Alien: Covenant

White Xenomorph supremacy?

Alien: Covenant serves as a direct continuation of Prometheus, further exploring the existential themes introduced in its predecessor while doubling down on its religious symbolism, though with slightly less forcefulness than before. However, the film still leans heavily into Christian imagery, making it clear that these themes remain a core focus.

Unfortunately, what Covenant gains in philosophy, it loses in originality. The film's repetitive structure and reliance on familiar tropes make it feel uninspired and predictable, lacking the fresh impact that the Alien franchise once had. What salvages the experience, to a large extent, is the performance of Michael Fassbender, who portrays both David and Walter. His dual role provides a fascinating dynamic between the two androids, offering some of the most engaging moments in the film and preventing it from becoming an outright disaster.

The film continues the prequel series' overarching narrative: humans create an AI, which then discovers a bioweapon left behind by the Engineers and manipulates it into what we now recognize as the Xenomorph.

This raises a crucial question: was David's white-skinned variant of the creature meant to be the "perfect" lifeform, with the black Xenomorphs from the original films being a flawed predecessor? The film never provides a definitive answer, nor does it clearly differentiate between them. Instead, it contradicts the established lore of the original films, leaving the audience to reconcile conflicting explanations rather than providing a coherent, unified history of the Xenomorph species.

Perhaps the most glaring example of the film's lack of originality lies in its visual callbacks. The protagonist, Daniels, wears a bolt around her neck, an obvious parallel to Shaw's Christian cross in Prometheus. More notably, both seem to take direct inspiration from Alien vs. Predator, where a scientist carries a sentimental keepsake around his neck. However, unlike Covenant, that film treated it as a minor character detail, used only in a brief scene to develop interpersonal relationships rather than as a forced thematic device.

That said, Covenant does have its strengths. The visuals remain stunning, capturing the eerie beauty and dread that define the franchise. Additionally, the characters display more intelligence and competence compared to those in Prometheus, which at least makes for a more engaging watch.

Ultimately, Alien: Covenant is visually impressive but narratively weak, weighed down by its own contradictions and lack of fresh ideas. While it attempts to expand the mythology of the Alien universe, it does so in a way that creates more inconsistencies than revelations, making it a frustrating entry in an otherwise legendary franchise.