Alien: Covenant ★★★½
Synopsis: The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape - Written by Twentieth Century Fox
Film Review: The Alien franchise has both entertained and scared us since 1979 when director Ridley Scott together with artist H.R. Giger made the legendary Alien movie. As well as an outstanding debut for Sigourney Weaver, who played as Lt. Ripley- the iconic character in all the Alien movies.
Now at its sixth instalment, Alien: Covenant has gotten more sophisticated with its visuals and effects. This film is the second part following Prometheus and is mainly about the story of David (Micheal Fassbender) -the first model android that Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) the owner of Weyland Corporation created.
David, even at the beginning of his existence, was never shown respect or value from his creator or mostly any human. Although a robot, he had emotions and was programmed to be almost like a person. An Android who is also loyal but sees humankind as awful beings. He maintains his loyalty right up to the end, but then he eventually betrayed humanity. David has always been envious of human's ability to create therefore he has created something of his own.
The film like the other Alien films kept the theme of a crew of people travelling in space accompanied by an android. This characteristic has been the trademark of the Alien saga that makes it more interesting. A robot capable of interacting like a human being, it is like seeing a sneak peak of what might be the future. The crew as always, in all the Alien movies, have done many silly things. But this is either a reflection of reality, that sometimes people do foolish things that get themselves into trouble or a style that Ridley Scott acquired to make his films more emotionally effective. The plot is also fascinating, especially when the newer version of David, who is named Walter confronted him. Micheal Fassbender is such a high-quality actor who can play any role but is exceptionally significant playing fictional characters such as two Androids with different personalities. He made the characters very believable; it was incredible to see them as if they were talking to each other.
In conclusion, Alien: Covenant left us with more questions and the want for answers. There is that excitement to see the next prequel and probably the last instalment. This film has created a beginning to what has become of Earth and gave clues to who created humans and what was the purpose behind. To sum up, Alien: Covenant is a highly entertaining sci-fi horror film with a great plot and storytelling with fantastic visuals. This movie is a must see for the Alien movie fans and sci-fi thriller enthusiasts.
In NZ cinemas from May 11, 2017
NZ Rating: R16 Violence, offensive language & horror