Now back with the sixth instalment in the much loved Alien franchise, it is easy to bundle Covenant into the pile of films whose thread has been run too far. Whilst it would be impossible to consider this Ridley Scott helmed exploration into the origins of the story as fresh, it would also be cruel to say that it didn’t carry a unique drive in its solid narrative and delivery.
Fronted by the ever capable Michael Fassbender (reprising his role as one of a number of synthetic humanoids) the film opens with a familiar parable, asking the question who are we and where did we come from? The details of the film’s prequel Prometheus charted some answers to this question, but it would be very safe to say that it left many scratching their heads. Instead of heading straight in for the solution, Scott opens Covenant with a completely new angle. A new crew on a wholly different mission onboard the Covenant, the human synthetic Walter (Fassbender) guides a mission of human colonisation. Leading a fifteen man crew (suspended in stasis) plus 2000 ‘carriers’ and embryos to a newly found hospitable planet, their mission is to re-ignite the human species in a new home.
When a freak occurrence calls for the ship’s crew to be awakened early, the problem of human choice immediately becomes a factor. Upon intercepting a rogue transmission, from what appears to be a nearby planet with better odds of survival, the crew must decide whether it is worth taking the chance to explore its tenability. Steadfast yet boorish captain Oram (Crudup) is keen to shave seven years off his mission’s ETA if at all possible, yet he is confronted in his ambition by the ship’s terraforming expert Daniels (Waterston), delivering the runaway performance of the film.
Whilst Waterston’s character and casting may seem a touch formulaic, drawing heavily on the tropes and strengths of Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley from the original films, her performance leaves Scott’s informed choice enforced with serious credibility. Again in tremendous support, Fassbender balances the man-machine role with as keen an accuracy as his character holds. Playing the part within the inch, he knows precisely when to lend either side of his human-android character to the appropriate situation. The balance is always hanging by a thread and his resulting struggle of self understanding is a real spectacle to behold.
Unfortunately, and for as strong as they are, the formulae aren’t solely restricted to the film’s characters. The underlying sense of eeriness and tension is overridden completely by a feeling of having ‘seen it all before’. Scott’s build-ups really are second to none, yet the payoffs are underpinned by being nothing new at all. Whilst the introduction of a new set of Aliens lends to a sense of the unexpected, their grizzly dispatchment of the ship’s crew is forever recognisable from the film’s predecessors. Whilst many are looking for the edge of the seat viscerality that is drummed up by recognition of what is going to come next, it feels like a bit of a con to draw on the same hand of cards time and time again, particularly after six ventures upon the same table.
Thematically the film’s perspective and posturing in philosophy lend to a completely new sort of sinister charge throughout the film’s backbone. No longer is the threat of survival simply tied to those aboard the ship, it’s narrative holds questions about the damage of the survival of entire species and whether one set of lifeforms should hold any more importance than another in a galaxy presided over by beings of all origins.
The cinematography here is very tight, as are the special effects (which can be expected to be no less than impeccable; Scott now impressively leading the field in sci-fi effects for nearly 40 years). The score comprises motifs from Alien films through the ages whilst remaining suitably original to add to the suspension of fear. Were this film to standalone away from its franchise, it really would be exceptional, however, be prepared to see it all again if you have witnessed anything else from the series. Re-hashing is strong with this one.
Author: Joe, York Store
