Regie:
Ridley ScottKamera:
Dariusz WolskiMusik:
Jed KurzelBesetzung:
Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Amy Seimetz (mehr)Streaming (6)
Inhalte(1)
Die Crew des Kolonisationsraumschiffs Covenant reist zu einem entfernten Planeten am Rande der Galaxie. Sie vermuten dort ein unentdecktes Paradies. Doch weit gefehlt, vielmehr treffen sie auf das Wrack der Prometheus und den Androiden David - und der begegnet den Menschen alles andere als wohlwollend ... (Puls4)
Kritiken (22)
Wir sollten nicht so sehr in die Vergangenheit sehen. Der Klassiker wird ewig leben, in einer "lonely perfection“, wie sein Platz in der Geschichte David bezeichnen würde. Und jetzt, nach dreißig Jahren, kommt einfach die Zeit einer Neuauffassung des Themas – simpel, aber effektvoll, unterhaltsam wie die heutigen Blockbuster, kein bahnbrechendes Genre-Werk. Alien: Covenant hat mir Spaß gemacht, weil er ein intensiver Science-Fiction-Horrorfilm mit einer fantastischen Bildästhetik, famosen Schauplätzen und einer Musik ist, die (endlich) auf Goldsmiths und Horners Stimmung verweist. Für mich war der Film wegen den toll eskalierten Thrilling-Szenen (gleich die erste Passage der Rückkehr auf Lander, welche vielleicht zehn Minuten dauert, ist eine der besten Sachen im Drehbuch) und wegen der im Rahmen der Genre-Regeln guten Verteilung der Figuren in die Situationen, in welchen sie vernichtet werden, unterhaltsam. Bevor die Figuren aus einer Scheißsituation rauskommen, wissen die Zuschauer*innen schon über die nächste, die für sie noch schlimmer werden wird. Dazu kommt eine solide Menge an Brutalität und Blut. SPOILER ALERT: Das Drehbuch erklärt den Ursprung von Gigers Monstern. Diese Auffassung der Selbstdestruktion, dass das ultimative Böse vom Androiden geschaffen wurde, den ein Mensch schuf, gefällt mir. Thematisch ist es eine andere Version von Camerons Skynet. Dazu kommt die Konfrontation der Androiden, welche dem Alien-Weltraum eine interessante neue Dimension verleiht. Und ein pessimistischen Ende, das ausgezeichnete Möglichkeiten für nächste Teile bietet. Ich freue mich!
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Ein Film, in dem er in verwirrenden Szenen abwechselnd hysterisch schreit und dann wiederum bei viel zu klaren Kameraeinstellungen über die Themen einer Weltraum-Quizshow philosophiert ... alle verhalten sich dabei so sehr erratisch, dass die Prometheus-Crew an Professoren erinnert, die sich auf einer Reise in das Land der Acht-Wege-Rätsel befindet. Nach einer gänzlich im wtf-Stil verlaufenden Geburtsszene habe ich mit entschieden, dass das Alien für mich gerade gestorben war und wandte mich der Filmkritik der tschechischen Autorin Spáčilová zu. Ein Stern dafür, dass hier Franco erscheint, ohne an Bord auch nur einen kahlen Satz sagen zu können. Das ist die richtige Entscheidung. Die Einzige.
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Die Richtung dieser Serie gefällt mir nicht mehr. Android David, der sich wie ein Gott aufführt, wird zum größten Arschloch im Universum, während gleichzeitig ein vollständig digitaler (!) Alien zweite Geige spielt? Meinst du das ernsthaft, Ridley? Ich würde mir lieber noch einmal Life ansehen, denn obwohl es ein B-Movie ist, spielt es wenigstens nicht etwas vor, was es in Wirklichkeit nicht ist. Aber falls einen zufällig meine Meinung interessiert (was wahrscheinlich nicht der Fall ist), als größter Horror-Experte in Mitteleuropa und möglicherweise auch auf dem Planeten (was wohl zutrifft), lob´ ich zumindest für diese luxuriöse Brutalität, sonst würde ich es noch eine Klasse tiefer einordnen.
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Diese gleichwertige oder ein bisschen bessere Fortsetzung von dem Film Prometheus - Dunkle Zeichen, der mir auch gefallen hat, hat mich mehrmals angenehm überrascht. Ich habe wahrscheinlich nur einen Trailer gesehen. Deshalb habe ich über die Handlung wenig gewusst. Ich ließ mich zu einer nächsten Erforschung eines nächsten Planeten einladen, von dem ein nächstes Signal gekommen ist und wo wahrscheinlich etwas Hungriges lauert… Die richtige Alien-Grundlage war da und es kam etwas Neues aus der Mythologie hinzu. Der Film enthält auch einen interessanten Gedanken darüber, wie und warum sich jemand seinem Schöpfer widersetzen kann. Ridley Scott hat alles ausgezeichnet aufgenommen, Michael Fassbender und Michael Fassbender spielen super.
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Von einem audiovisuellen Standpunkt aus betrachtet, ist es erfreulich, dass die mythische Alien-Geschichte weiterentwickelt wird. Das ist jedoch auch schon alles. Covenant wiederholt nämlich viele der Fehler von Prometheus und fügt einige neue Seitenstücke hinzu, die oberflächlich betrachtet Innovationen zu sein scheinen, in Wirklichkeit jedoch das Alien-Monster als ikonisches Ungeheuer noch weiter von dem entfernen, was es einst bedeutete. Im ersten Film von 1979 galt es als Verkörperung absoluten und fast unbesiegbaren Bösen, das eine unvorstellbare Schrecken verbreitete. In Covenant wird es zu einem durchschnittlich effektiven tödlichen Werkzeug degradiert, das niemanden erschrecken kann, weil diesmal jemand anderes als Hauptbösewicht präsent ist, wodurch das Alien in den Hintergrund gedrängt wird (und erst in der letzten halben Stunde auftaucht). Ansonsten werden die Helden meist nur oberflächlich und unzureichend vorgestellt, sie klettern erneut idiotischerweise ohne Schutzanzug über einen unbekannten Planeten und der Film leidet unter einem langen Anlauf und einer verrückten Philosophie, die mit Debatten über den Sinn des Seins und des Lebenszwecks beginnt und mit einem Wettbewerb darüber endet, wer von ihnen besser Flöte spielen und literarische Autoren zitieren kann. Diese Art der Darstellung der Alien-Saga scheint mir etwas unglücklich zu sein...
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45 Minuten uferlose Langeweile, dann ein paar Minuten anständige Action und Spannung, dann wieder uferlose Langeweile und ein seltsames Ende der Geschichte, hier und da Action und ein wunderliches Ende. Ein Film, den am meisten (oder nur) eiserne Fans von Michael Fassbender zu schätzen wissen. Andererseits erkenne ich an, dass im Kino auch uferlose Langeweile visuell interessant wirken kann.
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It’s worse than Prometheus and the least interesting film in the entire saga. While the much-criticized Prometheus somehow matures into a better experience with repeated viewings, Covenant is an overripe and completely squeezed lemon. The mythology built around the most famous space killer is not interesting and the result is like a mediocre movie by a mediocre director, which takes place half of the time at night, in darkness, in dim light (Prometheus was much, much more visually engaging and colourful in this respect) and you won’t find any sign of Scott’s visual bravado. The crown is put on by the WTF mutual welcoming of the android and the newly hatched alien, which is like a cut from a Zucker brothers parody. What was that, dear producers? Please let Alien be a milestone in film history where it belongs and don't milk it like a cash cow, the poor thing is already barely hanging on.
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Someone finally understood the kind of role that viewers would like to see James Franco play. Unfortunately, it involves the only moment when the film allows itself to be concise. Like Prometheus, Alien: Covenant is torn between an effort to provide first-rate fan service through a return to the horror roots of the first Alien (which is referenced through conspicuous allusions) and the ambition to be epic (with captivating shots like those found in Ford’s westerns) and deep-thinking sci-fi along the lines of Stanley Kubrick (to which it comes closest with its minimalist prologue). Following the formula of a mediocre 1980s (i.e. pre-Scream) slasher flick, with characters making the most basic mistakes (climbing and looking where they shouldn’t, often alone rather than in a group, having sex with each other), it is thus impeded by discussions on chance, fate and creation (Mother and various fathers play a role here), which suffer from the same lack of development as the colonisation storyline. The new Alien is paradoxically a good film until an alien appears in it. It works relatively well until the landing on the alien planet, as it offers a number of possibilities for the direction that the narrative could take and for a long time it isn’t clear which one the filmmakers will take. For example, the conflicts between faith and science, between the captain and Daniels (instead of cross around her neck, she wears a bolt, which comes in handy later) start out promisingly, whereas we see an android playing the flute and reciting Shelley in the second half, which, although fascinating thanks to Fassbender, is a somewhat different theme and a slightly different film. Scott is suddenly much more fascinated by the artificial beings and aliens than by the humans with whom we have spent nearly an hour of the film (however, the pairing-off of the characters doesn’t much help the viewer’s emotional involvement, because for a long time it isn’t clear who is sleeping with whom), and he starts to address all of the complex questions of existence by biting off hands and tearing off heads. This smart-looking film thus becomes a goofy (but entertaining) action-horror B-movie with some rather disgusting gore effects, which I didn't entirely care for, especially thanks to the likeable Katherine Waterston (though an android remains the only well-developed character). Though the new Alien is inventively constructed, looks great and offers one very well-made action scene (with an axe), it comes across as half-baked in most respects, as if there wasn’t time and space to flesh out many of the ideas (I consider the inorganically incorporated flashback, which could have been replaced by dialogue, to be not only an example of tremendous screenwriting laziness, but also a sign that the whole thing could have worked better if the film had paid more heed to the point of view of the reminiscing character). 55%
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Once again it’s not the hit we were hoping for, but I think it’s at least a decent sci-fi horror flick. In any case, it’s a pity that it’s so half-assed and unfocused, because the plot arc potential is big. Unfortunately, it’s watered down by dense characters, dense dialogues and some dense scenes, too. The birth of the first real alien was actually funny. Overall, it has the same problems as Prometheus, but a couple of positives things on top. And if you were pissed off at explorers taking their helmets off too soon in Prometheus , here when landing on a new planet, they won’t even bother to put them on. Edit: I have to say that this wore off quite fast. Much faster than Prometheus, to which I returned after the screening. When I think back about Covenant, I mostly remember the negative aspects, which in the previous one was the opposite. And this is a relevant reason to lower the rating.
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After the light-footed The Martian, I assumed that Scott's age is just a number that comes from subtracting the number on his ID card from the number on the calendar, so I wouldn't blame it on senility. Rather (and this is worse), I attribute it to creative indiscipline and an overgrown ego that has become a tumor of a uniquely creative mind that neither respects the canon nor offers a new approach. The opening is confusing and the characters have no background, so we're following a group of really, really stupid assholes. The plot is very transparent, with the banal (the bloody mess) taking precedence over what is in fact really interesting - and in terms of the development of the series - more important (the creature). Scott wants to impress, but the character of David could stand in for Kryten in Red Dwarf, so instead of holding your breath, you're both laughing and cursing through your teeth. Visual variety, Scott's long-standing asset that has saved many a film, is also absent, with this often looking like a more expensive episode of Stargate, which is the level where the rest of the film actually belongs in terms of its quality. PS: Kurzel's audio is a dark nervous fantasy that the film is not worthy of.
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Nope. Ridley Scott didn't make another Alien, he made another Prometheus. And what didn't work in the first one still doesn't work here, and maybe even more so. The characters are even duller, half of them are practically there just to die, and there's really no personality to speak of. On top of that, Katherine Waterston is an utterly insipid and unimaginative female lead. And unfortunately Ridley has this whole boring bunch babbling, sniffing things on an unknown planet, getting lost, splitting up and dying in such an undignified way that the word "cliché" doesn't even begin to describe it. Scott is still trying to make a movie with transcendence; philosophical, religious and thought-provoking, but again, the whole thing is dull at best and usually laughable, just like the villain David. It doesn't work as a horror film, it doesn't even want to do much, and the whole thing felt like a movie in which the aliens appear more or less only because it can't be called Prometheus 2. What you love about Alien, you don't get here. Because the senile Scott is going head to head with the wall and has probably decided to finish his Prometheus saga despite the fact that nobody really wants it.
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Ridley Scott is going crazy in his old age and so he’s trying to squeeze as much as possible out of his child – the Alien. Because I don’t really get the new Alien trilogy starting with Prometheus. Sure, the first one was a bit interesting, but the Covenant is not only stupid, it’s outright a copy of the first Alien. Why? And don’t even get me started on the CGI that sometimes looks like it’s made by a below-average Nigerian IT student. The Covenant is downright stupid and has no redeeming qualities in terms of the Alien saga.
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The fourth best Alien. Or the second worst, if you want. Anyway, the second Prometheus makes more of the same mistakes than a regular fresh take on a fifth entry of a franchise. It's mainly saved by the visuals, Fassbender and a few moments of impressive intensity.
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Enjoyable shit!! Covenant has a slightly longer run-up than I would have liked and the opening isn't very engaging, but anyway, the 15-strong crew makes it clear from the start that the horror viewer is not going to be short of a high body-count, and it isn't. As soon as the crew sets off to visit a new planet, a densely atmospheric, juicily brutal (finally a decent use of the R-rating), visually arresting and at times goosebump-inducing inferno begins, and it doesn't let up until the climactic finale, which lasts around half an hour and meets the strictest criteria of a true horror fan. Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston are absolutely amazing, the white xenomorph is one of the most attractive creatures I've ever had the opportunity to see on screen, Baby Alien and the unexpected final denouement are also satisfying. Overall, it's got decent balls especially when the Alien is rampaging on screen. If it wasn't for the slower opening, I'd go for the full score. Nerds and nitpickers will probably grumble, others might be satisfied. Interesting fact: one old man was so turned on to the alien that he had to see it even at the cost of not being able to walk. Apparently, he wanted a repeat of the theatrical opening like 38 years ago. Story 8/10, Atmosphere 9/10, Gore 8/10, Visuals 10/10, Action 8/10, Suspense 8/10,Humor 2/10. Entertainment 8/10, Scares 3/10. 85%.
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Ridley Scott stands at the threshold between a spiritual continuation of Prometheus and an honest addition to alien encounters. He is slightly more successful in the first case, when I forget to breathe during the dialogue of two androids, my brain is racing in a pensive atmosphere at full speed, and somewhere in the background, a quiet voice whispers to me that many people will hate this chapter precisely because of those calm passages. The bloody meetings with the legendary adversary surprisingly do not have as much space as the trailer campaign promised, which explains the incomprehensible departures of viewers from the cinema long before the true beginning of the uncompromising confrontation. Because I have long admired the entire mythology of the xenomorphs and I happily watched Prometheus twice five years ago, I remain content. However, I am saddened that there was so little missing for the highest rating, specifically a slightly unfortunate necessity of a dramatic arc that Alien: Covenant must close in a separate chapter. I would easily leave the plot and mood scissors open even wider, and I would completely put the editor's scissors aside, because two hours are really not enough for perfect immersion.
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The creationist line from Prometheus is enhanced with quotes from the original Alien. The crew suffering suicidal tendencies fights against the symptoms of a weird pathogen and then against those ever-popular droolers. Apart from McBride, the crew is eminently forgettable. In, Fassbender dominates in his double role and is certainly one of the most interesting characters of the entire Alien universe. Scott maintains his high standards visually, and the destroyed civilization scenery is incredibly convincing.
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If James Cameron watches this, he’ll probably gloat at how some of the elements in Covenant worked so much better 30 years ago in his classic Aliens. The only thing Ridley Scott does better, leaving the shadows of previous works are the heady visuals and the production design. Otherwise, this is a big disappointment. The script is pulled out if thin hair, the protagonists have no zest, there are few Aliens, and an android playing a flute, really? Scott stuffs philosophy and wannabe deep thoughts either where they don’t belong or are fine but in a different form. The paradox is that he’s the one who should know best because he gave life to this spectacular monster. Again, there’s a dropship, a signal from settlers on an unknown planet, soldiers oblivious to threats and established security procedures, a carnage, a rescue pod, heavy equipment, an airlock. With some minor variations and shifts, basically the same thing repeated over and over again. Next episode, please get the Alien on Earth, drop it in cities, and make it WWIII so we finally have some fleshing out after 20 episodes.
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A dud by no means, Covenant is still very appealing and coherently told, with an interesting use of a double role for Fassbender and a few scenes of amazing genre calibre. Unfortunately, I still can't shake the feeling that it's not quite an Alien, even though it wasn't a rip-off of Ridley by any means. A decent 70% for the time being.
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Poor Scott, he wants to make a philosophical, weighty, and ironic trilogy about questions of existence, anything, and everything, and instead he turns out a first-rate camp film on A-grade funds. And it's camp with all the right stuff, from the retarded "oh, a mushroom, I'm gonna kick it" character actions to the unguarded pomposity, culminating in a unique scene where two androids blow whistles to each other with the help of lines like "Gently blow into the hole. Let me do the fingering. Oh bravo!" This allows Covenant to at least minimally entertain, and is helped by the excellent effects and monster design that the film doesn't skimp on, though in complete contrast to the original Alien. It's just that when you want to make a big work of art and all you're left with afterwards is a relatively entertaining New Year's Eve slasher, it's not a bad idea to start scratching your head about who you are. And that's a question you don't want to answer through high-flying androids playing patty-cake with newly hatched aliens, let alone when you've kicked the visionary young creative that is Blomkamp out of the director's chair for it.
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I read the reviews here before watching the film, which I don't usually do, which made me rather cautious. But after I managed to ignore all the illogicalities and, from a certain point on, predictable ending, I was quite pleasantly surprised. The biggest issue for me was Katherine Waterston, who I just couldn't get used to and who really annoyed me in this film. I was pleased to see that the humanoid lizard was no longer the greatest evil and that the owls were not what they seemed.
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