Eric’s Guide Through the ‘Alien’ Series
3.) Alien: Covenant
I am so torn on this film. I was really looking forward to it. ALMOST made a review of it. Then, I remembered I was planning this so I shelved it until now. As I mentioned before I really liked “Prometheus” and wanted to see where they were going with all the unanswered questions. Boy was I disappointed… to a point. You see as a film in and of itself it’s fine. I was appropriately interested in seeing where it was going in the moment of the movie. Then the ending came which seemed more like it was made by a fan rather than Scott himself. It still looked as good as his other stuff, but well let’s just say when I get to that most of my problems will come from the 3rd act. The plot is that a different ship is on a mission to colonize a new earth like planet. On the way their ship gets horribly damaged and their cameo captain is killed. With morale down and a new equally earth like planet found to be even closer they set down to explore/colonize that one. As they explore this new planet they find no life yet plenty of evidence of human life maybe once being there. They’re attacked by prototype xenomorphs and recused by David who we learned made it to the Engineer homeworld with Shaw, but as they arrived David dropped most of the ship’s load of the black goo killing everything. Since then he’s been doing experiments and has created (it’s heavily implied he killed Shaw and used her body to make) the xenomorph eggs. After a new Alien is created the crew barely escapes. David and this crew’s new android Walter and a fight to the death and only one comes out to join them. Then, what a shock the Alien goes on a rampage on the ship before (this is so original) they blow it into space. The final “twist” is it wasn’t Walter who survived the fight, but David who is now on the ship. Everyone else is in cryosleep and he begins plans to create more xenomorphs. A twist that could only possibly work if “Alien: Covenant” is the first film you’ve ever watched.
So can you tell what my problems are from that summary? First the continuity, do you remember those who complained that “Prometheus” messed up continuity despite forgetting that it took place on a different planet. This actually does mess up the continuity. So this takes place only 18 years before the events of “Alien” meaning according to the series cannon The Nostromo has already been built, Ripley is already alive. And yet THIS is when the xenomorphs were created. Remember in “Alien” the Space Jockey (Engineer) they found that showed the unmistakable signs of being a face hugger victim was fossilized. Meaning it had been there for at least 10,000 years. So was David copying some other life he learned about? I’d accept that except what characters say in the dialog doesn’t bare that out. Now about that final act, I never thought I’d say this, but it really feels like Ridley Scott was trying to make something more like “Aliens.” I don’t know if all the complaints and nitpicking really got to him, but it feels like it. On the audio commentary James Cameron mentions that filming the scene with the derelict ship made him realize that he’s not Scott as even though it was the same model it never looked as good as it did in the movie. I would say the same applies the other way around. Scott doesn’t seem to be able to balance suspense and good action like Cameron could. Then, amazingly they showed us the xenomorph’s POV. I think that messes with the mystique of the creature more than a lot of other things other people mention. They have no visible eyes so even with all the filters added it still just makes it somehow seem less unique. At least in “Alien 3” I can argue some of those shots in the big chase aren’t truly how the xenomorph sees and just the camera approximating it. They keep saying there are plans for more Alien films following this prequel timeline, but I’m certain they have also been meeting within FOX discussing Scott’s future at the helm. Seriously they cancelled Neil Blomkamp’s “Alien V” for this?!
Eric’s Advice: Taken on its own merits it’s ok, as an “Alien” film it majorly messes with the continuity. If you see try not to spend too much for it.
2.) Alien 3
This film may have some of the highest highs of the series and the lowest lows. After “Aliens” was such a success FOX of course wanted another film, but without a concept the project lagged. That didn’t stop them from trying and this film had a bunch of potential scripts made for it. One was later used as the basis for “Pitch Black.” Still they thought they had found someone who could really do something unique with a director named Vincent Ward. However, due to constantly meddling he left the project after they had set a release date and already started building sets. So they hired a first time director who seemed to be showing some promise in his music videos David Fincher. He had to rewrite the script, find ways to re-purpose the sets and include all the new notes from the studio while the release date remained the same. This would be difficult enough for a veteran much less a first timer. The fact the film is as good as it is is a miracle. The plot is that the Sulaco’s escape pod crashes on a prison planet (FOX seemed oddly obsessed with this idea). Hicks and Newt die as we the audience are kicked in the collective groins. Shortly there after it’s discovered that an egg was onboard and one of the prisoner’s dogs becomes a host. So we have a more animalistic version of the Alien, but that never really comes into play. While trying and failing to stop the Alien they discover that Ripley was impregnated by a queen chestbuster. They eventually manage to kill the alien in the first original death in the series. Then, the Weyland company come with a new Bishop (we don’t know if he’s an android or the designer) and Ripley sacrifices herself to make sure the Aliens can’t get into their hands.
The film looks great and the depressing atmosphere pours off the screen. However, as is often the cast with these kinds of films with such strong visuals and atmosphere it can feel more like a collection of scenes than a real story. There’s no real forward momentum which ends up making the movie feel longer than it should. When the film is good it shows how it could have been a great though different film. Most of the stuff involving Charles S Dutton’s character is amazing. He’s always been a great actor, but he really shines in this film. My favorite scene in this film (and one my favorites of the whole series) is when he convinces all the other prisoners to stand and fight the Alien. “You’re all gonna die. The only question is how you check out. Do you want it on your feet or on your fucking knees BEGGING! I ain’t much for begging! Nobody ever game me nothing! So I say fuck that thing, let’s fight it!” We also have Ripley’s little speech before it mentioning the events of the last 2 films and with Elliot Goldenthal’s Gothic music building and building makes this scene feel like the real culmination of the then trilogy. It actually gives me goosebumps. There are a number of scenes like that throughout. When Ripley dies and takes the queen into the fire it really feels like a true finale. It makes it all the more disappointing that the rest isn’t up to par with those specific scenes when it’s not doing flat-out stupid things like killing off beloved characters for no reason cheapening the ending of the last film.
Eric’s Advice: One of the most frustrating bad films because I constantly can see how this COULD be a very good film and a few scenes seems to prove it then goes back to just being unpleasant. Skip it unless you must see all of them.
1.) Alien Resurrection
After “Alien 3” bombed at the US box office FOX decided to rush out a film 5 years later. That may not seem like rushing, but you have to remember the time in between the other sequels were much longer especially by today’s standards. But how to proceed when you killed off the main character in such a definitive way? In this case, they hired a promising young writer by the name of Joss Whedon. You may have heard of him. His solution… well the only thing he could think of was cloning her. Plus hiring the director of “City of Lost Children” Jean-Pierre Jeunet who was an interesting choice, but clearly not a right fit. It’s OK he went to much better films with “Amélie.” The story is that even further in the future a military installation has obtained a DNA sample of Ripley and has cloned her to get at the queen alien that was inside her. It works, a bit imperfect as Ripley is now part xenomorph. She has slightly acidic blood and can hear them. At the same time, a bunch of space pirates (a very “Firefly” vibe) arrive with a shipment of humans to act as facehugger victims. One of them turns out to be an android Call (played by Winona Ryder) who knows about Ripley and the xenomorphs. They of course get loose and Ripley and the pirates must make it to their ship in order to escape. In the end they find the xenomorphs are mutating and must fight a human/xenomorph hybrid. They defeat by what a shock blowing out the airlock. Well I guess when you got a theme going…
What is there even to say?! Does anyone ever defend this movie? Well the internet has taught me that there are some who like this better than “Alien 3.” Their argument typically is something to the effect of “”Alien 3” is too serious and dull whereas “Alien: Resurrection” can be so bad it’s funny. It’s bad choices are so amazingly bad and it’s standards so low that you’ll always remember them.” Given my opinions on the “Alien vs Predator” (hint for next year’s articles) films I can understand to a certain degree. Even though I don’t agree in this case. Before the movie came out Whedon praised the film. Then, it came out and rightly got slammed by fans and critics and all the sudden he talks about how the script was radically changed and the hybrid at the end was not in his story at all. The only part I find a little interesting is that Call is an android apparently built by the older generation of robots, they’re even programmed to believe and observe religions. It’s more just a character detail, but it seems to me as something that could have been expanded upon. My main problem is that while Ripley is back, it’s not the real Ripley as she is changed. This clone Ripley is a new character that just happens to be played by Sigourney Weaver and I don’t particularly care for the new character. So I find it hard to get invested while watching.
Eric’s Advice: Avoid, not even the special edition version can save it.
