Alien: Covenant (2017)

Genres

Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Director

Ridley Scott

Country

USA

Cast

Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Callie Hernandez, Jussie Smollett, Nathaniel Dean, Tess Haubrich, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby, Uli Latukefu, James Franco, Guy Pearce

Storyline

The crew of the colony ship Covenant land on a small planet resembling the Earth with the intention of doing a peaceful exploratory mission but it will soon turn into a desperate rescue operation. 

Opinion

I saw the trailer to Alien: Covenant only once and waiting for rental seemed to be the best option. Although that way I missed the chance to see a gigantic Michael Fassbender wearing a white suit while having a tedious conversation with Guy Pearce which was easily the best part of the film. And probably the only good thing about it as well.

It wasn't a surprise though. After the disastrous Prometheus, I had no doubt Ridley Scott would bring to the screen another terrible prequel to his flawless Alien and that's exactly what happened. The story is beyond boring, the plot isn't very well thought through - actually, it's not thought at all, also proved by the huge amount of plot holes that will make you question your sanity for deciding to watch this film, and twists you can see coming miles away -, and there's so much nonsense, it probably makes its own genre. Not even science fiction allows so much nonsense. Nor fantasy.

What's worst in a movie like this, however, it's not the plot, as impossible as it may sound. That place belongs to the characters. I don't know, maybe the writers tried to make up for the excess of plot holes with a complete lack of characterization, but they are all the same. There's nothing to differentiate one from another. And you just don't care for them. I guess that's why I can't remember a single name other than Michael Fassbender's characters. Yep, he's got two characters, David from Prometheus (that's why I remember the name) and new entry Walter (and I remember the name because when it first appeared I was like, wtf wasn't him David?). By the way, Fassbender did a pretty good job considering how messed is the script. Also, there's a part of me who believes they gave him a double role to make up for all the other lacks of this film. Or to keep people watching from start to finish, because who can say no to all this Fassbender? I sure can't.

I should have thought twice before writing that the characters are the worst part of the film, the visual effects are so much worse. That's something I sure wasn't expecting from Scott and from a 2017 movie. Not only they don't hold up to other films of this year, they also are a huge step down from Prometheus. The year was 2012, just in case you didn't know.

And I'm done. I don't want to waste any more of your time (and mine) to talk about this poor excuse of a prequel. It's kinda the sequel Prometheus deserved though. 

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Genres

Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

Directors

The Brothers Strause

Country

USA

Cast

Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, John Ortiz, Johnny Lewis, Sam Trammell, Ariel Gade, Robert Joy, Kristen Hager, David Paetkau, Matt Ward, Michael Suchanek, David Hornsby, Gina Holden, Ian Whyte, Tom Woodruff Jr., Bobby Jones

Storyline

The dwellers of a rural Colorado town find themselves in the middle of a battle between two extraterrestrial races, Alien and Predator, and must team up for any chance of survival. 

Opinion

Wow, things dropped pretty fast. A week ago I was let's say praising Alien vs. Predator for being a fun crossover. Now I have to talk about how shitty Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem is. It is just plain dumb, like its predecessor, but it's not fun. It's more like a torture, to be honest. 

The film is a mess right from the beginning. It is supposed to be a sequel but there isn't any kind of recall neither to the characters of the previous film nor to the events of the previous film. It doesn't even have a weak storyline because that would require one, and that's definitely something the film does not have. Plot holes, however, it's plenty of those. It is such a mess and so incoherent, it's impossible to even concentrate. It keeps shifting from one thing to another without focusing or giving importance to anything. It is utterly unengaging.

The characters are just as terrible. They have no depth or development whatsoever. They are so thin, the wind would blow them away. Like those sheets falling down and flying everywhere. The only difference is that you probably care about those sheets, but don't give a damn about these characters.

The script, however, wasn't Alien vs. Predator's strong suit either. The action pretty much saved the film. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen here. The action sequences are terribly choreographed, they are not exciting, and they pretty much consist of people shooting in the dark.

And let's not talk about the special effects and costumes. No, actually, let's talk about those. They are terrible. You look at those Aliens and Predators and all you can see are men wearing some terrible Halloween costumes. 

In a few words, this film is an offense both to the Alien and to the Predator franchise. 

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

Genres

Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

Director

Paul W.S. Anderson

Countries

USA, UK, Italy, Canada

Cast

Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, Raoul ova, Ewen Bremner, Colin Salmon, Tommy Flanagan, Joseph Rye, Agathe de La Boulaye, Carsten Norgaard, Liz May Brice, Glenn Conroy, Karima Adebibe, Sam Troughton, Ian Whyte, Tom Woodruff Jr., Petr Jakl, Pavel Bezdek, Kieran Bew, Carsten Voigt, Jan Filipensky, Adrian Bouchet, Eoin McCarthy, Andy Lucas

Storyline

During an archaeological expedition on an island in the Antarctic Ocean, a team of archaeologists and scientists find themselves caught up in a battle between two alien races, aliens and predators. 

Opinion

It could have been worse. That's what I kept telling myself as the ending credits for Alien vs. Predator rolled out. Sure, it could have been better considering it's and Alien and Predator crossover, but despite all its flaws it still was fun to watch. 

And I'm really surprised because this film it's kind of a mess. The plot is uninspired and there are so many holes it's impossible to keep count. Wait, actually I'm not even sure this film has a plot. So no plot no holes I guess. Anyway, it's just terrible.

The characters aren't any better. They are paper-thin, uninteresting, stupid and they soon become boring as fuck. The character development is so little, they are dead and you barely know their names. I remember only two names, Lex  - because of Lex Luthor - and Sebastian - because I've never met or heard of any Italian named Sebastian. And the wooden acting surely doesn't help. 

However, he most surprising thing, script-wise, is the dialogue. The two franchises kind of have good dialogue; here it's just a mess. If feels like watching a parody of a sci-fi flick, that's how bad the dialogue is.

But it was fun. Well, at least the last part was. After a very long and tedious first part with the annoying humans, the aliens and predators show up, killing humans and each other, and the fun begins. The action sequences and special effects aren't anything special - they are average - but if compared with the rest of the film they really are great, and they make the watch more bearable. And although it's just your typical action flick action, it's fun. 

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Genre

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi

Director

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Country

USA

Cast

Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Michael Wincott, Dan Hedaya, J.E. Freeman, Brad Dourif, Marlene Bush, Carolyn Campbell, David St. James, Raymond Cruz, Kim Flowers, Gary Dourdan, Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon, Leland Orser, Tom Woodruff Jr., Joan LaBarbara, Archie Hahn

Storyline

Two hundred years after her death, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is revived as a powerful human/alien hybrid clone who must continue her war against the aliens.

Opinion

When I set my mind on watching the Alien franchise I was pretty sure "Alien: Resurrection" would be the weakest entry. I was wrong: this film not only ended up being superior to its predecessor - which wasn't that hard to accomplish - but it's also a solid-ish addition to the series.

I have to admit that the storyline didn't convince me much. I mean, bringing Ripley back from the death felt like one of those clichéd, last resort of filmmakers to make terrible sequels, but Joss Whedon wrote it. And even though the story itself is quite predictable and simplistic, this "fresh" new start was exactly what the film needed.

Whedon also did a wonderful job with the character of Ripley. He was indeed able to bring the character back from the death, both literally and figuratively, and find new things to do with a character that was pretty much done.

Unfortunately he didn't do the same with the other characters. The majority of the supporting characters, if not all of them, are basically action film clichés, and undeveloped. Actually Ripley is the only developed character.

But I guess I should be also blaming director Jean-Pierre Jeunet for that. He goes straight into the action, and doesn't leave much room for everything else. But at least the action sequences are very well done.

As for the cast, Sigourney Weaver kept doing what she did in the other three films of the series, a fine job. The same cannot be said about Winona Ryder though. Her (mis)casting and overacting were just a big no for me. But on the other hand there's Ron Perlman who shines as usual.

Alien 3 (1992)

Genre

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi

Director

David Fincher

Country

USA

Cast

Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Brian Glover, Ralph Brown, Paul McGann, Danny Webb, Lance Henriksen, Tom Woodruff, Pete Postlethwaite, Holt McCallany, Peter Guinness, Danielle Edmond

Storyline

After escaping from the alien moon, Ellen Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) ship crash-lands on a maximum security prison. Only when a series of deadly events occur, she realizes that she brought along an unwelcome visitor.

Opinion

I love David Fincher. This is not the first time I say it, and it's not the last time either. However, I can't say his directorial debut was a bright one because "Alien 3" is a very disappointing sequel.

The first problem with this film is that it should have never happened. "Aliens" ended quite happily and should have stayed that way. Period. However, if they really wanted to make another film, they should have put more effort into it. Instead, the filmmakers delivered a flawed, stupid, and illogical story that completely ruins the ending of its predecessor. I mean, Ripley crashing on a planet of rapist? Who the hell have that dumb idea?

But the story, as lame as it is, isn't even the worst part of the film. The worst of all the things is that the filmmakers decided to kill off all the characters which survived from the alien moon, making Ripley the only survivor - I guess we are supposed the empathize with her - and replaced them with unsympathetic, undeveloped characters less interesting than snail racing. You don't find snail racing exciting, right?

Anyway, the final result is a film that it's basically a copy and paste of its predecessors, only worse, whose alien won't scare even a child, especially after having seen Ripley fighting the Mother in the previous entry. Also, it feels like Fincher tried to replicate Scott's claustrophobic atmospheres and his film's themes, without any luck though.

Now one would think the film makes up with wonderful visuals, but it didn't happen. The CGI alien wasn't bad for the time, but has aged terribly, and I liked it better in the other entries. As for the action, it is dull, unexciting and flat as a board.

There is a tiny positive note though. Although she is way less believable - and the dreadful script is to blame -, Sigourney Weaver still manages to do a decent job as she tries to carry the film by herself. But she is not supergirl and she can't save the film. And the fact that she is lacking the support she had in the first two films surely doesn't help.

Aliens (1986)

Genre

Action | Sci-Fi

Director

James Cameron

Country

USA | UK

Cast

Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, Carrie Henn, Bill Paxton, William Hope, Ricco Ross, Al Matthews, Jenette Goldstein, Mark Rolston, Colette Hiller, Daniel Kash

Storyline

Fifty seven years after she survived her disastrous ordeal, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) discovers The Company have colonised the moon from Alien but have lost contacts with the colony. So she is sent there with a team of Space Marines to find out what is going on.

Opinion

Most of the time sequels turn out to be a really bad idea. But this time James Cameron took over from Ridley Scott, and it was more than obvious that the result would be different, and so it was. In fact "Aliens" is a thrilling science-fiction flick as well as a good sequel.

Even though it's better to watch this only after seeing "Alien" because it follows those events, and despite it shares some points with its predecessor's, the plot is quite strong and will keep you interested throughout the entire film.

The film also introduces new, interesting and quite memorable characters, and one in particular, and the bond that grows between that character and Ripley, allows to develop the main character even further.

Unlike Scott, Cameron decided to focus mainly on the action, which becomes even more violent than before - if that's even possible -, going from a claustrophobic thriller to an almost war movie. However, at the same time, he still managed to keep that suspense that characterized "Aline" and that kept the viewer glued to the screen.

In addition to a paced story and fast, intense and exciting action, the film also features creepy locations, great special effects - even though I feel like they were better in the first film -, and mesmerizing, to say the least, music. The acting isn't anything special, but it's believable.

Alien (1979)

Genre

Horror | Sci-Fi

Director

Ridley Scott

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, Bolaji Badejo, Helen Horton

Storyline

After intercepting an SOS signal from a nearby moon, the crew of a commercial spaceship is attacked by a mysterious lifeform.

Opinion

Before delivering to the audience huge disappointments - see "Prometheus" and "The Counselor" -, Ridley Scott used to make fantastic films, and "Alien" is one of them. Not only this is the film that launched the famous series, but it's also a spectacular horror/sci-fi film.

"Alien" is also one of those films you can watch a million times and never get tired of, and, in part, that's because of the story. Even though it is simple, it still manages to be smart, interesting, incredibly well-constructed and does not fall into clichés or absurd twists.

It work very well as a horror because the story is about fear, and people facing it. And just like happens in "regular" horrors, some of the characters fight back, others are overwhelmed by fear and let it destroy them. And people are killed with no logic whatsoever. There is no meaning behind who gets to live and who dies. And that's what makes the film so much more interesting.

However, the biggest credits for the success of the film go to the one and only Ridley Scott. He is able to deliver an excellent story that has just the right pace, that is wonderfully put together and that also features a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere. And the musical score by Jerry Goldsmith is perfect to underline it.

The camera work is top notch. Scott uses each movement, light and shadow in the best way possible, and does an incredibly job at not revealing exactly how the alien moves - seeing a guy in a suit wouldn't have been very effective.

At last but not least, the actors. It is not very common for a science fiction film to have such strong performances. Each actor does a great job portraying their characters in a quite realistic way. And Sigourney Weaver, what a powerful performance! And thinking she was nobody before making this.

Prometheus (2012)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Director

Ridley Scott

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Kate Dickie, Emun Elliott, Benedict Wong, Patrick Wilson, Ian Whyte

Storyline

Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team journey across the universe and find a structure on a distant planet containing a monolithic statue of a humanoid head and stone cylinders of alien blood. They'll soon find they are not alone.

Opinion

I've been completely disappointed by Ridley Scott's latest movies - first by The Counselor, and later by Exodus: Gods and Kings, that somehow managed to drag Christian Bale down to its level -, so I've started wondering when his fall started, and now I think I've found the tip of the iceberg. 

Not as bad as the previously mentioned films, Prometheus sins of ambition, and doesn't get even close to the levels of the other science fiction movies directed by Scott. It is built on the same narrative structure of Alien, and uses the same spaceships and aliens designs, but the result is not nearly as good. 

Clearly a failed attempt to prequel Alien, Prometheus finds itself struck in the middle of a clichéd plot and so much nonsense to fill a book. The first part of the film manages to create certain expectations and to intrigue the viewer, but as time passes, it wonderfully manages to disappoint.

Many scenes do not have a real purpose, and are justified by the need to fill the film with special effects, that are very well made by the way. Unfortunately, a film can't steady itself on special effects only, because they'll be obsolete in a short time, as happens with all technologies.

There is no character development, every single character could die and you wouldn't even care, maybe Idris Elba's is an exception because more human. The only slightly interesting dialogue is the one involving android David. The spaceship setting is beautiful, but Kubrick did better 46 years ago in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The music is nothing special and hardly noticeable. 

However, since the main reason why I decided to watch this film in the first place is the presence of Michael Fassbender, I can't say I have been fully disappointed. The German-Irish actor once again shines, delivering a wonderful, emotionless, and expressionless performance as David. Noomi Rapace fails to generate sympathy, and the rest of the cast is mediocre.

Quotes

David: Big things have small beginning.