Despite it being visually and conceptually stunning, the film turned out to be extremely slow and actionless for my taste.
Many people think that the aforementioned positive qualities outweight the negative, but personally, I think that narrative must prevail over visuals,soundtracks, effects or symbolisms.
What a great one.
I've read a couple of reviews before watching it and many people said they were dissapointed by the rather formulaic development. The only thing left for me to think now that I've seen it, is that they didn't get the point. It is formulaic -which is not bad per se. Why wouldn't it be if it is part of a franchise-, but there is so much more laying beneath than calling it "superficial" is a mere act of ignorance or disinformation. It is true, however, that the characters are a little bland, but in my opinion, they are here just as an excuse for the bigger image to be fulfilled.
This is a bold movie. It follows the lines of Prometheus, with dark scenery, monolithic architecture and a couple of beautifully shot landscapes. The imagery and the music have been taken care of and set in a compelling manner. Every little piece of the production seems well-thought; and so, the result is a film with a strong personality.
The plot is a direct sequel to the aforementioned movie not only in an aesthetic way, but also in mood, and you should really watch it first to get the most out of this one. Then you would get the grip expected by the director and the script writers. This is not a movie about the Covenant crew as the name would make you think. It is not even a movie about the xenomorph. The first scene of the film clarifies that.
Alien: Covenant is more a suspense / mistery film with action brushstrokes, that the other way around; so if you are planning in getting a generic deep-space, isolation, horror movie, you might be a little dissapointed. However, if you are a lover of the franchise, or are looking for answers left hanging by Prometheus and get some action too, this would be a hell of a ride.
Came in with low expectations, and despite not being anything outstanding, the movie turned out as very enjoyable for me.
Yes, it is an imprecise take on the Arthurian Legend Since when Mordred is a mage and Arthur has an evil uncle? Is this Saruman meets Hamlet?. Yes, it is a superficial action movie. Yes, it is nothing special. However, I found that the pace of the movie was pretty spot-on, the characters were -although shallow- pretty charismatic, and the balance between fighting scenes, humor and dramatic tipping points very appropiate. The music (a mix of tribal noises, gaelic sounds and urban rhythms) was very solid and accompanied the images perfectly.
It is absolutely clear that this film will not set new standards, nor push the boundaries of a genre; but it will surely provide two hours of entertainment. Give it a shot if you're looking for an engaging fantasy action film -like Warcraft, for example-.
This is definetely not a horror movie, and given its weak and predictable storyline, not a good thriller either. It is, however, a rather decent slasher/action film.
Also, despite being quite entertaining, the movie is extremely violent and overly long. The main story of vengeance gets diluted by the unnecessary scenes of killing and raping, to the point that the argument becomes an accessory rather than a guiding line, or point of reflection.
Do not expect much from it.
Billy Lynn's script and acting are so bad, that no patriotic theme or action scene can save it.
The movie is full of implausible moments, )like falling in love at first sight with a cheerleader and getting brutally attacked by a bunch of workers for some reason) and awful and unnecesary spiritual-esque talking between Joe Alwyn and Vin Diesel (who by the way, is probably the worst actor for that role, as the only thing he seems to do well is driving fast cars in the worn out Fast and Furious saga). We also see hear some lines that are worth a laugh. Like, seriously worth a laugh.
And the performances... Everyone is acting like a robot, waiting for their time to say the next line. It honestly reminded me of the cut-scenes you see in some video games: weird facial expressions, lack of emotion, forced movements, etc. I couldn't find one moment worth more than an OK in terms of dramatic execution.
The only thing I can imagine would please some people, could be the God-bless-America scent all over this film. The criticism of the society is clear and, at some times, recognizable and true. The war scenes are also pretty decent in terms of action and acting (they are scarse, though, so if you come looking for them, go somewhere else).
If you want the post-war drama reflecting the problems veterans face when they come home, you could give it a chance -with high probabilities of failing-. If these things are not what you are looking for, then don't waste your time, because there is nothing to see here.
As many others have stated before me, there are two sides in Split. One that shares great acting, and other that punishes us with a weak script and an even weaker development. Sadly, the latest prevails.
James McAvoy's performance is simply stunning. His ability to impersonate the multiple personalities of the main character is so impressive that makes you wish there were room for many others. Despite the 23 -or 24, if you prefer- identities advertised by the movie's plot, we can only see a bunch of them. Five if I remember correctly.
Anya Taylor-Joy's work is also a pretty good one. She shows a clear evolution since her appearance in The Witch, which lacked a bit on the emotive flank. While not being as outstanding as McAvoy, Taylor-Joy manages to show an above-average execution, in a genre plagued by mediocre acting.
On the dark side, which happens to outweight the bright one, we have a poorly written text (For example, Dr. Fletcher seems to always tackle the exact things needed to make the plot move forward, even when that means talking about previously unheard topics and asking out-of-nowhere questions; and the final scenes' cliché cursing by the villain) and a dissapointing progression of the story, that ends with a wink to a sequel that only the director's fans will get.
