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