequel trilogy and then leave it alone. Then, when all is said and done, bring in some new blood and consider where to take the film franchise in a few years down the road. I think that is the only way to proceed in the best interest of the Ridley Scott, Fox Studios, the Alien franchise, and the fans.

[tob]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b79aw9dZLfE

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by Darkstream

Reading more reviews, I will say this...whether it turns out that I like the movie or not, it doesn't seem that Ripley Scott has much more of anything to say that is important or original with these films anymore, and after two films already that have received mixed receptions, the promise of two more prequel films by Scott seems like overkill. I think maybe he should take everything he has left to say and only do one more film. Don't stretch anything out, don't leave it hanging for another potential chapter. Just take us up to where it needs to go to set up the original Alien film and then walk away. Just make it a prequel trilogy and then leave it alone. Then, when all is said and done, bring in some new blood and consider where to take the film franchise in a few years down the road. I think that is the only way to proceed in the best interest of the Ridley Scott, Fox Studios, the Alien franchise, and the fans.

I agree yet, I think tying up everything nicely in one film would be difficult, and maybe not possible.

[s2mikey]

This appears to be barely a rental... at best. In a way Im actually happy to read mostly negative reactions. Why? Because I was never that thrilled with the whole Prometheus "flavor" of things so continuing with that storyline hardly interested me. It'll save me time & worrying about it.

I was always an Alien & Aliens fan. THATS my "cannon", not this stupid engineers/meaning of life/where did we come from BS. So, this franchise has pretty much ended for me. Ill just enjoy Alien, Aliens, and ocassionally Prometheus when I feel like it. All good.

[JeffTheMovieGuy]

I love this poster