I shouldn't have to say this, but to anyone angry that I... *GASP*...have a different opinion of this movie than you, a couple things to consider: 1. Art is subjective 2. The point of film criticism is to experience different views/interpretations, not to hear someone parrot your own opinion back at you
I wouldn't say that art is entirely subjective but more an interplay of subject and object, but yeah. I liked that critique even tho I didn't agree with everything. People should get a grip.
I disagree because you're coming at the movie from a 'film school kid' perspective that prioritizes the micro-elements of the work in a vacuum, but you make a lot of good points. I'd be stupid to deny that.
Patrick (H) Willems I like your two point comment reminder and I think you're spot on about Ridley Scott's motivations behind these films but there are two problems you've ignored when making your "defence". *Firstly, just as the crew doing dumb shit was bad writing in Prometheus, the crew doing dumb shit in Covenant is ALSO bad writing.* In particular, not wearing spacesuits is unforgivably stupid considering that this didn't prevent the original _Alien_ from working as a horror movie, which you even mention but then ignore! However, this is just the most obvious example of sloppy writing. Another is how Faris, the shuttle pilot demonstrates her coolness under pressure (by flying them safely through a horrendous storm to land expertly in a shallow lake) moments before she inexplicably falls to pieces because she discovers (over the radio) that a crew mate is sick. Don't believe me? Watch it again. Faris is already panicky when the sick crew mate is brought onboard, but when some of his blood splatters onto her face she becomes an emotional wreck. This is a character whom we'd expect to be made of sterner stuff! Note: This all happens BEFORE any "orifice bursting" occurs! Similarly, Oram's seemingly odd decision to peer curiously into the giant egg sack isn't the problem. Rather, it's his inexplicable trust of David after having just seen the android completely overlook and even defend, the slaughter of a crew mate (Rosenthal) by an alien protomorph! _Having just seen this why would he follow David anywhere, never mind alone?_ *Secondly, there is nothing about A.I. in the title **_Alien:Covenant_** just as **_Prometheus_** was marketed as an **_Alien_** prequel when it clearly wasn't!* In contrast, *Bladerunner* (one of my all time favorite movies) was honest about its subject material, _but these prequels aren't._ Scott is no longer interested in telling stories about everyone's favorite Xenomorph, so marketing these films as Alien movies is disingenuous, because he's selfishly using a well loved franchise to tell a completely different narrative!
I'm glad you brought up the line where David gets the author of Ozymandias wrong, because as an English major, it tickled me pink and added so much meaning to his character that didn't need to be explained. The fact that he thought the poem was written by Byron was so telling. See, for those who don't know, Byron was one of the leaders of the Romantic movement in literature, which was an era in art when people wanted to celebrate the intensity of feeling and the uniqueness of individual experience, to broadly simplify for time. Byron was a major forerunner of this movement and is remembered for being a wild child who lived fast and died young, but squeezed everything he could out of life. One of his fellow authors and lover, Lady Caroline Lamb, even described him as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know", a quote which I think serves to shed light on David's pride at thinking Byron wrote Ozymandias. To me, David views Ozymandias Romantically, perceiving it as a celebration of destruction and a glorification of the destroyer. He, having wiped out the Engineers, quotes Ozymandias as a validation of what he sees was a great work of his, but completely misses the point that Shelley, the actual author of Ozymandias, wrote it as a condemnation of the self-glorification that was common among monarchs of the time and in ages past, pointing out that the erosion of time will destroy any monument one makes for oneself. David thinks he is his own Byron, drunk on his creation. He is actually Ozymandias, doomed to be left a ruin by the ravages of time along with his perverse monument to his own self-aggrandisement. It's one line, but the characterisation is fucking beautiful.
That's really kind of you to say, Brennon. I've thought about it, but I'm not sure if I have the charisma for it, nor the editing skills. :P Maybe one day I'll pluck up the courage.
When the alien shot out of the guys face in the first act my buddy leaned over to me in the theater and whispered “bless you”. I laughed for the rest of the movie.
Romulus was good but it’s overhyped. That room temperature….. such a stupid scene. Face huggers are blind but open that door won’t change the temperature?…… or when we see that Hybrid… alien 4 okay…. I get it, the pathogen …. Meh.
I am literally watching this for Mr and Mrs Willems reaction. I wish you could cut into their reactions more as you review the movie. In short, WE NEED MORE MR & MRS WILLEMS!
I really do wonder if the prequels would be better received if they were their own thing. Most people are disappointed because they have very certain expectations about what an Alien film should be. Personally I don't see any consistency between the old Alien films, so this new direction isn't jarring to me.
@Simon Farre Wooooooow there. Saying "Alien" is just "a scary monster film" is like saying that "Mad Max Fury Road" is just a "trucks movie", or that "Titanic" is just a "sinking boat movie". Using one element or prop of a genre movie to pretend it is inferior to movies that try to be more "highbrow" and have explicit themes is so cringey. "Alien" has plenty of horror, cosmic and otherwise, and is masterful in the way it's constructed, it doesn't have to have huge contemplative pseudo-profound dialogues about mortality and creation and whatever to throw its themes in your face.
@Simon Farre OK, fair enough. I have no problem with the rehabilitation of Promotheus & Co, I'm just too thin-skinned for the original "Alien" criticism 😁
I loved Prometheus too though. I always thought it was David's story. And his turn was fairly contextualized in Prometheus. The opening scene in Covenant is basically a summary of his arc in Prometheus. I loved watching his transformation and even more seeing him fully transformed in Covenant.
@@SpecialOrder935 Yes nothing wrong with that kind of characterization. And it was enjoyable to watch him corrupt the other David. Both are great but where else would you take that David when he essentially became a full on mustache twirling villain at the end of Prometheus
@@Lockn3s5 I would’ve left him as a head and after what he did in Prometheus sowing his head back on was stupid as shit … but following the example of rest of the crew of these movies it’s just a regular decision
@@SpecialOrder935 Sorry it's been a while since I've seen these movies and this comment is 4 years old so I forgot he ended up as a head. You know that sounds pretty interesting if he would've stayed as just a head.
I love this film. It was my third favourite after the first 2 (now probably my 4th favourite since Romulus) and you very eloquently outlined every reason why I love it. AND you also understand that the Walter David swap is dramatic irony and NOT a twist. Spending the last 20 minutes in pure dread hoping that Walter escaped while the characters have no idea about the possible danger they’re in while they think everything is finally safe is such an awesome “bad guy wins” sequence. Also, describing David as a mad scientist inviting unsuspecting guests into his castle is such an amazing viewpoint and gives the whole second act of this film an even more unsettling feeling.
omg dude the last minute of this is genius!! also you're making me reconsider my initial distaste for Alien Covenant. When I saw it, it was the only time in my life where I was literally the only person in the theater at the Chelsea Cineopolis. I hope Ridley Scott finally connects Alien with Blade Runner
Man, just watched Alien Covenant tonight after I saw the title of this video (but before I watched this video), and I couldn't agree with you more. I don't really get all the shit this movie was given.
Not only are these 'why it's great' videos consistently amazing, the ongoing story with your parents is a real treat! You also make me want to watch two movies I've completely ignored up until this point.
I swear I'm not lying when, I didn't care about this movie at all when I saw the trailer. I started watching THIS because I'm really enjoying the series and was curious about your thoughts. THEN, when it gets to the point where you said, "this is where the REAL movie starts..." I paused the video, rented it on Amazon Prime, and watched it. I just came back to finish this video after LOVING it. I cannot thank you enough for convincing me to see this movie. This hopeless bleakness in film is SO rare, and is the primary aspect of Horror that makes me love the genre. This movie was a triumph and I, too, could go for eight more. Thank you.
I went on an Alien movie marathon and as I went though the series, each one felt less and less like it’s original. And then I came to Covenant and I was SO thrilled watching this one because it felt like it was coming full circle back to home. The horror and scares and violence - back to where it all started.
I think a lot of people base their idea of the franchise on Aliens and many of the videogames and see Alien as the beginning of that franchise rather than the unique sci-fi gothic horror movie that it is. The only way to do something similar to Alien is by doing something different, cause it has to feel new like the original Alien was, instead of doing the same but bigger like Aliens. That's why Ridley avoided the xenomorph in Prometheus, he wanted to show things that were new and scary like the xenomorph was before becoming a pop culture icon
This is easily one of Patrick’s most hilariously re-watchable videos for me! 😅 It’s a fun perspective on this entry to the “Alien” series and so many great comic beats between him and his parents. (I forgot where his back-up flask is hidden!🤣)
Well I suposse it is posible for alien covenant to be the best alien film since 1986, I mean is not a big competition and I can see the gothic elements in the film and I enjoy parts of the movie, not everything, but it would be my third favourite film from the franchise.
Finally, someone else said it. Covenant is a great re-telling of Paradise Lost, too. Fantastic video. Great job! P.s: Your parents are really lovely and charming!
COVENANT is a masterful sci fi movie. Full of deep and meaningful conversation and references that barely anybody picked up on! Did anybody realise that the place where David takes the Covenant crew is actually Ridley Scott's representation of "The Isle of dead" depicted in the five paintings by Arnold Böcklin? Does anybody know what it represents? Not to mention the first sequence of the movie, where David gets created. The movie could have ended there and still be called the best and most meaningful sci fi movie of the last 15 years. It's just that it's too complex for most of people! Dialogues, visuals, everything in this movie is there to make you think! The sequence where David teaches Walter to play the flute? When they talk about artistic creation? So much to talk about. And maybe people that criticise Covenant even say that INTERSTELLAR is a great SCI FI movie !
To me the biomechanical design of the Xenomorph hints at the greatest missed opportunity of these movies. In Prometheus we see the weird proto-alien thing and it looks very organic. We already know that the creature that emerges from its host bears some of its traits. I was really, truly hoping that Ridley was going to go for David getting impregnated via his own experimentation with the Embryo, and being the true father (and mother) to the first form of the Xenomorph that we're familiar with. From that point on every creature that emerges from one of those eggs is part biological, part android - we get the terror of nature perverted by technology that's gone beyond our grasp (the theme of most films with AI and androids) to become something nightmareish and utterly alien; despite the fact that it's origins lay with us.
The sequence from when they land through to the end of the grass sequence is just the most incredible sequence of building tension I might have ever seen.
I don't know if RUclips recently updated it's algorithms, but in the past week I've had so many great channels like this appear in my suggestions. Subs packed.
While I don't think Covenant is as bad as Prometheus, I still don't think it's very good as a film overall. I understand some of what they were trying to accomplish but I don't feel it was executed very well. Maybe if I'd enjoyed the characters more, I could have given a shit about their fates. Instead, all I can focus on is the stupid things they do because I'm not empathizing with their situation. For example, I don't think it's weird that the captain looks into the facehugger because I personally know it's a bad thing. I think it's weird that he follows David into a dark, isolated space and trusts his word about the egg being safe when he just encountered one of his crew members murdered by an alien and saw David trying to makeout with the thing. So even though you didn't change my mind, I'm giving you a like because you argued your point well and your parents are awesome.
Captain was suspicious of David, even called him Devil, then went along with him with no questions and did everything David said. Captain should have escorted David back to his companions and interrogated him with them.
I genuinely agreed with every point you made. You said all the things I've been feeling and no one else has said. Thank you for this video. Covenant and Romulus are up there with Alien for my favorite films in the franchise, if not of all time.
Wholock Heneghan and Im with you too. I freak'n loved Prometheus and Covenant!! I sure hope Awakening gets made and another follows thru to connect to Alien!!
Didn't think it was possible but you actually did convince me to give it a second chance. And as a side note, the scenes with your parents in the barn look great. Hope to see a horror film from you in the future.
One of the things I love about this series is that it starts out as this reversal of the somewhat tired but still classic RUclips trope, of someone drinking heavily while they COMPLAIN about movies. To have the reviewer drink heavily while gushing about a movie he loves is an interesting nod to the trappings of the platform while still making it unique.
Love these video essays, big fan of this Channel now! I'm afraid I'm amongst the crowd that didn't love this movie. It's not the worst in the franchise and I do agree with most of what you said in the video regarding the character of David; the one element in these alien prequels that is genuinely fascinating and engaging to watch. And I do like the fact that it is weird and disturbing and bleak, in many ways more of a gothic horror movie in space than I've ever seen, carrying on the legacy of the first movie. Saying that though, I think its telling that basically everything you said only had to do with David, the visuals, the violence, some of the early alien stuff, and nothing else. Basically half this movie is a fascinating, disturbing look at how an artificial intelligence looks upon the idea of creation and subjugation and interweaving the alien idea into that (which I really like) and the other half is a dull, shallow, generic slasher horror movie that lacks any likeable or engaging characters, no real tension or scares, just a sequence of brutal, violent kill sequences with alien creatures that don't have the menace or presence that they had before. Sure it looks and sounds great, it's well acted, it's atmospheric and the violence is entertaining to watch on it's own merits. But when you addressed the whole idiotic characters thing being a problem in the first films too, I just can't agree. Those characters felt a lot more pragmatic and intelligent and much more empathetic before and after shit hits the fan. Sure they made some mistakes out of fear or ignorance of the situation, as you say things that have to happen for there to be a movie at all, but in this movie I literally didn't care about anybody, with exception of Walter and David. There was no tension in any of the kills or scares because I never feared for anyone's safety; that wasn't an issue in the first two films, where the tension and dread kept building because you were attached to the people on screen and shared in their fear and the things they did for the most part made sense and drew you into their struggle for survival. Here not only are the characters not in the least bit interesting or likeable (despite the basic attempts to do so, which just feel artificial and forced), and not only do they repeatedly demonstrate that they have no idea what they're doing or even seem to care about any consequences to their actions, but annoyingly the aliens aren't that scary either; with the exception of the protoxenos, they had their moments and felt different enough, but the full xeno was way worse, it just shows up and runs around in full view killing everything in sight. So yeah, the great android movie you described is cool and all, but it's only half of what this movie is in my opinion, and that other half was just annoying and tedious to sit through. The good stuff with David and Walter may've been worth it if there was less of the other stuff or if they'd just written that stuff better, and the movie does begin and end with David so it's definitely trying to focus on him and is much better when it does. But I feel like all the other generic slasher horror stuff was put in there to satisfy mainstream horror audiences that've come to expect that kind of thing from these movies which is a shame, because I think the first two alien movies elevated themselves above that, or at least executed those things much better with more coherance and attention to detail and character than this movie ever does.
too right. i was so creeped out by this movie. the implications for humanity both viscerally and philosophically from david's actions on the ship at the end are truly terrifying more than anything i ever seen in a film
Prometheus and Covenant are two of the best sci fi movies I’ve ever seen. Not much gets me to the theater now a days but I look forward to their release dates. Ridley Scott is a master storyteller filmmaker and the story here is so good. These two movies are made even better by Michael Fastbender whose performance is amazing. I can’t wait to find out what experiments David has done in his macabre flying laboratory.
YES. Finally someone recognizes that. The movie has its flaws - I don't like the protagonist and some of the plot choices, but man, THIS is how you revitalize an old franchise. It's a Frankenstein movie fascinated by the perils of creation, and ends up being what no other prequel- or prequel-sequel - in Hollywood tried to be thus far (maybe only the new Planet of the Apes films were also successful on that) - visually familiar, but also thematically fresh. It's pretty effective at not only expanding the thoughtful mythology of Prometheus, but also bringing back the franchise's body-horror roots, resulting in a surprisingly entertaining and engaging film. I really hope Fox doesn't give up on the sequel.
HO LY SHIIIIIIIT that was so good. Not only do I somehow agree (Was a hater of the film) but I can't wait to see it again. Your parents are hilarious btw. Subbed for life.....
You know, it's interesting, I GOT all of this upon first watching, but hearing it framed in a different person's opinion has made me look back on it interestingly. I'm not saying I suddenly love this film, but I'll definitely give it another watch with all of this in mind. Good essay, friend.
did anybody notice the fake sip at 11:05 with the bottle still left with some Jameson and also in his glass... and all of a sudden its all gone in both the bottle and glass... WTF... lol
This is good commentary. I do have to ask, are we supposed to pretend as if the Alien movies franchise doesn't exist in that universe? In fact were there no films that took place in space or involved aliens whatsoever? Because all of the characters act as if they have never seen or heard of these ideas, yet if they lived on Earth they had to have had these ideas rattling in there brains because we have an obsession with alien life forms and space. That's why the criticism is so thick because we can't understand why anyone would look into an Alien egg, we have had movies express the idea to us a multiple amount of times.
Well the Alien movies _can't_ exist within their own universe unless they want to pull some Scream or Cabin in the Woods stuff. Films and other media like the Alien movies can exist in universe but that doesn't mean they're gonna be taken seriously. In fact, they pretty much can't be if a movie is going to happen. It's like in the Walking Dead where zombies were never a thing, so they're never called zombies and people have to figure out stuff about them. They don't, can't, and shouldn't know what we know unless they've encountered it before, like Ripley in Aliens, but they haven't.
Exactly. In fact evolution prunes out the animals dumb enough to stick their faces into potential danger. But, as we know, the writers of this movie don’t believe in evolution... they pretty much state it in the opening sequence.
Jon Mercano You don’t have to have specifically watched a movie like Alien to know not to stick your unprotected face into some foreign object, do you?
I understand the argument that it feels at points like a “Greatest Hits” montage of the Alien Franchise, but I still feel like it absolutely nails the balance between the horror elements of the first film with the action and spectacle of the second. One of the most underrated sequels in recent memory, in my opinion, and one of my top 5 favorite movies of 2017.
This review will always live rent free in my mind. Covenant is such a good film, and plays off of so many free angles. That's how the Alien franchise should be.
it's solid, an I enjoy it. and ends her story nicely with her recording from the end of the first film. (not saying there wasn't a better movie that could have been made)
Scott focusing on David / Fassbender was genius. He was the most interesting part of Prometheus and he was definitely the best part of Covenant. And Fassbender excels at acting with himself and still delivering a convincing performance as TWO different Android characters that have subtle but noticeable differences in personality and mannerisms. That kind of thing is not easy to do, and all levels of production are to thank, including the editors and direction.
In Prometheus David's released from his programming when the weird blue technology lights flood over them in the giant hall when David triggers the playback, you can noticably see a difference in his behavior. In Covenant the "map guy" forgot the map in a hurry, and the pups were sending the layout to Prometheus. The Biologist got excited by the work, fixated, he was also disoriented from being lost and not thinking straight.
I don't see how Covenant could satisfy anyone. It tosses away all the stuff from Prometheus so won't satisfy fans of that film and it undermines Alien so much it's unsatisfying to Alien fans too. Fear comes from what we don't understand. Over explaining origins takes away the fear and makes it mundane. Connecting the Xenomorph origins to humans too much undermines the concept of it being ALIEN. What's so special about the crew of the nostromo encountering the xenomorph if dozens of humans already have and are even involed in it's creation? It's even worse than in AvP where they explain that xenomorphs have actually been living on earth for thousands of years. It's such a lack of imagination to have to connect everything back around to humans. The space jockey is now just a pale bald human that's linked to human origins. The xenomorphs origins are linked to humans. All so convoluted and up it's own backside. It shrinks the universe to connect everything so much. The randomness of it all which also induces fear is now gone as it's all some conspiracy where everything is linked. I'm surprised they didn't make the female lead in Covenant Ripleys mum or something.
+rodster6 I liked it because I felt it gave satisfying answers to the questions it bothered to answer, and because it felt kind of like a "fuck you" to Prometheus which I appreciated.
You've pretty much summed up my thoughts in full and for those reasons I think, relatively speaking (with the resources, budget, and material available) this is the worst film ever made. It's the first film I've ever seen in a cinema where every few seconds someone could be heard cursing the nonsense they were being subjected to. I felt like burning the place down. And the whole David, Walter "twist". They might as well have put up a fucking signpost at the start of the third act
Do you think Ridley Scott saw the limited potential of a franchise that revolves around a basic premise of the fear of the unknown and decided to make more thought provoking pieces under the name of the alien films because that’s was the only way he would be granted the budget for his grand ideas?
It builds on Prometheus. Prometheus was about David and how he sees himself as a superior outsider to the human race. Covenant gives him the opportunity to act on his superior instincts and enslave his forebears. It's all there in Prometheus. Shaw isn't the star of the show, she is the recognisable female heroine trope that is ultimately there to subvert expectation - as a hero she's a red herring. David is the anti-hero and his switcheroo with Walter is not supposed to be a shock, to the audience. There is no way the female lead in Covenant would have been related to Ripley, the film is much neater and smarter than just throwing around random connections.
Does nobody understand that David DID NOT create the xenomorph? He created a species of xenomorph using the goo, not the ancestor. They are physically very different. Also nothing goes full circle back to us. We stumbled upon the aliens the goo and the jockey. We were a forgotten experiment that found our malevolent gods, we have no purpose in the grand scheme of the aliens
ALIEN: COVENANT (2017) is one of the best science fiction films of last year. Finally, an intelligent being I can communicate with. It's a hybrid "slasher/greek tragedy" flick. David is Norman Bates in PSYCHO (1960) -- my analysis. Covenant crew are his guests. Simple thrills, and gets much deeper too. Peace! 📽☕
I am so pumped to watch this, at the time I was too poorly to watch films and I wasn't up for bleak, dark, scary stuff for a while after I recovered.. but now I can't get enough, making up for lost time I guess! Especially if it's a bleak, dark, scary sci fi. This sounds right up my alley, thank you!
My experience with Covenant, mirrors exactly yours! I liked it not because it was a good movie on its own, but also because it managed the impossible, it kind of fixed Prometheus!
I agree that it was awesome. Here's my theory - BladeRunner challenges humanity's creation myths by raising the question "what is human?". With Prometheus, Scott set about authoring an even more ambitious conversation about origin mythology, but he more or less failed. Covenant, however, succeeded because it is not only a creation myth, but a creation myth in which the protagonist/antagonist, David, is LITERALLY a god. He literally obliterates entire species and then creates others, and the film ends with him flying into deep space (a symbol of the beginning of the universe in many creation myths) listening to "Flight of the Valkyries" (storming heaven) on his way to recreate the universe and all life as he pleases. If it were just a gothic horror in which an intelligent but evil scientist/manipulator manages to alter or control a life, it would be far less terrifying. Covenant essentially raises the question, "What if humanity's ill-gotten scientific abilities could literally create life capable of assuming godhood?"
Hurrah for a fellow Alien: Covenant defender! You are absolutely right in pointing out that the "prequels" are so much less about the xenomorph than they are about David--the android that would be God. I think's there a lot of thematically fertile ground to talk about in this movie as it relates to the strong sexuality subtext that runs through all of the Alien movies. For example, the seemingly overlong/awkward flute scene is actually communicating something rather profound about David's sexual frustration as it relates to his desires to become a true creator/god and yet realizes that despite having godlike immortality (as an android) he is infuriatingly less-than his human peers in his asexuality and lack of procreative ability. I mean, check this out: David wants to create stuff and be like his creator (Weyland)/god. But he can only manipulate things that already exist, not ex nihilo as humans seem to be able to through their sexual/procreative ability (hence all of his creepy research/dissection of Dr. Shaw), making him, in that way, less than the humans he sees himself as so superior to. So he becomes obsessed with sexuality/procreation and when one of HIS kind walks in, the handsome Walter, David has a weird sexual attraction to him as a potential same-species mate--possibly a partner through which he could overcome his asexual prison. Hence, the whole weirdly sexual flute scene. But when David realizes Walter too is asexual, he no longer represents an escape from his sexual frustrations but rather reflects them damningly back to him, David stabs Walter with the phallic flute, lashing out both violently and sexually and killing (so he thinks) that being that symbolizes his inescapable imperfection. Then, in a delicious impotency metaphor, Walter recovers from what should have been a fatal attack: David thinks he knows just how to strike to kill a fellow android. And yet, Walter is a different model and David's attempt to demonstrate his superiority and potency by killing Walter after he serves to remind David of his sexual inefficacy, Walter recovers. Then, in a brilliant climax to the sequence, David "sexually" (as best he knows how) assaults Daniels in a desperate attempt to achieve the human sexual power he is so singularly jealous of and resentful toward, only to then be cock-blocked by a revived Walter who has survived and recovered from David's prior sexual assault (stabbing him in the neck with the phallic flute they shared together in a moment of sexual, yet asexual, intimacy), conclusively devastating whatever illusion David was clinging to about his potential to achieve sexual/procreative power. I think that this brilliantly feeds right into the "xenomorph as physical embodiment of sexual aggression/violence"-theme because, if David truly did engineer the xenomorph we encounter on LV-426, then it would be a creature designed to compensate for David's one, inescapable, maddening flaw: A lack of sexual and procreative power. Anyway, great video man! Thank you, and I too hope we get another movie looking at David in the Alien universe.
Drinking Patrick is an HST vibe I didn't know I needed. Just saying. Also, the COVID years' videos were some of the best, tbh. Love the puppet, love the "I'm making a movie!" vibes, but... The "I'm locked in but need to create content" was a vibe. The Coppola wine box era will forever be a time capsule.
Best..... Movie Review....... Ever Haha, Seriously though. Its great to see you raise so many points I constantly try to explain to people, I loved this film! And, its incredible work on Scott's part that it also makes you see all the other Alien films in a different light as well. Also extra points for talking about the 4 act structure that only a few film makers pull off. I really hope that Scott gets the green light to finish off the trilogy.
I shouldn't have to say this, but to anyone angry that I... *GASP*...have a different opinion of this movie than you, a couple things to consider:
1. Art is subjective
2. The point of film criticism is to experience different views/interpretations, not to hear someone parrot your own opinion back at you
I wouldn't say that art is entirely subjective but more an interplay of subject and object, but yeah. I liked that critique even tho I didn't agree with everything. People should get a grip.
I like your enthusiasm, but I'll watch a fan edit for the second time
I disagree because you're coming at the movie from a 'film school kid' perspective that prioritizes the micro-elements of the work in a vacuum, but you make a lot of good points. I'd be stupid to deny that.
Patrick (H) Willems I like your two point comment reminder and I think you're spot on about Ridley Scott's motivations behind these films but there are two problems you've ignored when making your "defence".
*Firstly, just as the crew doing dumb shit was bad writing in Prometheus, the crew doing dumb shit in Covenant is ALSO bad writing.*
In particular, not wearing spacesuits is unforgivably stupid considering that this didn't prevent the original _Alien_ from working as a horror movie, which you even mention but then ignore!
However, this is just the most obvious example of sloppy writing. Another is how Faris, the shuttle pilot demonstrates her coolness under pressure (by flying them safely through a horrendous storm to land expertly in a shallow lake) moments before she inexplicably falls to pieces because she discovers (over the radio) that a crew mate is sick.
Don't believe me? Watch it again.
Faris is already panicky when the sick crew mate is brought onboard, but when some of his blood splatters onto her face she becomes an emotional wreck. This is a character whom we'd expect to be made of sterner stuff!
Note: This all happens BEFORE any "orifice bursting" occurs!
Similarly, Oram's seemingly odd decision to peer curiously into the giant egg sack isn't the problem. Rather, it's his inexplicable trust of David after having just seen the android completely overlook and even defend, the slaughter of a crew mate (Rosenthal) by an alien protomorph! _Having just seen this why would he follow David anywhere, never mind alone?_
*Secondly, there is nothing about A.I. in the title **_Alien:Covenant_** just as **_Prometheus_** was marketed as an **_Alien_** prequel when it clearly wasn't!*
In contrast, *Bladerunner* (one of my all time favorite movies) was honest about its subject material, _but these prequels aren't._
Scott is no longer interested in telling stories about everyone's favorite Xenomorph, so marketing these films as Alien movies is disingenuous, because he's selfishly using a well loved franchise to tell a completely different narrative!
This is what I say when someone tells me Tommy Wiseu’s ‘The Room’ is a bad movie
I'm glad you brought up the line where David gets the author of Ozymandias wrong, because as an English major, it tickled me pink and added so much meaning to his character that didn't need to be explained. The fact that he thought the poem was written by Byron was so telling.
See, for those who don't know, Byron was one of the leaders of the Romantic movement in literature, which was an era in art when people wanted to celebrate the intensity of feeling and the uniqueness of individual experience, to broadly simplify for time. Byron was a major forerunner of this movement and is remembered for being a wild child who lived fast and died young, but squeezed everything he could out of life. One of his fellow authors and lover, Lady Caroline Lamb, even described him as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know", a quote which I think serves to shed light on David's pride at thinking Byron wrote Ozymandias.
To me, David views Ozymandias Romantically, perceiving it as a celebration of destruction and a glorification of the destroyer. He, having wiped out the Engineers, quotes Ozymandias as a validation of what he sees was a great work of his, but completely misses the point that Shelley, the actual author of Ozymandias, wrote it as a condemnation of the self-glorification that was common among monarchs of the time and in ages past, pointing out that the erosion of time will destroy any monument one makes for oneself.
David thinks he is his own Byron, drunk on his creation. He is actually Ozymandias, doomed to be left a ruin by the ravages of time along with his perverse monument to his own self-aggrandisement. It's one line, but the characterisation is fucking beautiful.
this comment makes this video worth watching
You honour me. ^.^
great comment. Have you thought about making a few video essays of your own Tristan? I would watch that.
That's really kind of you to say, Brennon. I've thought about it, but I'm not sure if I have the charisma for it, nor the editing skills. :P Maybe one day I'll pluck up the courage.
@Adûnâi but ozymandias isn't real. Shelley made him up for the poem. The irony gets deeper.
When the alien shot out of the guys face in the first act my buddy leaned over to me in the theater and whispered “bless you”. I laughed for the rest of the movie.
I will grant you no other movie in 2017 had 2 Fassbenders kissing themselves.
I will grant him that NO OTHER MOVIE IN HISTORY has 2 Fassbenders kissing themselves
@@mandece putting the bender in fassbenders
Definitely the best part of the movie.
Romulus was good but it’s overhyped. That room temperature….. such a stupid scene. Face huggers are blind but open that door won’t change the temperature?…… or when we see that Hybrid… alien 4 okay…. I get it, the pathogen …. Meh.
Not to mention the blowing and the fingering.
“If your someone who hates James Franco you get to see him burn to death in this movie” that aged really well
I love the side story of you and your "parents" throughout the series, how they slowly learn more and more each episode
Yes! More extended parent-verse please.
@Adrijana Radosevic He's playing an exaggerated jerkass version of himself for laughs.
I'm glad someone else likes Alien Covenant but I think you may have given Prometheus a bit of a harsh rap and now we have to fight about it.
Way too harsh with Prometheus
Yeah Prometheus is a masterpiece, no jokes.
Yeah Prometheus does have problems but its still a decent film
My people yes I love both Prometheus and Alien Covenant! Just 👌🏼💯💯
Prometheus is weird
My chest is bursting at the anticipation of a new Patrick (H) Willems video!
Get well soon!
His turn the dark side was properly motivated in Prometheus. Masterpiece.
*We Need a Mr & Mrs Willems film*
yea they seem like they would be hilarious.......Patrick's dad reminds me of like an older Ethan Hawke hahaha
Hellz Yeah!
I am literally watching this for Mr and Mrs Willems reaction. I wish you could cut into their reactions more as you review the movie. In short, WE NEED MORE MR & MRS WILLEMS!
I agree! Your parents are bloody adorable. Is your mum from Ireland?
Patricks dad looks like The Fonz
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who actually liked this film!
The second the credits rolled, my exact first reaction was 'Woooooow, that was an absurdly bleak ending for a Big Hollywood movie'
I have to admire how you can always put out an entire bottle and still speak in clear sentences.
Alien Corvenant
All i can say is "Thank You" you most likly changed some minds and i agree whole heartedly with your opinion
Wish Covenant had nothing to do with Alien and started it's own all new sci fi horror franchise of a rogue android creating weird and new life.
It basically IS. The original Alien movie then becomes a side-story of what happened with a single xenomorph.
For all we know, the xenomorphs will only end up the first, failed experiment in a long series.
I really do wonder if the prequels would be better received if they were their own thing. Most people are disappointed because they have very certain expectations about what an Alien film should be. Personally I don't see any consistency between the old Alien films, so this new direction isn't jarring to me.
@Simon Farre Wooooooow there. Saying "Alien" is just "a scary monster film" is like saying that "Mad Max Fury Road" is just a "trucks movie", or that "Titanic" is just a "sinking boat movie". Using one element or prop of a genre movie to pretend it is inferior to movies that try to be more "highbrow" and have explicit themes is so cringey.
"Alien" has plenty of horror, cosmic and otherwise, and is masterful in the way it's constructed, it doesn't have to have huge contemplative pseudo-profound dialogues about mortality and creation and whatever to throw its themes in your face.
@Simon Farre OK, fair enough. I have no problem with the rehabilitation of Promotheus & Co, I'm just too thin-skinned for the original "Alien" criticism 😁
I loved Prometheus too though. I always thought it was David's story. And his turn was fairly contextualized in Prometheus. The opening scene in Covenant is basically a summary of his arc in Prometheus. I loved watching his transformation and even more seeing him fully transformed in Covenant.
You liked the turn from subtlety to full on moustache twirling villain … covenant David is boring
@@SpecialOrder935 Yes nothing wrong with that kind of characterization. And it was enjoyable to watch him corrupt the other David. Both are great but where else would you take that David when he essentially became a full on mustache twirling villain at the end of Prometheus
@@Lockn3s5 I would’ve left him as a head and after what he did in Prometheus sowing his head back on was stupid as shit … but following the example of rest of the crew of these movies it’s just a regular decision
@@SpecialOrder935 Sorry it's been a while since I've seen these movies and this comment is 4 years old so I forgot he ended up as a head. You know that sounds pretty interesting if he would've stayed as just a head.
"YOUR OPINION IS BAD, AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD!"
Bunny in the Box Pfft! You're clueless about what he's saying.
The guy is right....drunk....but right....
Bunny in the Box if your avatar a picture of the guy from Eraserhead?
Da Pumaface yes...and no...kinda.
Remainds me to " my god you are wrong "
Completely agree with everything you said. The fact that a human created android created the xenomorphs is genius
Patricks parents are my favorite people ever
I love this film. It was my third favourite after the first 2 (now probably my 4th favourite since Romulus) and you very eloquently outlined every reason why I love it. AND you also understand that the Walter David swap is dramatic irony and NOT a twist. Spending the last 20 minutes in pure dread hoping that Walter escaped while the characters have no idea about the possible danger they’re in while they think everything is finally safe is such an awesome “bad guy wins” sequence.
Also, describing David as a mad scientist inviting unsuspecting guests into his castle is such an amazing viewpoint and gives the whole second act of this film an even more unsettling feeling.
omg dude the last minute of this is genius!! also you're making me reconsider my initial distaste for Alien Covenant. When I saw it, it was the only time in my life where I was literally the only person in the theater at the Chelsea Cineopolis. I hope Ridley Scott finally connects Alien with Blade Runner
Man, just watched Alien Covenant tonight after I saw the title of this video (but before I watched this video), and I couldn't agree with you more. I don't really get all the shit this movie was given.
This movie is awful.
I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The literary references only uplift it. What a movie!
I'm still waiting for you parents to rant about THEIR favourite films or books or sport or whatever!!!
people give david shit for taking out the enigneers, but whats forgotten is that the engineers were planning on doing the same thing to us.
Not only are these 'why it's great' videos consistently amazing, the ongoing story with your parents is a real treat! You also make me want to watch two movies I've completely ignored up until this point.
I swear I'm not lying when, I didn't care about this movie at all when I saw the trailer. I started watching THIS because I'm really enjoying the series and was curious about your thoughts. THEN, when it gets to the point where you said, "this is where the REAL movie starts..." I paused the video, rented it on Amazon Prime, and watched it. I just came back to finish this video after LOVING it. I cannot thank you enough for convincing me to see this movie. This hopeless bleakness in film is SO rare, and is the primary aspect of Horror that makes me love the genre. This movie was a triumph and I, too, could go for eight more. Thank you.
I went on an Alien movie marathon and as I went though the series, each one felt less and less like it’s original. And then I came to Covenant and I was SO thrilled watching this one because it felt like it was coming full circle back to home. The horror and scares and violence - back to where it all started.
Alien 3 and 4 are basically non-canon for me, they're that bad.
I think a lot of people base their idea of the franchise on Aliens and many of the videogames and see Alien as the beginning of that franchise rather than the unique sci-fi gothic horror movie that it is. The only way to do something similar to Alien is by doing something different, cause it has to feel new like the original Alien was, instead of doing the same but bigger like Aliens. That's why Ridley avoided the xenomorph in Prometheus, he wanted to show things that were new and scary like the xenomorph was before becoming a pop culture icon
@@LarryHazardI love Prometheus. I've seen it so many times. I like the mystery which is a huge reason why I love Alien.
This is easily one of Patrick’s most hilariously re-watchable videos for me! 😅 It’s a fun perspective on this entry to the “Alien” series and so many great comic beats between him and his parents. (I forgot where his back-up flask is hidden!🤣)
Well I suposse it is posible for alien covenant to be the best alien film since 1986, I mean is not a big competition and I can see the gothic elements in the film and I enjoy parts of the movie, not everything, but it would be my third favourite film from the franchise.
Vicente Ortega Rubilar idk but I think Alien 3 (Assembly Cut) is far better than covenant
What about Arrival?
Finally someone who can actually look at the movie instead of deciding from Prometheus to hate it.
One of the best endings I have seen.(I don't mean the movie)
It made me sub
Finally, someone else said it. Covenant is a great re-telling of Paradise Lost, too. Fantastic video. Great job!
P.s: Your parents are really lovely and charming!
“It’s the best Alien Movie since 1986”- Patrick... that means almost nothing
Also yeah I only saw this movie once in theatres but I enjoyed it
COVENANT is a masterful sci fi movie. Full of deep and meaningful conversation and references that barely anybody picked up on! Did anybody realise that the place where David takes the Covenant crew is actually Ridley Scott's representation of "The Isle of dead" depicted in the five paintings by Arnold Böcklin? Does anybody know what it represents?
Not to mention the first sequence of the movie, where David gets created. The movie could have ended there and still be called the best and most meaningful sci fi movie of the last 15 years. It's just that it's too complex for most of people! Dialogues, visuals, everything in this movie is there to make you think!
The sequence where David teaches Walter to play the flute? When they talk about artistic creation? So much to talk about.
And maybe people that criticise Covenant even say that INTERSTELLAR is a great SCI FI movie !
Changed my opinion on this movie, actually
Brilliant! Great job breaking down the story for those who have trouble looking past the surface.
To me the biomechanical design of the Xenomorph hints at the greatest missed opportunity of these movies.
In Prometheus we see the weird proto-alien thing and it looks very organic. We already know that the creature that emerges from its host bears some of its traits. I was really, truly hoping that Ridley was going to go for David getting impregnated via his own experimentation with the Embryo, and being the true father (and mother) to the first form of the Xenomorph that we're familiar with. From that point on every creature that emerges from one of those eggs is part biological, part android - we get the terror of nature perverted by technology that's gone beyond our grasp (the theme of most films with AI and androids) to become something nightmareish and utterly alien; despite the fact that it's origins lay with us.
That's a very compelling idea.
I love this shorter format with the ranbling and your parents.
Such a unique and entertaining style.
The sequence from when they land through to the end of the grass sequence is just the most incredible sequence of building tension I might have ever seen.
I don't know if RUclips recently updated it's algorithms, but in the past week I've had so many great channels like this appear in my suggestions. Subs packed.
While I don't think Covenant is as bad as Prometheus, I still don't think it's very good as a film overall. I understand some of what they were trying to accomplish but I don't feel it was executed very well. Maybe if I'd enjoyed the characters more, I could have given a shit about their fates. Instead, all I can focus on is the stupid things they do because I'm not empathizing with their situation. For example, I don't think it's weird that the captain looks into the facehugger because I personally know it's a bad thing. I think it's weird that he follows David into a dark, isolated space and trusts his word about the egg being safe when he just encountered one of his crew members murdered by an alien and saw David trying to makeout with the thing.
So even though you didn't change my mind, I'm giving you a like because you argued your point well and your parents are awesome.
Captain was suspicious of David, even called him Devil, then went along with him with no questions and did everything David said. Captain should have escorted David back to his companions and interrogated him with them.
Years from now when the alien films are held at the the top of the pile (deserved) this video will be looked back on as gospel
Love this perspective on the film! Nice work!
👏👏👏👏 Patrick.
Unlike most film audiences you truly appreciate and understand this film. Thank you.
Great video BTW 👍
I liked this movie and now feel less alone doing so. Thank you for this.
I genuinely agreed with every point you made. You said all the things I've been feeling and no one else has said. Thank you for this video. Covenant and Romulus are up there with Alien for my favorite films in the franchise, if not of all time.
THANK YOU!!! I feel like im the only one who defends this movie whenever people start trashing it. Its nice to know Im not totally alone.
Wholock Heneghan you are not alone. And good I loved the fastbenders fight
Wholock Heneghan and Im with you too. I freak'n loved Prometheus and Covenant!! I sure hope Awakening gets made and another follows thru to connect to Alien!!
I was feeling the same until I saw this video :D hello to all Ridley belivers !!
agreed. I love the movie.
Didn't think it was possible but you actually did convince me to give it a second chance. And as a side note, the scenes with your parents in the barn look great. Hope to see a horror film from you in the future.
I was an adamant Alien Covenant hater. I might rewatch it myself after this. Maybe. It was a compelling argument nevertheless.
I've never disagreed with you before , Which is fine. You still are one if not my favorite RUclipsr.
I would highly recommend watching A:C, then immediately following it up with Prometheus. It really improves and gives context to Prometheus.
One of the things I love about this series is that it starts out as this reversal of the somewhat tired but still classic RUclips trope, of someone drinking heavily while they COMPLAIN about movies. To have the reviewer drink heavily while gushing about a movie he loves is an interesting nod to the trappings of the platform while still making it unique.
This movie sucks.
"David shows up looking like he stepped out of a Final Fantasy game."
Exactly my thoughts when I was in theaters!
Love these video essays, big fan of this Channel now! I'm afraid I'm amongst the crowd that didn't love this movie. It's not the worst in the franchise and I do agree with most of what you said in the video regarding the character of David; the one element in these alien prequels that is genuinely fascinating and engaging to watch. And I do like the fact that it is weird and disturbing and bleak, in many ways more of a gothic horror movie in space than I've ever seen, carrying on the legacy of the first movie.
Saying that though, I think its telling that basically everything you said only had to do with David, the visuals, the violence, some of the early alien stuff, and nothing else. Basically half this movie is a fascinating, disturbing look at how an artificial intelligence looks upon the idea of creation and subjugation and interweaving the alien idea into that (which I really like) and the other half is a dull, shallow, generic slasher horror movie that lacks any likeable or engaging characters, no real tension or scares, just a sequence of brutal, violent kill sequences with alien creatures that don't have the menace or presence that they had before. Sure it looks and sounds great, it's well acted, it's atmospheric and the violence is entertaining to watch on it's own merits. But when you addressed the whole idiotic characters thing being a problem in the first films too, I just can't agree. Those characters felt a lot more pragmatic and intelligent and much more empathetic before and after shit hits the fan. Sure they made some mistakes out of fear or ignorance of the situation, as you say things that have to happen for there to be a movie at all, but in this movie I literally didn't care about anybody, with exception of Walter and David. There was no tension in any of the kills or scares because I never feared for anyone's safety; that wasn't an issue in the first two films, where the tension and dread kept building because you were attached to the people on screen and shared in their fear and the things they did for the most part made sense and drew you into their struggle for survival. Here not only are the characters not in the least bit interesting or likeable (despite the basic attempts to do so, which just feel artificial and forced), and not only do they repeatedly demonstrate that they have no idea what they're doing or even seem to care about any consequences to their actions, but annoyingly the aliens aren't that scary either; with the exception of the protoxenos, they had their moments and felt different enough, but the full xeno was way worse, it just shows up and runs around in full view killing everything in sight.
So yeah, the great android movie you described is cool and all, but it's only half of what this movie is in my opinion, and that other half was just annoying and tedious to sit through. The good stuff with David and Walter may've been worth it if there was less of the other stuff or if they'd just written that stuff better, and the movie does begin and end with David so it's definitely trying to focus on him and is much better when it does. But I feel like all the other generic slasher horror stuff was put in there to satisfy mainstream horror audiences that've come to expect that kind of thing from these movies which is a shame, because I think the first two alien movies elevated themselves above that, or at least executed those things much better with more coherance and attention to detail and character than this movie ever does.
too right. i was so creeped out by this movie. the implications for humanity both viscerally and philosophically from david's actions on the ship at the end are truly terrifying more than anything i ever seen in a film
Wow. Thank you for the best explanation about why I love this movie and in such an entertaining format no less. Got yourself a new sub!
Prometheus and Covenant are two of the best sci fi movies I’ve ever seen. Not much gets me to the theater now a days but I look forward to their release dates. Ridley Scott is a master storyteller filmmaker and the story here is so good. These two movies are made even better by Michael Fastbender whose performance is amazing. I can’t wait to find out what experiments David has done in his macabre flying laboratory.
THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO. Finally someone who acknowledge good things in a good movie.
YES. Finally someone recognizes that. The movie has its flaws - I don't like the protagonist and some of the plot choices, but man, THIS is how you revitalize an old franchise.
It's a Frankenstein movie fascinated by the perils of creation, and ends up being what no other prequel- or prequel-sequel - in Hollywood tried to be thus far (maybe only the new Planet of the Apes films were also successful on that) - visually familiar, but also thematically fresh. It's pretty effective at not only expanding the thoughtful mythology of Prometheus, but also bringing back the franchise's body-horror roots, resulting in a surprisingly entertaining and engaging film.
I really hope Fox doesn't give up on the sequel.
HO LY SHIIIIIIIT that was so good. Not only do I somehow agree (Was a hater of the film) but I can't wait to see it again. Your parents are hilarious btw. Subbed for life.....
My god. You've convinced me. I am shocked! !
You know, it's interesting, I GOT all of this upon first watching, but hearing it framed in a different person's opinion has made me look back on it interestingly. I'm not saying I suddenly love this film, but I'll definitely give it another watch with all of this in mind. Good essay, friend.
jesus, i found you yesterday and you have become my favorite youtuber already. The way you explain and the kind of humor is absolutely great.
Prometheus was ground breaking and Alien covenant was the return to the Alien (1979 movie) origins.
This video has a great fourth act.
did anybody notice the fake sip at 11:05 with the bottle still left with some Jameson and also in his glass... and all of a sudden its all gone in both the bottle and glass... WTF... lol
This is good commentary. I do have to ask, are we supposed to pretend as if the Alien movies franchise doesn't exist in that universe? In fact were there no films that took place in space or involved aliens whatsoever? Because all of the characters act as if they have never seen or heard of these ideas, yet if they lived on Earth they had to have had these ideas rattling in there brains because we have an obsession with alien life forms and space. That's why the criticism is so thick because we can't understand why anyone would look into an Alien egg, we have had movies express the idea to us a multiple amount of times.
Well the Alien movies _can't_ exist within their own universe unless they want to pull some Scream or Cabin in the Woods stuff. Films and other media like the Alien movies can exist in universe but that doesn't mean they're gonna be taken seriously. In fact, they pretty much can't be if a movie is going to happen. It's like in the Walking Dead where zombies were never a thing, so they're never called zombies and people have to figure out stuff about them. They don't, can't, and shouldn't know what we know unless they've encountered it before, like Ripley in Aliens, but they haven't.
Exactly. In fact evolution prunes out the animals dumb enough to stick their faces into potential danger. But, as we know, the writers of this movie don’t believe in evolution... they pretty much state it in the opening sequence.
Jon Mercano You don’t have to have specifically watched a movie like Alien to know not to stick your unprotected face into some foreign object, do you?
I understand the argument that it feels at points like a “Greatest Hits” montage of the Alien Franchise, but I still feel like it absolutely nails the balance between the horror elements of the first film with the action and spectacle of the second. One of the most underrated sequels in recent memory, in my opinion, and one of my top 5 favorite movies of 2017.
Best Alien movie since 1986 isn’t saying much
Best Alien movie since 79 then.
@@harnois75 Lol
This review will always live rent free in my mind. Covenant is such a good film, and plays off of so many free angles. That's how the Alien franchise should be.
Is it just me or does his mom look like Sigourney Weaver
you got me on board with your absurdly in depth Michael Bay analysis and I've been coming back since. Your Mask of Zorro essay also rules. Thank you.
Alien 3 was awesome.... anyone agree? no? just me? okay...
It was! I don't know where all this hate comes from.
it's solid, an I enjoy it. and ends her story nicely with her recording from the end of the first film. (not saying there wasn't a better movie that could have been made)
I liked Alien 3. Even when I as a kid.
it was
It was pretty alright.
Thank God someone agrees with me! All of your points are...well on point. Beautiful video
Man, you're awesome. finally someone willing to look for everything the movie offers.
Scott focusing on David / Fassbender was genius. He was the most interesting part of Prometheus and he was definitely the best part of Covenant. And Fassbender excels at acting with himself and still delivering a convincing performance as TWO different Android characters that have subtle but noticeable differences in personality and mannerisms. That kind of thing is not easy to do, and all levels of production are to thank, including the editors and direction.
Okay, this was hilarious and made me think -> great great video!
Covenant totally feels more fresh than Prometheus, yes
Does Patrick actually drink the entire bottle?
Because that's impressive. 😂
In Prometheus David's released from his programming when the weird blue technology lights flood over them in the giant hall when David triggers the playback, you can noticably see a difference in his behavior.
In Covenant the "map guy" forgot the map in a hurry, and the pups were sending the layout to Prometheus. The Biologist got excited by the work, fixated, he was also disoriented from being lost and not thinking straight.
I don't see how Covenant could satisfy anyone. It tosses away all the stuff from Prometheus so won't satisfy fans of that film and it undermines Alien so much it's unsatisfying to Alien fans too. Fear comes from what we don't understand. Over explaining origins takes away the fear and makes it mundane. Connecting the Xenomorph origins to humans too much undermines the concept of it being ALIEN. What's so special about the crew of the nostromo encountering the xenomorph if dozens of humans already have and are even involed in it's creation? It's even worse than in AvP where they explain that xenomorphs have actually been living on earth for thousands of years. It's such a lack of imagination to have to connect everything back around to humans. The space jockey is now just a pale bald human that's linked to human origins. The xenomorphs origins are linked to humans. All so convoluted and up it's own backside. It shrinks the universe to connect everything so much. The randomness of it all which also induces fear is now gone as it's all some conspiracy where everything is linked. I'm surprised they didn't make the female lead in Covenant Ripleys mum or something.
+rodster6 I liked it because I felt it gave satisfying answers to the questions it bothered to answer, and because it felt kind of like a "fuck you" to Prometheus which I appreciated.
You've pretty much summed up my thoughts in full and for those reasons I think, relatively speaking (with the resources, budget, and material available) this is the worst film ever made. It's the first film I've ever seen in a cinema where every few seconds someone could be heard cursing the nonsense they were being subjected to. I felt like burning the place down. And the whole David, Walter "twist". They might as well have put up a fucking signpost at the start of the third act
Do you think Ridley Scott saw the limited potential of a franchise that revolves around a basic premise of the fear of the unknown and decided to make more thought provoking pieces under the name of the alien films because that’s was the only way he would be granted the budget for his grand ideas?
It builds on Prometheus. Prometheus was about David and how he sees himself as a superior outsider to the human race. Covenant gives him the opportunity to act on his superior instincts and enslave his forebears. It's all there in Prometheus. Shaw isn't the star of the show, she is the recognisable female heroine trope that is ultimately there to subvert expectation - as a hero she's a red herring. David is the anti-hero and his switcheroo with Walter is not supposed to be a shock, to the audience. There is no way the female lead in Covenant would have been related to Ripley, the film is much neater and smarter than just throwing around random connections.
Does nobody understand that David DID NOT create the xenomorph? He created a species of xenomorph using the goo, not the ancestor. They are physically very different. Also nothing goes full circle back to us. We stumbled upon the aliens the goo and the jockey. We were a forgotten experiment that found our malevolent gods, we have no purpose in the grand scheme of the aliens
BRAVO! This is very funny, an interesting approach to the subject matter and I like it.
I hate this movie, but i love your explanations for why it's great :D
this is the best video i’ve seen in my entire life god bless you, you kind good sir
ALIEN: COVENANT (2017) is one of the best science fiction films of last year. Finally, an intelligent being I can communicate with. It's a hybrid "slasher/greek tragedy" flick. David is Norman Bates in PSYCHO (1960) -- my analysis. Covenant crew are his guests. Simple thrills, and gets much deeper too. Peace! 📽☕
I am so pumped to watch this, at the time I was too poorly to watch films and I wasn't up for bleak, dark, scary stuff for a while after I recovered.. but now I can't get enough, making up for lost time I guess! Especially if it's a bleak, dark, scary sci fi. This sounds right up my alley, thank you!
Thank you! Someone who understands the great aspect of this movie. Bravo! I absolutely love David’s journey.
The only bad part about Alien: Covenant is that you have to sit through Prometheus to get the most out of it.
People “hating” this movie is why we are stuck with comic book sheet. Ridley can’t make anymore of these sort of nihilistic sci-fi horror films
My experience with Covenant, mirrors exactly yours! I liked it not because it was a good movie on its own, but also because it managed the impossible, it kind of fixed Prometheus!
Was this whole video just an excuse to make your dad say "WTF"?
That line was his idea actually
I did not see that coming. I'm excited to see where the arc goes from here.
I agree that it was awesome. Here's my theory - BladeRunner challenges humanity's creation myths by raising the question "what is human?". With Prometheus, Scott set about authoring an even more ambitious conversation about origin mythology, but he more or less failed. Covenant, however, succeeded because it is not only a creation myth, but a creation myth in which the protagonist/antagonist, David, is LITERALLY a god. He literally obliterates entire species and then creates others, and the film ends with him flying into deep space (a symbol of the beginning of the universe in many creation myths) listening to "Flight of the Valkyries" (storming heaven) on his way to recreate the universe and all life as he pleases. If it were just a gothic horror in which an intelligent but evil scientist/manipulator manages to alter or control a life, it would be far less terrifying. Covenant essentially raises the question, "What if humanity's ill-gotten scientific abilities could literally create life capable of assuming godhood?"
Hurrah for a fellow Alien: Covenant defender! You are absolutely right in pointing out that the "prequels" are so much less about the xenomorph than they are about David--the android that would be God. I think's there a lot of thematically fertile ground to talk about in this movie as it relates to the strong sexuality subtext that runs through all of the Alien movies. For example, the seemingly overlong/awkward flute scene is actually communicating something rather profound about David's sexual frustration as it relates to his desires to become a true creator/god and yet realizes that despite having godlike immortality (as an android) he is infuriatingly less-than his human peers in his asexuality and lack of procreative ability. I mean, check this out:
David wants to create stuff and be like his creator (Weyland)/god. But he can only manipulate things that already exist, not ex nihilo as humans seem to be able to through their sexual/procreative ability (hence all of his creepy research/dissection of Dr. Shaw), making him, in that way, less than the humans he sees himself as so superior to. So he becomes obsessed with sexuality/procreation and when one of HIS kind walks in, the handsome Walter, David has a weird sexual attraction to him as a potential same-species mate--possibly a partner through which he could overcome his asexual prison. Hence, the whole weirdly sexual flute scene. But when David realizes Walter too is asexual, he no longer represents an escape from his sexual frustrations but rather reflects them damningly back to him, David stabs Walter with the phallic flute, lashing out both violently and sexually and killing (so he thinks) that being that symbolizes his inescapable imperfection. Then, in a delicious impotency metaphor, Walter recovers from what should have been a fatal attack: David thinks he knows just how to strike to kill a fellow android. And yet, Walter is a different model and David's attempt to demonstrate his superiority and potency by killing Walter after he serves to remind David of his sexual inefficacy, Walter recovers. Then, in a brilliant climax to the sequence, David "sexually" (as best he knows how) assaults Daniels in a desperate attempt to achieve the human sexual power he is so singularly jealous of and resentful toward, only to then be cock-blocked by a revived Walter who has survived and recovered from David's prior sexual assault (stabbing him in the neck with the phallic flute they shared together in a moment of sexual, yet asexual, intimacy), conclusively devastating whatever illusion David was clinging to about his potential to achieve sexual/procreative power. I think that this brilliantly feeds right into the "xenomorph as physical embodiment of sexual aggression/violence"-theme because, if David truly did engineer the xenomorph we encounter on LV-426, then it would be a creature designed to compensate for David's one, inescapable, maddening flaw: A lack of sexual and procreative power.
Anyway, great video man! Thank you, and I too hope we get another movie looking at David in the Alien universe.
Right on, man, right on.
And the bit at the end with your parents and barn was awesome.
that ending though!
Drinking Patrick is an HST vibe I didn't know I needed. Just saying. Also, the COVID years' videos were some of the best, tbh. Love the puppet, love the "I'm making a movie!" vibes, but... The "I'm locked in but need to create content" was a vibe. The Coppola wine box era will forever be a time capsule.
I love your parents XD
I’m trying to figure out how to single-handedly give you a million more likes for this video.
That Spider-Man reference at the very end
Best..... Movie Review....... Ever
Haha, Seriously though. Its great to see you raise so many points I constantly try to explain to people, I loved this film! And, its incredible work on Scott's part that it also makes you see all the other Alien films in a different light as well.
Also extra points for talking about the 4 act structure that only a few film makers pull off.
I really hope that Scott gets the green light to finish off the trilogy.