ALIEN: COVENANT is only days away from being released. If you’ve been keeping up, there is already division amongst those who have watched the film. JoBlo.com editor-in-chief Paul Shirey and AITH’s own Jake Dee dug this flick, but Eric Walkuski and Chris Bumbray weren’t nearly as impressed. Whether you like the new sequel or not may depend on your reaction to PROMETHEUS – another very divisive flick. As for my own experiences with the new feature, I did enjoy it for the most part. However, there was a lingering sensation that it was a bit of a mess and underwhelming. Ultimately, it is something I plan to revisit. You know, one of those movie going experiences where you aren’t fully sure whether it worked for you or not. The fact that I’m still thinking about it a week or so later is a good sign me thinks.
One thing I did appreciate about COVENANT is the fact that it thinks outside the box slightly. The sequel works as a sequel to PROMETHEUS as well as a bridge to Ridley Scott’s original classic in many ways. After all, there are probably all sorts of deadly horrors that could spawn from this franchise – and yes, that means a few original ideas. Who knows what “The Engineers” were up to. The new film manages to offer up a few intriguing – and dare I say promising – ideas that could disrupt the human race. Even still, there is enough in the new film’s DNA to work as an ALIEN film for the most part.
With all the possibilities however, there is one thing that most fans of ALIEN would happily embrace. And we almost had it… Yes, I’m talking ALIEN 5 from Neil Blomkamp. What is more important than just having another sequel? Well, it wouldn’t hurt to bring Ripley back. After revisiting the first one, I’m always surprised at how smartly the film introduces this spunky young woman as the final protagonist. She was the epitome of a great sci-fi character. And even when they decided to mess around with Ripley’s fate in both ALIEN 3 and ALIEN: RESURRECTION, she was still one of the most exciting creations in movie history. To this day, people look at Ripley as one of the most notable cinema heroes around.
Sure, Scott and screenwriter Dan O’Bannon deserve a ton of credit for offering such a great character to audiences, but it wouldn’t be nearly as memorable without the actress that brought her to life. Sigourney Weaver is brilliant anytime she steps into this world of Xenomorphs and Face Huggers. In fact, the actress is so incredible she earned an Academy Award nomination for her work in James Cameron’s action packed sequel ALIENS. Anybody who is even remotely aware of the Oscars understands that big budget sci-fi action flicks like that RARELY get any kind of Academy Award buzz. This is especially true for the actors involved, it’s a bit more common for those working behind the scenes with effects to really earn accolades. Yet she did it because she gave a layered and powerful show.
What do ALIEN fans want? Some may be fascinated by the new direction the series is taking, but I’d bet every single one of them would love to see a brand new ALIEN with this familiar face. Sigourney Weaver is as much part of this franchise as the beasties themselves. We want to see her back as Ripley. How do they bring her back? Would she be human? Would she be a creation of Weyland? Frankly, I don’t care. As thrilled as I am to see ALIEN continue, bringing her back would be a huge gift to the fans. I just wonder how that would have played out if the Untitled Neill Blomkamp’s Alien Project didn’t fade away. ALIEN is not the most consistent franchise, but even at its worst it was always better thanks to Weaver’s involvement.
Maybe it’s the booze talkin’, but we want Ripley to return to the ALIEN franchise. My earliest memories of the ALIEN universe always include Sigourney Weaver. The strength and the heart she gave to Ripley was able to elevate even the worst of the sequels – I’m looking at you RESURRECTION. Yes, the actress is far too talented to only play this iconic role, but that is part of the reason why it would be so wonderful to see her return. Give this project to a great screenwriter to continue her journey. Hell, I’d be very happy to see her in the current world that Scott has crafted. All I’m saying, bring Ripley back because she is just as important as everything else in this franchise. And since we are apparently going to see more sequels, why not make it even better for fans by yet another partnership between Weaver and Scott>