Alien: Covenant – Blu-Ray Movie Review

It’s 10 years since the events of Prometheus, and the USCSS Covenant colony ship is on its way to a new planet when it encounters a spatial anomaly. The damage kills the ship’s captain and several colonists in hyper-sleep. The now-awakened crew then suddenly intercepts a mysterious signal from a close-by planet that may be suitable for colonization. Upon landing, they discover a deadly pathogen and a synthetic named David, the only survivor of the Prometheus, presumed lost. Mayhem ensues and the deadly alien threatens to board the ship. The remaining crew only has one chance to escape and avoid disaster.

I admit, I’m a fan of franchise films. Even when they become formulaic and predictable. While no Alien movie will ever stand up to the original chapter from 1979, this latest installment is better than the somewhat plodding Prometheus. The action begins right from the word go with an on-board disaster. The story progresses without letup and it becomes fairly obvious where the plot will lead early on. That didn’t reduce my enjoyment too much but the big missing element here is suspense. There is virtually no build-up to any of the more intense moments; they just come one after another. Thanks to modern CGI, the aliens are scarier than ever moving in ways just not possible with the puppets used in past films. Alien: Covenant is good fun with more than enough action and gore to satisfy fans of the series. Recommended.

The image is reference-quality with deep contrast, a broad and saturated color palette, and superb detail. Special effects blend seamlessly with live and human elements to where you won’t be able to tell what isn’t real. Even in traditional 1080p, it’s a feast for the eyes.

The 7.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio encode takes you on a ride worthy of the best theme park experience with bombastic explosions and rumbling effects that are completely visceral. Dialog is crisp and clear with precise placement in the wide front sound-stage.

Bonus features are generous and include a 55-minute set of featurettes with lots of behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, background info on the Covenant colony ship and the planet where the story takes place. You also get an extensive gallery of production and creature designs and artwork.