The world of Alien has given us many a thrill and chill. And, some not-so-great thrills and chills. So, where does Alien: Covenant fall in that mix? The film is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray and we’re happy to report that the franchise is heading in the right direction after the misstep that was Prometheus.
Alien: Covenant is more of a sequel to Prometheus than it is a prequel to Alien. Sure, Ridley Scott has us going in that direction and with the arrival of Alien: Covenant we can see what it is the filmmaker is going for with the series he launched in the 1970s.
The second in this new Alien trilogy finds the Covenant flying to an Earth-like planet to colonize it with thousands of souls in sleep chambers. As the crew awakes, they realize they’re a little early and it is because of a distress call received from a nearby planet that has to be emanating from something human. How is that possible?
When the crew lands, they discover wheat growing… again, how is that possible? As part of the crew weaves its way towards where the signal is being broadcast from, things get weirder. It appears that this is the final resting site of the notorious Prometheus, a ship that vanished years prior. Then, it starts getting interesting. We meet David (Michael Fassbender), who is the only living survivor of the Prometheus. He strangely looks exactly like the Covenant’s crew member named Walter. They’re both droids, cut from the same cloth. But David, there’s something up with that guy.
Alien: Covenant is a suspenseful journey into the terror that is the Alien universe with a great cast that includes Katherine Waterson, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride and Demian Bichir. It’s a decent time as well and much more entertaining that the dreary first installment of this new trilogy. For more on the film itself, check out our theatrical Alien: Covenant review.
The huge takeaway from witnessing the bonus features on the Alien: Covenant Blu-Ray is the incredible amount of work and meticulous planning that went into this movie, beyond the effort of the actors and those we see on screen. This is an FX-heavy film, but there was also a lot done with practical effects that made what was going on in the film seem all the more real.
The appropriately titled Master Class is a 55-minute takes us inside the creative mind of Scott and features an array of fascinating featurettes that don’t just find the director talking about his craft and vision, we see him in action making movie magic. After watching the movie itself, this is the first featurette we’d recommend because it is a rare look at the making-of a film that treats the moviemaking process like a jigsaw puzzle and watching them put the pieces together is an education in storytelling on the largest scale.
Many of the deleted and extended scenes are actually quite worthy. A must-see is The Last Supper, which finds the crew of The Covenant having “one last” meal together before landing on the planet that each will call home. We learn that everyone involved is coupled-off and also there, a cameo by James Franco that lasts more than the moments he is onscreen in the theatrical cut of the movie. Also fun is the Meet Walter scene, which is basically a commercial for Fassbender’s updated droid.
For fans of Prometheus, don’t miss Advent. It gives us some great background information on what happened to the heroine Elizabeth (Noomi Rapace) of the first film. Also worth a look is David’s Illustrations. With all that time on his hands on the fateful planet that Covenant has landed on, he got up to a whole lot as we see in the movie. Teased through certain shots of his living quarters are his sketches. It’s nice to be able to look at what was going through his mind via his art in a manner much more informative than a camera passing by them in the film itself.
There is also a ton of interior and exterior conceptual art that for true appreciators of all things Alien, is a must-see.
Film Grade: B-
Bonus Features: B