The Prometheus sequel and sixth film of the Alien series, Alien: Covenant is the latest sci-fi horror film by Ridley Scott. Although mostly a paint-by-numbers narrative with disappointing action and unimaginative horror scenes, Alien: Covenant puts a fascinating spin on its own universe. Thanks to a talented cast, particularly Michael Fassbender, absorbing imagery, and the inclusion of David to the well-traversed 'humans in outer-space danger' storyline, Alien: Covenant is a worthy addition to the series.
Onboard the Covenant, a space crew en route to colonize a new planet receives a mysterious transmission from a nearby, seemingly habitable planet. Against better judgement, the captain detours the crew to explore the planet and locate the transmission, resulting in many gruesome deaths at the hands of scary alien monsters. Many of the characters are one-dimensional alien fodder, and the few that are fleshed-out just barely maintain the viewer's hope for the crew.
Without question, the most interesting and best part of the film is David, the human-pitying android, played by Fassbender. Although significant to the plot, the alien threat is largely put in the background, as David is the lead antagonist of the film. Since Prometheus, David has interestingly learned to create art, play music, conduct eerie zoology experiments, and has developed a taste for creating life, even if it means ending life in the process, which of course it does. Using the excuse that humans are imperfect, David means to prevent humanity from colonizing the galaxy. This story thread greatly enriches the Alien universe, pushing it beyond the basic scary monster narrative seen in the predecessor films and raises provocative questions about human transmutability.
Fassbender delivers a fantastic performance, not only as David, but also as his "brother," Walter. The dual performance is especially impressive when the two androids share the screen, as it is easy to forget that both are the same actor. Other notable cast members are Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, and Billy Crudup. Largely due to the script, Waterston is not comparable to Sigourney Weaver's Ripley or even Noomi Rapace's Dr. Shaw, but she is convincing in her widow grief throughout the film. McBride surprises in a non-comedic, endearing and assertive role, and Crudup plays the part of good-intentioned, faith-driven captain well. When the script allows, all of the actors shine.
Aside from David and some strong performances, there is little else that enriches the film. The action scenes mostly underwhelm and the horror elements leave a lot to be desired. Outside of an acid-filled alien being crushed in the jaws of a crane, nothing interesting or fantastic happens within the physical human fight for survival. Likewise, David's hand-to-hand combat with Walter offers nothing special. The predictable "twist" ending is similarly underwhelming and should have been handled with subtlety. Many of the deaths are splendidly gruesome, but nothing is done that audiences haven't seen before, nor are any of those scenes particularly scary. The saving grace is that the cinematography and mise-en-scène are always beautiful and absorbing, including the bloody, gory parts. It is a treat to see graphic horror given a big-budget treatment.
Alien: Covenant is worth watching, if only to enjoy the David developments and to keep up with the Alien film series. With 20th Century Fox and Ridley Scott already in development on another sequel, it will be interesting to see where the series goes from here. Hopefully, they won't kill off any main characters between films again.
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