The reviews are starting to pour in....

"Reviews are like a-holes..."

Thank you Svanya.  I think I made a duplicate post on this topic.  @Starlogger - Yes, I agree but I like to get a feel of the consensus of the movie.  Alien and Aliens have high review percentages and I think the overall consensus aligns with approvals of those movies.  Also, with the high cost of movie tickets, I like to get a gauge than simply waste my money on a bad movie.

@colonialsoldiers "Alien" And "Aliens" did NOT have great reviews at the time of their release. The opinions of those movies only improved over time, so there is NOTHING to be gained by paying attention to kneejerk reviews.

That's true starlogger, Alien wasn't critically acclaimed when it was released, but gained momentum as the time passed. Same with Blade Runner if I'm not mistaken. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with the extreme violence for a film released in 1979, and critics generally tend to dislike violence because it's not "artistic" or whatever (unless your name is Quentin Tarantino, then ultra violence is tots OK in the eyes of "critics") 

ALIEN release was a bit before my time but I remember reviews for ALIENS being pretty positive to be fair.   Don't think ALIEN was a hit across the board though upon release . . .

I started reading/watching a few reviews today - seem mixed but main stream less positive than fans I'd say.  Had to stop pretty quickly though as I'd like some of the film to be a surprise ;) 

As you allude to though, Neo, what do critics know :)  lol

Seriously, they're usually pretty idiosyncratic justifications of a job that anyone with half a brain and an open mind could do, imo!

My expectations are set accordingly, mind turned to 'open mode' etc and being a fan I'll probably like it no matter what.  I've said before I'd have preferred more emphasis on the engineers than the Alien but hey ho, we get at least two more films to do that if AC makes enough £$£ . . .

Apologies to any critics on here, lol ;)  

Fortunately, I think it's safe to say that A:C will make a lot of money, if not just for the word "Alien", which is a great marketing tool in itself.

As for my own expectations, I'm just happy to see an enjoyable and well-written Alien film, so in that regard my hopes are pretty low.

@Neomorph Exactly. While an Academy-award contending 'best picture' type movie would be icing on the cake, I am with you in that I just want to see a good story, good acting, and great effects, with Ridley Scott's vision set in the Alien Universe. And we are guaranteed to get at least that. And I will be satisfied! And so will most of the rest of us TRUE Alien fans.

Right on starlogger, from everything I've seen and read myself so far, including the 10 minute footage and reviews, Alien Covenant nails the acting, horror and the absolutely amazing visual effects.

For me personally, Alien has always been about horror and survival, not life's profound mysteries and religion. Yeah I expect we'll get some of that too in Alien Covenant, but I also think it will be able to tell a more coherent story this time.

@Starlogger,  I saw Alien and Aliens in the movie theater (even Alien3 and Resurrection) and I remember getting the movie program for Alien.  Obviously, I cannot recall what the critics said back then, since I was a teenager but the movie was the talk of the town in New York City.  I remember constantly talking to my friends about the chestburster and Ash decapitation scene.  

For the record, I think Prometheus sucked and I was in Afghanistan, so I did not get to see it.  My wife and kids did and they though it was so-so.  I re-watched it the other day, so I can get up to speed, but I just shook my head of some of the screenplay logic.

Anyway, thanks for the response and I will definitely give my opinion after I have seen the movie.

I think this film is probably deeper than the average movie goer these days gets. There are too many polished/extravaganza fests on screen where there are tons of exposition or deaths or action for deaths or action sake.....typically Ridley Scott's movies are smarter than that and are deep. I enjoyed Prometheus, its my 3rd fav of the series (i never care to watch A3 and i pretend AR never happened). While Prometheus does have some flaws it is a deep and intellectual movie, where most (not all) of the things many reviewers complained about not understanding were in the film if they paid attention or understood what they were seeing. 

Far too often these days people want everything spelled out for them, everything is surface level, not very deep....but thats not Ridley he film movies anticipating his audience to be intelligent and be able to ask questions and piece some things together on their own from what they see on film. Now days many films will still have a moment in the film where they do exposition to in duplicity explain to the audience in some way what we just watched on the screen. I think that speaks to how lazy people have gotten in this day and age of Google, smart phones, and instant messaging....no one looks deep into anything anymore, or wants to think on their own they want it surface level and right up front for consumption. I like movies that treat the audience as intelligent beings.

Many critics are like this and have this problem, also many critics review ALL movies as if they are trying to make a social statement, and if they cant find one they grade it poorly. There are many intelligent movies that are only intended to entertain not make a political statement on culture, race, economy, feminism etc. Also many critics feel the need to find negatives just so they can justify their own self imposed title. What makes most of the big mass media film reviewers opinion more important than mine, or than the woman in line at Best Buy in front me? Nothing. I prefer to look up film buff movie reviews on youtube which is a better telling for me, but even them and me in some regards disagree on some movies just as they probably disagree with you as well at times.

Obviously some movies are objectively bad (Alien Resurrection lol) or objectively good The Dark Knight, Alien, The Thing, Silence of the lambs, Jaws so we do get a sense of the general idea of the quality overtime from reviewers or fellow viewers but unless it just looks like hot garbage i like to watch most movies and get a feel on my own.

Most reviewers are just making statements to be seen and get clicked, just like all those negative people on the comments below EVERY article on sites like AintitCool.com mostly have nothing to say but negative things, even about great films, they are just wanting to have a voice.

I feel given time from the tone and feel and some of the things i have heard that this film while will never challenge Alien, it will reside in that rare company of great sci fi films that leaves the viewer with a sense of awe (and fear) 

@G&DL Totally agree with your remarks. In fact, there's no arguing them.

@colonialsoldier please know in no way was what I wrote meant to be an attack on you personally!

bring back james cameron as director of the alien franchise aliens 5 to do justice and sigourney weaver with newt all grown up and col.hicks returning back with much more marines and more powerful weapons to destroy the xenomorph aliens nests thats what every movie goer wants to see with a lot of action and revenge

after two weeks it will be a box office disaster because we want to see more of sigourney weaver because we trust her as the lead character and the survivors with her

sam gaynor

Speak for yourself. I, for one, don't EVER want to see Cameron anywhere near another ALIEN movie. Ripley has had her time, it's done, time to move on with new characters and explorations.

A box office disaster. No, it will probably out do Prometheus which polarizing but hardly a disaster.

@BWW absolutely! Cameron is never to be allowed to play with this franchise EVER again.

For the most part guys, yes it does offer a decent mix of Tense, Horror, Gore and Action....  some elements would be better than Prometheus but some others.. not so..

But we should all save our own judgement for when we have seen it ourselves as everyone has different opinions and a number of great Sci-Fi movies got criticized when they came out.

includes Alien, Blade Runner and The Thing.

I will wait to the 19th before i give my TWO Cents....   but then my review of Prometheus was negative to a degree yet this movie keeps growing on me.

I think it would be interesting to had seen what Cameron would have done, but i think we could end up with seeing what Ridley Scott would have done instead..

As i think we are being set up for a Ret-con Alien Sequel.... but time will tell, and the problem then is Ripley... making Peter Weyland look better as a Old Man could have been done better, their are more advanced Makeup that would have pulled it off better.

At the moment making a 70+ Year old look 30-40 years younger is another matter all together, As Miss Weaver will no doubt be in her 70's by the time we ever even see a attempt at bringing her back into the Franchise.. thats if never at all.

And while Rogue One Tarkin was ok, i think this still needs improvement and doing so is expensive and more so if this Digitally Enhanced Actress will have more than 15 Minutes Screen Time...

It would take a HUGE Budget and i would rather Budget for another Alien Sequel be used elsewhere.

Prometheus had its flaws... needed someone to come and change some elements of it, give it a extra 30-40M Budget and a extra 40 Minutes and who knows...

I really have to finish off me Re-write...

I will be doing a Re-write of Alien Covenant some day too ;)

Or just finish my abandoned Prometheus 2

colonialsoldier yes looks like Ridley listened to some of the critics of prometheus and has revised some features...believable characters yay! More monster stuff...great but hopefully sticking with the story behind it all...And seems to be. Etc.....

And yes I've still yet to talk to someone in real life that loves prometheus I'm like you I cringe at the stupidity and illogical prometheus it's a definite head shaker and me and my friends all left the cinema thinking oh dear. But it was a great over all idea and the visuals were great too in parts.

It looks like he might have done just enough to keep it all going which is great but I'm thinking this is probably not the classic we all want...But we shall see.

@Grinning & Dropping linen, what you said you are correct, a lot of people just want another alien shooting gallery but why? its been and done not just with aliens but with other movies of similar ilk, Mr Scott wants people to think and analyse what concepts he is putting up there, as well as being entertained, that is the impression i get.

I was over the moon when i watched the trailer for prometheus back in 2012 and saw the space jockey chair come up out of the floor of the juggernaut.

@BigDave, yes it did have a few flaws, but after the curtain came down i wanted to see more and realised that i liked the movie a lot, and no doubt after i see covenant i will feel the same way.

@sam gaynor, wouldn't it be wiser to see the movie first before judging it? you seem to be quite harsh, just saying. 

@Starlogger

@Black Winter Witch

Starlogger thank you, and as per usual i typically agree with what you both put on the message boards.

....and i totally agree with what BWW said to Sam Gaynor above.....no more Ripley, Sigourney Weaver is done, no need to shoehorn her back into this film univere....Look no further than Alien Resurrection, or Terminator Genysis for examples of films where they should have just let certain characters go. I want new characters, stories, explore the mythology, introduce new components. Having Ripley again is implausible, it would be tired, predictable and pretty much impossible unless it was a very contrived method considering the timelines and the sequences of events in the first 3 movies....and NO i dont want any continuation of whatever Alien Resurrection was, EVER.

James Cameron makes good entertaining movies, i liked the queen, i love Aliens but i prefer mythology and the unknown over putting a Queen on screen to have a "big boss" fight or encounter in every movie plus the queen reduces, as many of us believe, reduces the alien as a creature, from the ancient cosmic fever dream of a monster that is a perfect organism to just a collection of weird insects with anger management issues.

I feel that having an army of xenos getting wasted on screen in the way that other poster described would be a horrible idea. The alien creature was designed to be the embodiment of cosmic  horror but the more we understand, relate and see a thing it automatically becomes less awe inspiring, less terrifying and thus if done in the way described by Sam Gaynor it would be shell of itself and would lose all sense of its original design and purpose.

It would probably make tons of money but so do trash like Transformers where they throw as much on the screen as possible. It would be like after a point in Avengers of Ultron where it was just "heroes smash robots, repeat" it carried no weight.

Tons of money does not equate a good movie, there are far too many examples of that. Obviously its great if a high quality movie makes a large box office so studios are interested in making more movies in that film universe....but, doing an all out battle with the creature that was designed for another purpose, on the screen in huge numbers and in hives etc, just to make $$$ is not what is best for this film universe,,,,,this isnt Transformers, please dont turn it into something on that level.

this is the mf-ing Alien film universe the intelligent, sci fi horror film universe that i love very much (still not counting Resurrection among that lol).... i prefer substance and quality  over quantity of explosions on screen. This film universe and its namesake creature deserves to be handled in a smart way.

Hear Hear, @G&DL

@Airshaft Surprise

Thank you for your comments, and what you said was well put as well about the treatment of other installments and Prometheus, i really liked it, while yes it has a few things that could have been shored up, i think it was deep imaginative ambitious movie that i find very re-watchable and i admire it for the questions and mysteries it asked, including the ones left unanswered.

Not everything needs answers, of course these days as i said earlier everyone wants exact explainations drawn out in crayon lol. the original Alien movie left a ton of things unanswered for going on over 3 decades, and i think those unanswered questions are what has inspired many of our imaginations over the years and thats a big part of why many of us are such huge Alien fans.

BTW love the screen name....Airshaft Surprise, thats awesome...kudos

@Grinning & Dropping Linen, i came up with the name from dallas in the airshaft, a surprise and heart failure afterwards lol! he must have been made of strong stuff to be still alive after that.

I can watch alien & prometheus again and again it is timeless, I will be watching prometheus on saturday night and then to see covenant the next day, can't wait. 

And yes, some people are incapable of thinking on a deeper level and yes they want to be spoon fed like babies. lol! 

Grinning & Dropping Linen

You totally summed it all up, and phrased it all splendidly!! I agree with you and that's really all I can add!! :)

I think AC is going to be awesome.  RS is really trying to weave together a very interesting mythology.

YUP !!! Cant wait!!