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'Alien Covenant': Don't stop for strangers, don't take . . .

108.81.116.219
Posted on May 18, 2017 at 20:36:46
Billy Wonka
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 shortcuts, and keep to the road at night. Good ideas for interstellar travelers.

There are disappointments: we still don't know why the Engineers wanted to kill us, we don't quite understand why David dropped the bombs on the Engineer planet, and there is no well-developed back story about what happened to Shaw. There are no new real surprises other than there is a whole new menagerie of creatures that have developed an appetite. I like the way this one started but it's like Christmas once you know Santa is out of the bag. In fact, this didn't have the creative spark 'Prometheus' had. There isn't a lot of brand new plot ingenuity but a plausible story with more up to date CGI experience. This installment was a reflection of the very first "Aliens" more so than creating a new path of understanding of how we got here.

The acting was good considering the dialog could have come from any of the prior movies and the critters were good but generally badly behaved. Fassbinder played two androids who, in a way, bonded. (Prepare for social engineering scene).

For me, the initial discovery and exploration were the best part. When they lost a few crew members and met up with David things began to get "old school" Alien. Yep, this is far more "old school" and a concession to the fans who missed critters attacking at every turn. The intellectual teasing is missing from this installment and the ending sends us right off onto the sequel which, again, is missing the intellectual goosing of Prometheus. I hate to think we really don't know why the Engineers don't like us but let's just say that David acted on their hate toward us as well. (What does he know?)

I give this 7 outta 10. It was a slide into third and no way near a homerun. I must say I watched just about every YouTube trailer for the film and can tell you a lot of it hit the editing room floor. Still, this was 2:02:00 long.

The 'Alien' Fan Boys need to step in and share their expert analysis so we can all understand what just happened.

Don't let the bed bugs bite.

 

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Why don't you just post the whole screenplay? :-). Nt, posted on May 19, 2017 at 09:30:39
geoffkait
 Nt

 

Bummer, posted on May 19, 2017 at 09:38:40
free.ranger
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 Just saw Prometheus again last night on the toob (FX channel), probably shown as a warm up.
There is so much going on in that story, that I had to wonder how they could possibly equal it.
Sounds like they didn't. Pro is one of best sci-fi flicks of all time.

 

Sounds like it's still good entertainment even if not..., posted on May 21, 2017 at 12:57:45
musetap
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  Since: January 28, 2004
 intellectually stellar.

Supposedly the next one ties much together.

Lots on the cutting room floor?

DIRECTOR'S CUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

I found it to hold together surprisingly well. Couldn't have been better. Nt, posted on May 21, 2017 at 13:31:09
geoffkait
 Nt

 

Agreed..., posted on May 21, 2017 at 16:15:35
mkuller
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Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
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 ...it was ok - but no Alien or Prometheus.

One review said that like The Force Awakens had a similar story, pace and rhythm (movie PRAT?) to the original Star Wars, this one mimics the original Alien.

 

RE: 'Alien Covenant': Don't stop for strangers, don't take . . ., posted on May 22, 2017 at 05:07:46
volunteer
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Posts: 5666
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 I liked it well enough but it wasn't great. Have we seen the creatures so much they simply aren't as frightening as they once were? Acting and CGI were both good.


-Wendell

 

The scariest thing about the first Alien..., posted on May 22, 2017 at 08:23:26
mkuller
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Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
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 ...was you only got glimpses of the creature until the end.

 

True, posted on May 22, 2017 at 08:37:33
volunteer
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Posts: 5666
Location: Louisville, KY
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 Just watched Prometheus again. Much better film.


-Wendell

 

Alien Covenant doesn't suffer any such lapses. Nt, posted on May 22, 2017 at 10:45:37
geoffkait
 Nt

 

Actually, posted on May 23, 2017 at 16:16:51
geoffkait
 Alien covenant is the perfect marriage of Prometheus and Alien and many mysteries that Prometheus presented are cleared up. Alien Covenant explains itself better in terms of what's happening, not everything, but much better than Prometheus. Alien really had no backstory as the thing is being presented in Prometheus and now Alien Covenant. Although the concept of the robot science officer and the life cycle of the monster was developed. But none of the who created us type Big Questions. Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.

 

RE: Sounds like it's still good entertainment even if not..., posted on May 23, 2017 at 20:28:12
ornery
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 director's cut is right. I don't normally care too much but I hope there's a significantly longer director's cut for this. This really needs an Alien fanboy version.

 

"There are disappointments". . ., posted on May 25, 2017 at 14:05:43
Steve O
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 . . .There sure are! Pretty much the whole thing. We've seen almost all of this before. Essentially a portrayal of a far-reaching and stupendously costly Interstellar mission crewed with stupid, uninformed, poorly trained personnel in mission critical positions making very bad decisions. No human endeavor of this magnitude would ever let this level of incompetence get past the first interview. Not plausible at all. IMO the use of arrogant incompetence as a plot device was a major flaw of "Prometheus" too. This worked OK in "Alien" but this many sequels later it's pretty tiresome.

FWIW, I thought it was pretty clearly stated as to why David dropped the bombs on the engineers; he viewed himself as superior and was serving no one including them. God-like and capable of the ultimate act of creativity while simultaneously eliminating sentient life forms he considered inferior. The Wagnerian Valhalla references weren't subtle. And we're still left wondering why the engineers hatred their apparent creations. Oh-well; based on how the ending appears to set up the next sequel, looks like we've moved well past answering that question.

 

well, I guess we can rule you out as a fanboy. Nt, posted on May 25, 2017 at 21:46:47
geoffkait
 Nt

 

I think there are a lot of Prometheus fans who were/are not for the Aliens series., posted on May 26, 2017 at 07:02:36
free.ranger
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 If I'm correct on that, then this movie sounds like a compromise. From my time as an engineering project manager, a compromise of sorts can be reached when no one is happy with the settlement.



 

At the risk of sounding like an "academic elitist"..., posted on May 26, 2017 at 07:50:20
Steve O
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 ...Prometheus was too cerebral for most of today's movie going audience delving as it did into subjects like faith and origin. I think RS and financial backers wanted to avoid that and maximize teen/young adult audience potential this time around. So Covenant leaves all the heavy stuff behind and tries to get back to the original's tension and gore........but we've all been there and done that how many times now?.............

 

RE: At the risk of sounding like an "academic elitist"..., posted on May 26, 2017 at 08:15:18
BillH
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 "Alien" is a tired concept, as well as an ugly-ass critter. Much better is "Predator," which opened a big can of whup on the aliens in the "Aliens v. Predator" movie.
I'll bet I don't sound like an academic elitist.

 

Dont worry., posted on May 26, 2017 at 08:19:25
free.ranger
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 I also rolled my eyeballs every time they recruited astronauts from biker gangs. Message implied is that you can conduct your life at lower settings and still get included in the big endeavors. Then again, we are living in Trump times.

 

Yeah, that pretty much sums it all up (nt), posted on May 26, 2017 at 09:13:50
Steve O
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Posts: 12407
Location: SE MI
Joined: September 6, 2001

 

Guardians of the Galaxy covers all the heavy stuff., posted on May 26, 2017 at 09:30:22
geoffkait
 Covenant leaves all the heavy stuff behind? Oh, you mean things like A.I., immortality, God complex, revenge, who created Man, and what happens when replicants get Cabin Fever. At least we know who created the Alien now.

 

I'm not surprised you say that...GOTG v2.0 was AWESOME by comparison (nt), posted on May 26, 2017 at 11:28:34
Steve O
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Location: SE MI
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Alien Covenant kicked Guardians of the Galaxy out of first place in box office. Hel-loo! Nt, posted on May 26, 2017 at 12:48:30
geoffkait
 Nt

 

Barely. Weekend box office placement is a measure of quality? Helu!..., posted on May 26, 2017 at 14:12:05
Steve O
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Posts: 12407
Location: SE MI
Joined: September 6, 2001
 ...they're way different productions. I had much higher expectations for Covenant given its pedigree and predecessor.

 

I won't go to any movies with a raccoon as the main character in them, period. nt, posted on May 27, 2017 at 05:33:02
geoffkait
 nt

 

Damn straight., posted on May 27, 2017 at 09:46:11
free.ranger
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 It will be on cable soon enough. I can make my own popcorn.

 

After 2 weeks...(nt), posted on May 29, 2017 at 11:02:19
mkuller
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Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
 (nt)

 

Just opening weekend hype; GOTG2 is again ahead of Covenant..., posted on May 29, 2017 at 12:45:46
Steve O
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Posts: 12407
Location: SE MI
Joined: September 6, 2001
 ...this long holiday weekend. Of course POTC v28.0 is #1 if box office stats float your boat.

 

RE: 'Alien Covenant': Don't stop for strangers, don't take . . ., posted on June 11, 2017 at 02:12:54
Dr Phibes
Audiophile

Posts: 195
Location: Brooklyn
Joined: September 7, 2008
 When the duplicate android cut his hair and looked identical to his twin - we all knew mistaken identity would happen in 50 minutes. That's "Alien Covenant" in a nutshell. It was too predictable ... and the C.G.I was dark and foggy. When I see a movie, I like to SEE the movie.

 

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