Alien: Covenant

[Kotowboy]

Also interesting about the Androids :

( not sure If I said this already )

1. Ash
2. Bishop
3. Call
4. David
5. E.....err. Walter.

[Zook]

AVP was disappointing with it's PG-13 rating, stupid characters, and the Predators looked like shit being so bulky.

AVP:R was disappointing because the acting was bad, and whatever cool scenes there were you couldn't see anyway because it was so dark. I remember liking it better than the first one though.

And yeah, Resurrection is dumb.

Aliens
Alien
Alien 3

[Orbert]

Depends on how you look at it.  AVP was pretty consistently subpar throughout.  AVP:R's highs were a lot higher, but its lows were a lot lower too. 

Ha ha, yeah.

[gmillerdrake]

Near all the reviews I've seen are positive...saying this movie is a return to the pulse of the original ALIEN. That makes me even more excited!! May 19th can't come soon enough...

[Kotowboy]

Near all the reviews I've seen are positive...saying this movie is a return to the pulse of the original ALIEN. That makes me even more excited!! May 19th can't come soon enough...

May 12 in the UK.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Near all the reviews I've seen are positive...saying this movie is a return to the pulse of the original ALIEN. That makes me even more excited!! May 19th can't come soon enough...

[gmillerdrake]

My wife just approached me to say that she and her friends were planning a night out on May 19th. I told her that wouldn't work...they i had to go watch a movie. 

She looked at me with a blank stare and said "Seriously?" To which I replied "yep"....and then she just kind of looked at me some more but then I relented and said fine....but I'm going to my movie during the day on Saturday.

Now that I think about it....I may take a half day that Friday to go watch instead.

[Adami]

I'll wait for reviews. The posters (mostly) are insanely amazing, but no trailer has gotten my attention.

[Kotowboy]

I'll go in with an open mind.

I'm hoping that it's less pretentious and muddled than Prometheus.

And that it looks amazing.

Anything else is icing.

[Orbert]

Same here.  I didn't understand most of Prometheus the first time, but it all looked pretty cool and most of it seemed pretty deep, or at least interesting.  After reading about it online, I understand more of it, though not all, but I don't really care.  If Covenant makes more sense and is at least nearly as good, that's about all I'm hoping for.

[soupytwist]

MAY AS WELL...

1. Alien. Will never be beaten
2. Aliens. Nearly as good but less suspense and more action.
3. Prometheus. YEAH I SAID IT. In my view the best Alien sequel after the first two. Bad script and character motivation but everything else is win.
4. Alien³. Not bad but Not Good. The mattes look really bad now and it's overall quite dull. I don't blame Fincher though. First time director with heavy studio interference.
5. Alien V Predator. I hate Resurrection and this one edge it out just for being way less cheesy and macho.



6. Alien Resurrection. Hate it. Way too nineties and Hollywood and Macho. Dialogue is

I expect Covenant to be at least as good as Prometheus with a better script - or it will be better all around.

1. Aliens - People forget it takes roughly an hour before we even see the Aliens, there is a lot of build up and character development - which makes the action in the second half more enjoyable.  All in all one of the best films ever made.

2. Alien3 - There is a brilliant film to be found in here, however it's quite messy.  The 'Assemble Cut' released in 2003 helps smooth out the film a lot.   I actually think it's one of the most underrated movies of all time, there are some really great characters in the film and some really dark moments.

3. Alien - The premise is basic, the execution is effective.  I do found it a bit of a chore to re watch thesedays though.

The others you much of a muchness. 

Resurrection is to glossy and actually quite boring and the characters are all dickheads.   Prometheus tries to add to much wankery mythology and is full of moronic characters.   AvP turns the monsters into WWF Wrestlers.  AvP2 looks like a cheap Sci Fi movie channel film.

[Zantera]

1. Alien - just edging out Aliens because the Xenomorph feels smarter and I slightly prefer the one Alien taking out a whole crew vs the Xenomorphs being cannon fodder
2. Aliens - In a lot of ways on the same level as Alien, but you gotta put 1 over the other so tough luck. Still one of the greatest action films ever IMO
3. Alien 3 - Not as bad as people say and the Assembly Cut makes it worth it.
4. Prometheus - Again, not as bad as people say. First half is really solid, I would say it takes a dive after the c-section scene (one of the most memorable scenes in the franchise) and it does drop in quality towards the end
5. Alien Resurrection - Dumb, loud and definitely not as good as the first 3 in the franchise. Parts of it are enjoyable but other parts are really weird.
6. Alien v Predator - I would say on par with Resurrection. Not great but not terrible. Mostly pretty mediocre but I could watch through parts of it if I saw it on TV.
7. Alien v Predator: Requiem - Easily the worst. Lightning is terrible and you gotta crank up your brightness to see anything from the so-called action scenes. OK, they brought it up from PG13 to an R-rating this time but that had zero effect on the outcome of the movie. Like do we need to see a small child die from a chestburster exploding his torso? Some interesting ideas on paper like the Xenomorphs in the sewer but it's too dark to see anything

[Kotowboy]

Alien Awakening will begin filming within a year - Ridley Scott.

Sounds like he knows what he wants and is knocking them out one after the other.

[gmillerdrake]

Alien Awakening will begin filming within a year - Ridley Scott.

Sounds like he knows what he wants he's 79 years old and time is precious and is knocking them out one after the other.

fixed that for you.



But it is good to see that he's motivated to get these things made.

[hefdaddy42]

1. Alien
2. Aliens
3. Prometheus


All of the rest can GTFO

[Mister Gold]

1. Alien
2. Aliens
3. Prometheus


All of the rest can GTFO

Nah, man. I'd argue Alien 3: Assembly Cut is better than Prometheus. It's still a mess, but it's a flawed masterpiece imo. Some of the best cinematography and acting in the whole franchise, as well as the absolute best soundtrack the series has ever had.

[gmillerdrake]

1. ALIENS
2. ALIEN
3. Prometheus

All the rest can leave with the group that Hef Kicked out.

Nah, man. I'd argue Alien 3: Assembly Cut is better than Prometheus. It's still a mess, but it's a flawed masterpiece imo. Some of the best cinematography and acting in the whole franchise, as well as the absolute best soundtrack the series has ever had.

whereas I agree Alien 3 isn't all that bad....my issue with it is that the whole idea an alien was on board and impregnated Ripley and then the ship crashed is simply just silly and lazy. The queen at the end hid on the drop ship gaining access to it after ripping herself from her reproductive system...battling with Ripley where we saw the Queen many times and she wasn't carrying an egg and didn't have the means to lay one and stick it to the drop ship.

I can't buy that somehow she was able to get an egg on the Sulaco. For the entire movie to start off with us suspending that disbelief....is lazy to me. Then, while you can argue the points of good acting...cinematography etc...for it to take place on essentially the 'same' type of dark world in an isolated environment just like they had presented in ALIENS....lazy.

I'm not saying I have some sort of great idea of how a third movie 'should' have gone down....I just think the one we were given was lazy. And I don't consider any of the 'alien' movies after the third one (excluding Prometheus) to be true 'alien' movies....they were merely cash grabs based around one of the most creative...cool...sinister creatures to have been created in the movie industry. 

[hefdaddy42]

1. Alien
2. Aliens
3. Prometheus


All of the rest can GTFO

Nah, man. I'd argue Alien 3: Assembly Cut is better than Prometheus. It's still a mess, but it's a flawed masterpiece imo. Some of the best cinematography and acting in the whole franchise, as well as the absolute best soundtrack the series has ever had.

OK, but the movie still isn't good.  Cinematography and acting can't make up for the story.  I derived no joy whatsoever from this film.

I've posted it before, but my favorite contemporary review of this film was titled Alien 3, People Nothing and was written by comic author and novelist Peter David.  Here it is.

[gmillerdrake]

I've posted it before, but my favorite contemporary review of this film was titled Alien 3, People Nothing and was written by comic author and novelist Peter David.  Here it is.

Nice article...pretty spot on. I hadn't seen that in the past when you posted it.

[Kotowboy]

I once read a Star trek novel by Peter David called Q In Law I think... Pretty good.

[Kotowboy]

1. Alien
2. Aliens
3. Prometheus


All of the rest can GTFO

I agree with this. I hate the look and feel of Alien3. It's so drab. And for some reason I find all the English actors just don't fit. The mattes look bad and is overall bad looking.

Alien Res is just cringeworthy apart from the alien getting sucked into space thru a tiny hole - that bit is hilarious. Winona Ryder is irritating as hell.

Ron Perlman does his best but he can't help the movie. AVP is just ok.




I'm expecting to enjoy Covenant. Hoping it'll take the #3 slot from Prometheus.

[PB1]

There are only two good films in this entire 'franchise': Alien and Aliens. the rest can GTFO. yes even the directors cut of alien 3.

Prometheus was a beautiful disaster

[Mister Gold]

whereas I agree Alien 3 isn't all that bad....my issue with it is that the whole idea an alien was on board and impregnated Ripley and then the ship crashed is simply just silly and lazy. The queen at the end hid on the drop ship gaining access to it after ripping herself from her reproductive system...battling with Ripley where we saw the Queen many times and she wasn't carrying an egg and didn't have the means to lay one and stick it to the drop ship.

I can't buy that somehow she was able to get an egg on the Sulaco. For the entire movie to start off with us suspending that disbelief....is lazy to me. Then, while you can argue the points of good acting...cinematography etc...for it to take place on essentially the 'same' type of dark world in an isolated environment just like they had presented in ALIENS....lazy.

I'm not saying I have some sort of great idea of how a third movie 'should' have gone down....I just think the one we were given was lazy. And I don't consider any of the 'alien' movies after the third one (excluding Prometheus) to be true 'alien' movies....they were merely cash grabs based around one of the most creative...cool...sinister creatures to have been created in the movie industry.

I don't disagree with that fault. However I find all of the characters that are present in Prometheus (minus David, of course) to be outright insulting to my intelligence. It's one of the most implausibly idiotic cast of characters I've ever seen.

Personally speaking, I'm willing to suck up that opening bullshit with the secret egg on the Sulaco and how it jumpstarts the plot if it gets me one of the best characterizations of Ripley in the whole series, as well as characters like Dillon, Clemens, Andrews and the like. They weren't a pleasant lot, but they were interesting.

The cast of Prometheus, aside from David, was infuriatingly stupid. It's a testament to Michael Fassbender's acting ability that David carries the whole film for me.

[gmillerdrake]

whereas I agree Alien 3 isn't all that bad....my issue with it is that the whole idea an alien was on board and impregnated Ripley and then the ship crashed is simply just silly and lazy. The queen at the end hid on the drop ship gaining access to it after ripping herself from her reproductive system...battling with Ripley where we saw the Queen many times and she wasn't carrying an egg and didn't have the means to lay one and stick it to the drop ship.

I can't buy that somehow she was able to get an egg on the Sulaco. For the entire movie to start off with us suspending that disbelief....is lazy to me. Then, while you can argue the points of good acting...cinematography etc...for it to take place on essentially the 'same' type of dark world in an isolated environment just like they had presented in ALIENS....lazy.

I'm not saying I have some sort of great idea of how a third movie 'should' have gone down....I just think the one we were given was lazy. And I don't consider any of the 'alien' movies after the third one (excluding Prometheus) to be true 'alien' movies....they were merely cash grabs based around one of the most creative...cool...sinister creatures to have been created in the movie industry.

I don't disagree with that fault. However I find all of the characters that are present in Prometheus (minus David, of course) to be outright insulting to my intelligence. It's one of the most implausibly idiotic cast of characters I've ever seen.

Personally speaking, I'm willing to suck up that opening bullshit with the secret egg on the Sulaco and how it jumpstarts the plot if it gets me one of the best characterizations of Ripley in the whole series, as well as characters like Dillon, Clemens, Andrews and the like. They weren't a pleasant lot, but they were interesting.

The cast of Prometheus, aside from David, was infuriatingly stupid. It's a testament to Michael Fassbender's acting ability that David carries the whole film for me.

Yeah I can agree outside of Davis the characters in Prometheus were pretty bland. He, some of the backstory of the Engineers and the production value of that movie are what did it for me and leapfrogged Prometheus into 3rd place for me.

[Adami]

I'd also put Alien 3 (the director's cut or whatever) before Prometheus.

Alien 3 wasn't very good, but it was a pretty even amount of meh. Prometheus was just stupid. All of it. It's one of the reasons (though not the main reason) I'm not checking out Alien: Covenant in theaters.

Prometheus was well shot, but in this day and age, so are a ton of other movies and it's not enough for me to like it. I found every character to be horrible, even David. I liked Michael Fassbender, though I didn't like his character. I dunno. Just really didn't like the movie at all. I feel like it was one of those things where a guy does a lot of coke, had some really cool ideas, writes them out in an incoherent way, then just sobers up and moves on while other people have to piece it all together.

[Mister Gold]

I'd also put Alien 3 (the director's cut or whatever) before Prometheus.

Alien 3 wasn't very good, but it was a pretty even amount of meh. Prometheus was just stupid. All of it. It's one of the reasons (though not the main reason) I'm not checking out Alien: Covenant in theaters.

Prometheus was well shot, but in this day and age, so are a ton of other movies and it's not enough for me to like it. I found every character to be horrible, even David. I liked Michael Fassbender, though I didn't like his character. I dunno. Just really didn't like the movie at all. I feel like it was one of those things where a guy does a lot of coke, had some really cool ideas, writes them out in an incoherent way, then just sobers up and moves on while other people have to piece it all together.

Tragically, the original Jon Spaihts script for Prometheus- back when it was a straight-up Alien prequel- was pretty damn solid. It wasn't on par with the first two films, but the characters were generally pretty likable and non-idiotic. Hell, Shaw's boyfriend was a considerably superior character in that draft and not the arrogant douchebag he ended up being in the final version.

In other words, Ridley Scott looked at the script and said, "Nah" and then got Lindelof to screw it all up.

It's not even that they ejected the xenomorph parts of the script that bugs me (I actually thought Prometheus was being pretty bold to try and introduce an entirely new set of monsters connected to the xenomorphs, even if it didn't land)- it's that the characters all got botched in the process. The sole improvement I can think of from that draft is David. Originally, in the Spaihts draft, he's blatantly Ash 2.0. To Lindelof's credit, he made the character far more interesting and morally nuanced a being with his rewrite.

[Phoenix87x]

For me, Prometheus is just like the Power Glove






From a distance, you look at it and are like "wow, that's looks like it might be pretty cool" but then you actually experience it and are like "oh GOD NO, please GOD NO!!!"

It just doesn't work at all and just ends up pissing you off.

I originally saw it in the theater with my uncle and he walked out. He was like "that was total dogshit, why did you reccomend that" and I was like "but, but the trailer was so cool looking, but it was ridley scott, the maker of Alien, this should have been so good..."

[Zook]

Just watched Prometheus for the first time. I avoided it for so long because of all the negative reviews, but with Covenant coming out, I figured it was time to see it. Besides nodding off during the landing (it's late) I liked it. Basically once the creatures were introduced I got more invested. Didn't see any real flaws in the characters. Acting was good. Sure they were fodder for the monsters, but that's how it goes. One thing I'll agree with is Guy Pearce's make up was not convincing at all. A bit of predictable dialog during the reveal that he is Theron's father. I hate clunky dramatic pausing cliched exposition. I was just waiting for her so say "father". Like, just say it already. But yeah, not a bad movie. Now I might even watch Avatar, even though with that, it's more that it just never really looked interesting to me more than the negative reviews keeping me away. Oh, and I finally got to see the infamous Prometheus School of Running Away From Things scene.

Aliens
Alien
Prometheus
Alien 3

EDIT: I Just watched Everything Wrong with Prometheus by CinemaSins, and I guess I missed a tad more when I dozed off. Oh well.

[PB1]

The characters in Prometheus were so memorable!! fantastic writing by Lindelof IMHO

I especially enjoyed the part where a group of scientists go inside the alien spaceship on the alien planet and the first thing they decide to do is to take off their helmets. Or when the biologist freaked out at the sight of a dead alien man, but later tried to make friends with his new pet snake friend. who can forget the female lead scientist rejecting cold, hard evidence because "it's what i choose to believe." well ok then! but my favorite scene was when the geologist used his hi-tech drones to map out the layout of the entire ship, and then somehow managed to get lost with his best friend, the biologist. Just top notch writing all around. 

[Kotowboy]

Lindelof isn't the best...

According to JJ Abrams - Lindelof was the one who pushed for Khan to be in Into Darkness.




Edit : I was going to see it in the multiplex on Sunday but it's an hours drive on the bike and it's forecast rain so I decided to go tonight in my local cinema too.

I mean... If it's nice on Sunday i'll still go - but if it's really wet then I won't bother.

[gmillerdrake]

Looking forward to your opinion on the movie Kotowboy

[Kotowboy]

I'll be open minded. I'll give my honest reaction.

I'm going to see it in 30 minutes. So i'll post a quick post-movie thought in about 2h30m

[Zook]

The characters in Prometheus were so memorable!! fantastic writing by Lindelof IMHO

I especially enjoyed the part where a group of scientists go inside the alien spaceship on the alien planet and the first thing they decide to do is to take off their helmets. Or when the biologist freaked out at the sight of a dead alien man, but later tried to make friends with his new pet snake friend. who can forget the female lead scientist rejecting cold, hard evidence because "it's what i choose to believe." well ok then! but my favorite scene was when the geologist used his hi-tech drones to map out the layout of the entire ship, and then somehow managed to get lost with his best friend, the biologist. Just top notch writing all around. 

How subtle your sarcasm is.

The characters were written with horror tropes in mind. They were far from perfect, but not the annoying slasher fodder you see in most poorly written Sci Fi Horror. You have valid criticisms, but it didn't detract from the movie for me.

[Kotowboy]

I didn't like it.

Too slow in the first half and way too quick in the second half.

Action was too quick. No beauty shots of Xeno.

Predictable twist ending you see a mile away.


Not as good as Prometheus. Better than Resurrection.

[gmillerdrake]

I didn't like it.

Too slow in the first half and way too quick in the second half.

Action was too quick. No beauty shots of Xeno.

Predictable twist ending you see a mile away.


Not as good as Prometheus. Better than Resurrection.

Well....that's a tad disheartening. I still plan to see it in theaters but it's a bummer to get this type of reaction.