Alien: Covenant (2017)

The critic calls it the most satisfying entry in the franchise since the first two films. It is gripping throughout with real surprises, beautifully made, and renews the series creatively.

Ridley Scott delivers a sleek, suspenseful return to form that embraces its B-movie horror roots with confident balance of ideas and splatter. Chang singles out the early and relentless bloodletting as a highlight.

The critic praises Covenant as the Alien film fans have been waiting for, successfully balancing philosophical depth with visceral horror and strong performances, especially Fassbender's dual role. It singles out the revitalized franchise thrills and Scott's direction for particular praise.

Covenant is seen as an upgrade on Prometheus with better Alien tropes and intense moments, but it lacks memorable characters and sustained tension. The Fassbender android scenes and visual flair are highlighted as strengths amid talky philosophical elements.

The review calls it a smart and scary return that rights some Prometheus wrongs but suffers from too much reverence for the 1979 original, leading to safe choices and unconvincing CGI in key sequences. Fassbender's dual performance and atmospheric moments are praised.

The film is a return to hard-R horror roots that offers relief to fans but feels like more of the same after Prometheus. Debruge singles out the Fassbender dual android performance and the flute-teaching scene as compelling highlights.

The review highlights lots of scares and impressive monstrous action sequences but criticizes the lack of a meaty script and a retread of former glories with lightly pencilled characters. Fassbender's dual roles shoulder the dramatic weight amid the body count.

Ridley Scott blends familiar Alien tropes with themes of creation in this prequel, but the result is talky and reliant on expository dialogue. Sound design and Michael Fassbender's dual android performance stand out as highlights.

The film is an interesting but not especially effusive entry that sticks closely to franchise expectations. Scott singles out the creature's enduring appeal amid otherwise measured doses of terror and craft.

The review finds that familiarity has dulled the xenomorph's terror, with Scott failing to recapture the original's dread despite dazzling visuals and strong Fassbender work. It criticizes the uneven tone and overfamiliar plotting that prevents the film from delivering sustained horror.

The film is described as a long, flat, no-frills journey that struggles to engage despite bloody shocks, feeling like a creative hull-breach in the series. It appeals mainly to devoted fans with back-to-basics gore but is unlikely to win new audiences.

The critic finds the film dramatically and intellectually inert, with a half-baked script that makes it the worst in the franchise despite Ridley Scott's skill as a filmmaker. Fassbender's dual performance and a couple of action scenes are noted but do not salvage the rote characters and lack of engagement.

The movie is misguided, pompous and unintentionally comic in its deadly serious approach to hubris and creation. Brody singles out Katherine Waterston's performance as a bright spot that surpasses the film's drama.

The critic finds the film a thoughtful and gnarly sequel that balances small-scale drama and horror with grandiose ideas about creation and humanity. They single out the android characters David and Walter for particular praise as the emotional and intellectual core.

The film is a messy hybrid that indulges both action-horror beats and ponderous philosophical themes without fully satisfying either, resulting in something at turns exquisite and infuriating. Scott's visual craftsmanship and imagery are singled out for praise, while baffling character decisions and a structurally challenged narrative draw complaint.

The critic calls it a decent, extremely well-made but not startlingly different version of what has come before in the franchise. He singles out Scott's style and the corker of an ending for praise while noting its familiarity as essentially a Prometheus sequel.

The critic finds it a solid but not perfect entry that improves on Prometheus by being more like a traditional Alien film with better crew and intense action-horror, though the second half has some awkward storytelling and over-the-top performance from Fassbender as David. Praises the visuals, music, and pacing in the horror sequences.

The critic finds the film stylish but routine, with alien attacks that remain gross, scary, and suspenseful but dialogue scenes that are far less compelling. He singles out the monster-movie set pieces for praise while complaining that it functions mostly as an interstellar slasher with underdeveloped characters.