5/22/2017 - Alien: Covenant (2017) -  4+/5-/10

Extremely and frustratingly average. The "explanations" were convulsive inducing head shakers. Sense, again, is in short supply. 

Just going to hit some points as they came to me…

• hated the unnecessary and distinctly genre shower scene. Expected better from a "master filmmaker"
• Her running around in the tank top and a gun along with her in a space suit shooting out airlocks is all too familiar. Homage or generic rip off?
• Again, like Prometheus, behaviors and actions by the crew are highly improbable and unbelievable. These are not ruffian truckers passing by unawares or uneducated and unenthused soldiers; these are highly trained, mission specific astronaut-explorers. Combat seems like something they could be lacking, but interactions with other planetary ecology in the most scientific of ways or piloting a passenger vehicle with the utmost care and psychologically evaluated  priorities seem basic and undoubtably drilled into them. This isn't "we have an asteroid coming at Earth now, so let's send a mining crew up there with a day training" this is a decade long journey that would have been meticulously screened, planned, and highly trained... Similar plot holes as what occurred in Prometheus, but none as egregious, so there is that as a plus I guess. 
• The actions and life cycle of the black oil of Prometheus vs. the black spores of Covenant really leave one to be scratching their head. There was a process of change and it took a normal human coupling to produce a new life form in Prometheus. That makes some sense. Covenant doesn't play by any rules other than what the plot dictates and "what will put butts in seats".  "Rule of cool", I guess, but not the ones you had been making/following. I mean, you had an entire crew of couples...idk. Felt weird and franchise rule busting for excitement sake.

Good things: I didn't need a "new creator/God" story-line, but at least the problematic evolution of our creation which destroys us was pulled off decently by Fassbender, who owns this film. He is masterful in keeping our attentions and dual acting. I would have liked no explanation at all, or a furthering into the intentions of the Engineers to explain xenomorphs. Unfortunately David's actions are highlighted, which felt non-sensical and unearned, in the totality of the franchise... Despite that, Fassbender does a slick and enjoyable job portraying both synthetics. He is first-rate and the burning star that audiences can guide their enjoyment vessel by.

The commitment to dark ambience and slick design is there. Once it gets moving (despite taking a good half hour to get there), it moves satisfactorily. Lots of elements in character and plot are left on the floor, but a sense of intrigue and some active tension is there. It is just kind of disappointing as to what it could be. Felt average/below average from a once-great film-maker.