Alien: Covenant Review Roundup

Thirty-eight years after Alien came out in 1979, Ridley Scott is back with the latest chapter in the sci-fi series, Alien: Covenant. A sequel to the Alien prequel Prometheus, Covenant is already out in some parts of the world, with a release in the US following today, May 18.

Ahead of release, reviews have come online. To help you get an idea for if the movie is worth your time and money, we've collected excerpts from reviews published across the internet.

For more on the critical reaction to Covenant, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Film: Alien: Covenant
• Release Date: May 11 (Australia), May 19 (US)
• Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir, Billy Crudup, Carmen Ejogo, Benjamin Rigby, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollet, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, and Benjamin Rigby
• Directed By: Ridley Scott
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 122 minutes

GameSpot:

"Covenant is a fun movie that has a number of standout scenes, including one of the biggest, most over-the-top (and somewhat silly) set pieces in the franchise's history. It is a notable improvement over Prometheus, but it runs the risk of feeling too familiar and formulaic overall." -- Eddie Makuch [Full review]

The Hollywood Reporter

"Stylistically, the film is a thing of cool beauty, with superb effects and a lovely score. Creatively, it's a major reset on a level with the series' best." -- Todd McCarthy [Full review]

Entertainment Weekly

"One leg up that Covenant has is Scott's refusal to entirely jettison the biblical weirdness of Prometheus. There's still plenty of vague discussion about creation, but the movie is essentially a compromise between the prior film's fans and haters. Some of us [clears throat] will miss those big swings, but regardless of where you landed with Prometheus, there's bound to be something to delight you in Covenant because, Scott--thankfully--still makes 'em like he used to." -- Kevin Sullivan [Full review]

Empire

"An upgrade from Prometheus, Alien: Covenant amps up the thrills but doesn't deliver a memorable crew member or the full-on onslaught of the series at its height." -- Ian Freer [Full review]

The Guardian

"The vu has never been so déja: it's a greatest-hits compilation of the other Alien films' freaky moments. The paradox is that though you are intended to recognise these touches, you won't really be impressed unless you happen to be seeing them for the first time. For all this, the film is very capably made, with forceful, potent performances from Waterston and Fassbender. That franchise title is, however, looking increasingly wrong. It is a bit familiar." -- Peter Bradshaw [Full review]

Variety

"Ridley Scott's official return to the Alien franchise is essentially a Prometheus sequel with Aliens in it." -- Peter Debruge [Full review]

The Verge

"The problem is that the Alien franchise started in an age where sequels could be complete films unto themselves--in fact, James Cameron's Aliens is considered by many to be one of the best sequels ever made. That is simply not the same kind of cinematic landscape we find ourselves in today, so perhaps something like Alien: Covenant is the best we can hope for. That said, I’d like to think that Scott has one more truly great Alien movie left in him somewhere. Maybe we'll get it next time." -- Bryan Bishop [Full review]

New York Daily News

"Further proving his mastery of creating tension and thrills, Scott has effectively created a satisfying hybrid of Alien, Prometheus and even James Cameron's Aliens. Those looking for one of the better movies in the Alien franchise should appreciate what the latest movie brings to the mix. But it's not for the squeamish or faint of heart." -- Edward Douglas [Full review]