Around this time four years ago, I emerged from the cinema slightly confused and quite disappointed as I scratched my head, wondering what I had just watched. Of course, what I had just watched was Prometheus, the quasi-Alien-prequel that left most fans with a sour taste in their mouths, pondering whether or not director Ridley Scott would ever expand on what exactly happened in the film. Thus Alien: Covenant was born, a film that acts as part semi-follow up to Promethus and part semi-Alien origin story. Does it clear up Prometheus any better? Well, sort of. The film is not a direct continuation of Prometheus, rather a loose follow up that sees a ship full of unsuspecting colonists becoming immersed in this world of extra-terrestrial terror. It sees the return of Michael Fassbender's David, along with the debut of some new characters such as Walter (also Fassbender), a much more innocent android, and Katherine Watersons Daniels, the main protagonist. While the film is a lot more straightforward than its predecessor, Alien: Covenant is still heavily flawed and is not exactly the most fulfilling follow up.
The film begins with the crew of Covenant answering a distress signal on a mysterious planet that appears to be capable of sustaining life. As soon as the crew step foot onto this new world we are immersed in this beautifully gloomy environment full of jagged mountains, crystal lakes, and sprawling woodland. The visuals in Covenant are truly breathtaking, from the natural environment, to the fascinating, Giger-inspired production design, the world of Covenant feels entirely unique with an acute sense of familiarity for fans of the franchise. Scott proves that his direction is still second to none right from the first scene, he and cinematographer Darius Wolski create this visually stunning environment that encapsulates the audience as soon as the film begins. The visuals are by far one of Covenant's strongest points and allow the film to stand out among the rest of the franchise.
As soon as the crew begin to explore this lush new environment, the film reminds us of what made the first Alien so bloody scary. The first act is incredibly intense as the crew make their first close encounter, and it is full of truly nail biting moments that mirror those of the first film. My heart was racing during the films first act and for a while it looked as though it was set to match Alien in terms of thrills. However, the suspense is inconsistent and the majority of the second act feels a bit sluggish. While it does set about answering some of the questions posed in Prometheus and the events that followed, it lacks that sheer sense of terror from the first act. Although the action does pick up in the final act, the last 20 minutes or so almost feel like another film entirely, stapled on to Covenant to provide the audience with one last twist (a predictable one at that). It tries to balance all of these philosophical ideas and allusions to classical literature, with these B movie tropes that simply don't play off each other that well onscreen.
As for the characters in Covenant, the vast majority are just paper thin. Within the first few minutes we can already tell who the 'red shirts' are, and even some of those who make it to the latter half of the film are just too underdeveloped for anybody to care. Actors such as Demián Bichir and Billy Crudup feel somewhat wasted in their roles, which is such a shame as they are both very talented actors. Along with feeling very disposable, a lot of the characters make some truly awful decisions throughout such as wandering off alone and other actions reminiscent of an 80's slasher teen. It's moments like these when the film starts to feel more like a B movie than anything else. Not all of the characters are forgettable though, Katherine Waterson gives a powerful performance as the main protagonist Daniels, despite being a bit underused in the second act. Danny McBride also stands out as Tennessee who, despite a couple of comedic quips, manages to transcend his usual funnyman persona to take on a much more serious onscreen role. Of course, the real highlight was Michael Fassbender, in a dual role this time as androids Walter and David. The duo could not be any more different from each other, and Fassbender plays off an interesting dynamic between them both.
The main thing that most fans were looking forward to however, was the return of the beloved Xenomorph whose absence was wholly missed in Prometheus. It takes a while until they finally show up, but in the meantime we are treated to its equally terrifying predecessor the neomorph. The creature designs in Covenant are excellent, as to be expected from an Alien film, and the spine-busting neomorph was one of the highlights for me. While I was delighted to see the xenomorphs back again, I can't help but feel that a few practical effects wouldn't have gone amiss. While I understand that the CGI was necessary for the creature to move the way it did, there were several moments where practical effects could have been utilised nicely. The films environment just feels so natural that too much CGI can just feel out of place.
All in all, Alien: Covenant is a bit of a mixed bag. It tries to cross the suspense of Alien, with the action of Aliens, and the philosophical jargon of Prometheus, but these drastically different ideas don't always play off each other that well which causes the film to feel incredibly uneven. As well as that, aside from a few exceptions the majority of characters are underdeveloped and at times, act like teenagers at Camp Crystal Lake practically asking to be killed. While there are some strong performances, immaculate visuals, and countless easter eggs for fans of the franchise, the film ultimately feels dragged down by its drastic shifts in tone and paper thin characters. Is it an improvement over Prometheus? Most definitely. Is it what's best for the Alien franchise? Perhaps not. While I do think Ridley Scott is still a fantastic director, I'm not sure I quite agree with the direction he's taking this franchise. Maybe it's time Neill Blomkamp finally got to make his Alien movie.
No comments:
Post a Comment