PLOT- Alien Covenant is the sequel to Prometheus and part of the prequel series to Ridley Scott's Alien franchise. A group of colonist on a spaceship bound for a far-off planet named Origae-6, are thrown off course when their ship is damaged, killing crew members. The new captain, Oram (Billy Crudup), makes the decision to land on a closer planet; a planet that seems to show promising signs of habitability, but one that suspiciously did not appear during the years of research prior to the launch of this mission.
The planet looks remarkably like earth, with a similar landscape, edible plants, and water. Their initial optimism vanishes, when the colonists realize that they're not alone on this new planet. They're not alone and not safe.
LIKE- First, there is no way to give a true synopsis without spoiling the film. The trailer is completely misleading, making Alien Covenant appear to be a pure action/horror film. There is plenty of action and plenty of horror, but there is so much more to Alien Covenant. The story tackles bigger subjects, like faith, religion, and creation: both biological and aesthetic. The script strikes the right balance between being thought-provoking and a thrill ride. It was far better and much different. than I anticipated based on the trailer.
Michael Fassbender is delightfully creepy as the only android on the ship, tasked with keeping the ship running as the human passengers are in hyper-sleep. Katherine Waterston plays Daniels, an expert in terraforming. Daniels is the wife of the original captain, who died when the ship encountered problems and she comes in conflict with Oram, when he fills his role as her husband's replacement. Her character can easily be compared to Ripley from the original Alien films. Fassbender and Waterston are the leads, with the rest of the supporting cast providing a strong ensemble. You will see familiar faces, like Danny McBride and Jussie Smollett in small roles.
DISLIKE- Nothing. Dan and I walked out of the theater excited by how much we enjoyed Alien Covenant, and again, how it was much better than we had anticipated.
RECOMMEND- Yes! If you're a fan of the franchise, you must see Alien Covenant. This is a great follow-up to Promethus, one that answers many questions. If you can't handle extreme gore, you might want to steer clear. This is certainly not a film for young children, even though there were elementary aged kids at our screening.