*Possible Soilers* Opinions. Take with a grain of salt.
joylitt
MemberNeomorphMay-05-2017 8:51 PMI will list some of the things I learned about what hardcore Alien fans feel about "Alien Covenant" after watching the movie at the London premiere. I won't mention spoilers, but if you don't want to be conditioned by other people's opinions, just stop reading here.
Many say they are still "processing" what they have seen. However, there is a trend already. And apparently there is
going to be a lot of heated debate about the movie and the direction the franchise is taking.
I added a question mark to signal points that might or might not be accurate.
Positive things
Visually stunning, attention to detail.
Well acted
Good characters
Return to horror
A lot to chew on
Gory
Better than Prometheus
Neutral points
Several twists to the story, some of them predictable
Puzzling revelation about one character
Not enough connection with Prometheus (?)
It is David's story
Negative things
Feels stuck between Alien, Aliens and Prometheus resulting in problems of tone
Feels like the writers did not watch the Original Alien
Like Prometheus, a lot of unanswered questions
Puzzling Alien creature behavior (?)
Excessively brisk pace, choppy editing as result of which the monsters barely register
Messy third act
Some will hate it, some will love it
Alien cannon shifts
There are no completely negative impressions from the bloggers, who acknowledge that the general audience may not have the same objections. However, some users (who I am assuming are also hardcore Alien fans) reacted very negatively to the implications of the criticism, leading to plenty of griping and fighting. All these seem to indicate that the press reviews are going to be pretty much mixed, with many of them being generous in consideration to Ridley Scott's status as a sci-fi innovator.
*Spoiler Warning added by Svanya
DirtWolf
MemberFacehuggerMay-05-2017 9:34 PMEh, someone is always going to be unhappy. I'm just glad this franchise is continuing.
Inquisitor Fifield
MemberFacehuggerMay-05-2017 10:29 PMAs long as there is no Queen Shaw nor guns on the floor in Davids Lab
joylitt
MemberNeomorphMay-05-2017 10:36 PMInquisitor Fifield you need to keep an open mind because if you can imagine that, they writers also can
joylitt
MemberNeomorphMay-05-2017 10:44 PMBut there is one single thing that is making a lot a people crazy mad and is going to have everybody talking if it is true. It has to do with something an alien creature does in the film. I will wait until they lift the embargo to ask a reliable source about this.
Inquisitor Fifield
MemberFacehuggerMay-05-2017 11:15 PMis it trying to speak, like E.T. once did?
a slurry hissed 'Daaaniieeeels' maybe?
clovenberg2
MemberOvomorphMay-05-2017 11:39 PMI wonder what that is. There was a source that said very early that there was something that potentially would split the audience regarding the alien. It was that it could squeeze itself trough narrow gaps or something. Be a part of the ship. Either that or maybe it can stear a ship like the original idea from ridley. it is very very intelligent. What do you think?
joylitt
MemberNeomorphMay-06-2017 12:39 AMNo it's not that neither. What I mean is something so silly that no matter what the rest of the movie is like, if they tell me they will cut that scene altogether, that would automatically increase my rating of the movie by 2 points.
clovenberg2
MemberOvomorphMay-06-2017 1:03 AMwhat is that,joylitt can you send me that in a pm or something? curious!!
AaronStar
MemberFacehuggerMay-06-2017 1:28 AMWell I have seen the baby neomorph bang its head through glass, the proto does the same, bang its head inside some vehicle...as well as outside of the platform ship with Ten inside. They are headbangers in this film...from the babies to the adults...
joylitt
MemberNeomorphMay-06-2017 1:45 AMAaronStar yeah people debate how intelligent they are. The Xeno in the original Alien hid in the lifeboat.. we don't know if it just instinctively hid from the smoke and the noise or if he was more astute. But the queen in Aliens took the elevator. she was smart.
joylitt
MemberNeomorphMay-06-2017 1:55 AMoh oh I think I'm starting to connect the dots. Long ago someone said that it is possible David communicates with the neomorphs... and what about the infamous flute that people complained about in Prometheus.. in one picture David and Walter are seen using it. And in the premiere interview Fassbender even joked about having to learn how to play it.. you can guess the rest...maybe he and the neomorphs... would that be so crazy?
clovenberg2
MemberOvomorphMay-06-2017 2:03 AMAs long as the protomorph has EYES I'm happy. The one pic in Empire looks insanely horrifying. the close up.
joylitt
MemberNeomorphMay-06-2017 2:44 AMAaronStar we were speculating, and I was wondering, would they use the flute to communicate?
AaronStar
MemberFacehuggerMay-06-2017 3:23 AMThe neomorphs shoot those back spine things as defence...
Neomorph
MemberChestbursterMay-06-2017 4:44 AMBetter than Prometheus
All I really wanted to know. Thanks!
Arachon
MemberOvomorphMay-06-2017 4:57 AMAaronStar you know that for a fact that david can communicate with the neomorphs?
Chris
AdminEngineerMay-06-2017 7:22 AMIt was better than Prometheus. I will say that.
A L I E N 4 2 6
MemberFacehuggerMay-06-2017 7:49 AMFor those who have seen it, feel free to PM me any Neomorph spoilers. They're the one thing I'm most pumped about for this film. Baby, adult, whatever. The word is that this is less a true sequel to Prometheus and more of a COMPANION film (loosely connected, but not a true continuation). I've been told that the elements of Prometheus are there providing a backdrop and mysterious undertone, but not the main focus of the film.
Neomorph
MemberChestbursterMay-06-2017 11:28 AMIt was better than Prometheus. I will say that.
*Dark Souls type on-screen message prompt*:
F a i t h r e s t o r e d!
XD
A L I E N 4 2 6
MemberFacehuggerMay-06-2017 3:30 PMNeo, and after you see the film the prompt will say:
Y O U D I E D
Timiteh
MemberOvomorphMay-06-2017 3:36 PMWell, it shouldn't be difficult to make a better film than Prometheus especially with better characters and a more consistent script.
However, does the movie answer some of questions left unanswered by Prometheus ?
Do we learn more about the engineers ? Because up to now the engineers seem almost irrevelant in the saga.
Does the film picture them in a way better light than in Prometheus ? Because the bombing scene and the sheer unability for the engineers to protect themselves from their own weapons is disturbing. Unless off course if ig is neither their technology nor their weapons to begin with. That would explain how invompetent they ard with their technology.
joylitt
MemberNeomorphMay-06-2017 3:50 PMFrom what I hear, it is very little what you get to learn about the engineers and the pathogen in Covenant