Alien: Covenant
So I did my research and watched both the original Alien and Aliens in preparation for Covenant. I loved both, and I am pleased to say that I loved this one as well. Now let's get into the review!
It goes without saying that this film was absolutely beautiful. It's a Ridley Scott film. Like, duh. It's the equivalent of saying "Christopher Nolan movies are smart." or Tarantino movies are violent. That said, I still have to mention that this film was beautiful because DUDE. It was BEAUTIFUL. The scope, the cinematography, all of it was so rich.
Now for the story. It doesn't break new ground at all when it comes to the structure of the film. It follows pretty much the same formula as the second Alien movie's beginning and the first one's end. They did, however, expand on some of the lore in Prometheus and that was really cool to see. Did the lack of fresh story material bother me? Not really. It was cool to see the story we know and love brought to our modern screens with modern technology and CGI. Also Alien: Covenant had surprising depth when it came to philosophy, character motivations, and it''s theme of created vs creator.
The aliens themselves were wonderfully designed, I love how absolutely terrifying their look was. Y'all are not going to be disappointed.
The acting has always been the strongest factor of the Alien movies and it's no different here. Michael Fassbender never ceases to amaze me with his layered performance as David and Walter, and the subtleties within their individual characters. Katherine Waterson was also fantastic, giving us another strong, smart female lead.
My only problem with the film is the problem I have with most horror films and that is minor characters making dumb decisions. There were a few times where I was just like, "You may be alive if you weren't acting like such an idiot", or where I felt the leaders of the crew were making decisions based purely on emotion and putting people in danger. Like, they're obviously not very qualified.
Other than that, I found Alien: Covenant highly entertaining, well acted, wicked scary, and it beautifully connected Alien with Prometheus. 9 out of 10 stars (I'd Buy It On Blu-ray)
Free Fire
Directed by Ben Wheatley, Free Fire is an action comedy about an arms deal gone very wrong. It stars the talents of Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer, and Jack Reynor who are all fantastic by the way.
This entire film takes place in a deserted warehouse, similar to Tarantino's first film, Reservoir Dogs. Though not as layered or soulful as that film was, there was a lot I enjoyed in Free Fire.
The tone was never short of fun, and the dark/British humor was always on point. With a mostly dialogue driven story, we get to know these characters really well under pressure and therefore we can see who they really are at the core.
If you're looking to be entertained, Free Fire is the film for you. It's pretty self-aware and doesn't take itself too seriously. That said, it does feel at times a bit excessive for excess sake. The language is excessive, the violence is excessive, the characters sometimes seem more like caricatures than real people. If that doesn't bother you, you'll probably be taken with this film's charm.
Is it super memorable? Not really. But I had a really good experience with Free Fire and would definitely recommend it! 7 out of 10 stars (It Was Good)
