logo Sign In

Post #1078286

Author
DominicCobb
Parent topic
Ranking the Alien films
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1078286/action/topic#1078286
Date created
23-May-2017, 11:17 AM

corellian77 said:

DominicCobb said:

In my mind you can’t really take Prometheus/Covenant as “Alien” films. They very clearly don’t fit in that way. They’re basically their own series that’s simply set in the Alien universe … the Prometheus/Covenant films are far more interested in philosophical and thematic ideas that don’t have a whole lot to do with the Alien films proper. Honestly, at the core of these films, I think they share far more with Blade Runner, despite their Alien packaging.

I agree with you, and therein lies the problem: if Scott wanted to explore the philosophical issues surrounding biological vs. synthetic life and the desire for creation, he should have made a Blade Runner film, not an Alien film. This guy was spot on in his assessment:

From http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/alien-covenant-is-actually-a-blade-runner-sequel-disguise-1005606

Here, and throughout Covenant, the film is less reminiscent of Alien than it is of Blade Runner.

Fassbender is the best part of Covenant, while also representing its worst impulse, which is to be an Alien movie in name only.

by making Covenant about David, it suggests that Scott’s interests lie well beyond the Xenomorphs.

If anything, watching Fassbender in Covenant suggests that maybe Ridley Scott would have been better served to direct a sequel to Blade Runner as opposed to just producing the upcoming Blade Runner 2049.

I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. I quite like the direction he took with these movies (I think the simple “Jaws in space” premise has been played out at this point).

As for the exposition surrounding the xenomorphs in Prometheus and Covenant, this same writer mirrors my thoughts exactly. From http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/alien-covenant-alien-prequel-explains-plot-more-original-1005631

with Covenant in theaters, it’s worth discussing one of many reasons why the original Alien succeeds, because it’s a big reason why (for me at least) Covenant doesn’t: it embraces the mystery of the situation instead of explaining everything.

Yes, Covenant provides answers; however, the answers it provides are unsatisfying, in no small part because the best Alien movies don’t hinge on answering questions. These movies are at their best when providing intense thrills.

The best thing that Scott could’ve done was make Prometheus, with one notable exception: not turn it into an Alien prequel. Fassbender is easily the best performer in that film as well as in Covenant, but his story would be more captivating if it wasn’t tied to the Alien mythology. The mythology of Alien is so fascinating because it’s shrouded in mystery

It’s funny that people complained about Prometheus not answering any questions and now Covenant answering too many questions. I don’t know what to say except I think there are definitely still unanswered questions, and that I don’t think that the goal of Covenant is to “explain everything.”