Alien: Covenant Review

Alien: Covenant is uninterested in answering any of the questions presented in Prometheus. Instead, it focuses on what made the first Alien movie work so well: creating a sense of terror and isolation in space where no one can hear you scream.

This film takes place between Prometheus and the original, focusing on a mission to colonize a remote planet. They receive a transmission from another planet that is seemingly better suited to support human life. As you may have expected, this does not go well.

This movie is a triumphant return to form for the franchise. It is the same format as the original classic, with a crew in space hunted by an alien. With the exception of a few subplots, the story doesn't stray far from that description. But Ridley Scott directs it with the same sense of dread that made the original such a classic.

It is full of graphic violence, but the real scares come from the aliens themselves. They are brought to life with terrifyingly realistic special effects, and their onscreen presence is very menacing. I feel like they could have shown less of them, maybe having them lurk out of sight, but they were still scary when shown in all their glory.

Alien: Covenant is significantly better than the previous outing, Prometheus, and an effectively creepy thriller. Though I am disappointed that it didn't continue the story of Prometheus, I am still glad we got another Alien movie that focuses on tension and atmosphere.

4 out of 5 stars

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Review

At a time when many superhero movies are starting to look similar, the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie is fresh and different.

In this installment, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finally meets his father (Kurt Russel), a celestial being who may have a sinister agenda.

The Guardians of the Galaxy has proven itself to be the most fun franchise in the MCU. And this movie is just as entertaining as the original. It is full of intense action, good special effects, a lot of humor, and a fun soundtrack.

Like the original, this one doesn't feel so much like a traditional superhero movie. It plays out more like a more colorful, retro, comedic version of Star Wars. The Guardians are a conceptually bizarre team, and the movie knows this and has as much time devoted to comedy as it does to action. And James Gunn, who also directed the previous movie, perfectly replicates the fun of the original.

That being said, this is still not as good as the first movie story-wise. However, it is as fun as the first movie. This is a very entertaining, funny, and visually stunning time at the theater.

4.5 out of 5 stars