Ridley Scott's "Alien: Covenant" (Oct 6, 2017) - Part 3

[Faora]

Concept art.

 

[OcStat]

That....is pretty ****ed up.

I liked the movie... can't say I loved it. Can't say whether I liked it more or less than Prometheus either. It definitely wasn't what I was looking for when I walked out of Pro, but I knew it wouldn't be after the trailers. I actually liked it more than I thought I would going off that initial trailer.

I'm not super into the Alien lore so I could just roll with it. Only seen the original Scott film once, after Pro. I plan on watching it again soon.

 

[TheVileOne]

Again, makes no sense you would step foot onto an alien planet like that without any protective clothing or isolation suits.

 

[DA_Champion]

Again, makes no sense you would step foot onto an alien planet like that without any protective clothing or isolation suits.

That's really a nitpick. Most science fiction movies are bursting at the seams with these kinds of errors that are required for the movie to work. They don't make any sense at all. The xenomorph itself makes absolutely no sense. How does it grow so fast even if it doesn't have any food?

Within covenant the movie makes no sense long before that. The neutrino storm that fried the solar cells made no sense, that's not something that just happens (I'm an astrophysicist) and even if it did the crew would understand. The way the ship changed course to go to a different planet makes no sense, as did the fact that they somehow had not noticed the planet before. Cryosleep makes no sense. The way other planets are colonized makes no sense. etc.

Meanwhile, walking on alien planets without protective suits is a mainstay of science fiction. We've seen it on star trek, star wars, battlestar galactica, babylon 5, etc etc etc. Yes it makes no sense but it's assumed, just like all the other errors.

 

[mikeboydus]

It would only be a nitpick if biohazard protocols were not already established in universe.

The Xenomorph is or was not supposed to make any sense, even in universe, it was supposed to be alien and Lovecraftian. Its a silicon based parasitic biomechanical lifeform with essentially battery acid for blood that can assimilate genetic data from carbon based hosts.

 

[Loki882]

And if people hadn't already complained about the characters taking their helmets off in Prometheus. So not only was said criticism NOT addressed here, but they made it even worse, and turned it into a plot point (because one of the characters getting infected probably doesn't happen if they are wearing protective clothing/suits.

And yeah biohazard protections are an established thing in this universe, which makes it all the worse.

 

[DA_Champion]

It would only be a nitpick if biohazard protocols were not already established in universe.

The Xenomorph is or was not supposed to make any sense, even in universe, it was supposed to be alien and Lovecraftian. Its a silicon based parasitic biomechanical lifeform with essentially battery acid for blood that can assimilate genetic data from carbon based hosts.

That's a good counterargument.

 

[flickchick85]

It's like the more "science" the apply to the Xenomorphs, the fewer rules of basic movie science they follow elsewhere, lol.

 

[dude stannis]

It seems obvious that ships have the ability to read the atmosphere, it's been shown in Alien and Prometheus. Do we really have to see it every film? If you want to nitpick, why the hell did the Colonial Marines leave the Sulaco unattended on a freaking rescue mission? Why did THEY go into Hadley's without protective gear since there could very well have been a pathogen that wiped the place out. Where was their atmospheric readings, since the damn atmosphere processor could've simply malfunctioned one day?

 

[mikeboydus]

It seems obvious that ships have the ability to read the atmosphere, it's been shown in Alien and Prometheus. Do we really have to see it every film? If you want to nitpick, why the hell did the Colonial Marines leave the Sulaco unattended on a freaking rescue mission? Why did THEY go into Hadley's without protective gear since there could very well have been a pathogen that wiped the place out. Where was their atmospheric readings, since the damn atmosphere processor could've simply malfunctioned one day?

They ran scans, recon, etc. before the drop. They kept track of the atmosphere processor throughout the film, its a plot point.

I would argue the Sulaco was left unattended due to AI, not as complex as MOTHER, but something Bishop was able to interface with. I believe the Colonial Marine's Tech Manual backs this argument.

 

[TheVileOne]

That's really a nitpick. Most science fiction movies are bursting at the seams with these kinds of errors that are required for the movie to work. They don't make any sense at all. The xenomorph itself makes absolutely no sense. How does it grow so fast even if it doesn't have any food?

Within covenant the movie makes no sense long before that. The neutrino storm that fried the solar cells made no sense, that's not something that just happens (I'm an astrophysicist) and even if it did the crew would understand. The way the ship changed course to go to a different planet makes no sense, as did the fact that they somehow had not noticed the planet before. Cryosleep makes no sense. The way other planets are colonized makes no sense. etc.

Meanwhile, walking on alien planets without protective suits is a mainstay of science fiction. We've seen it on star trek, star wars, battlestar galactica, babylon 5, etc etc etc. Yes it makes no sense but it's assumed, just like all the other errors.

Multiple online reviewers have pointed this out though INCLUDING Comic Book Girl 19 and Red Letter Media. You say it's a nitpick, but a lot of reviewers have pointed this out as well.

 

[TheVileOne]

It seems obvious that ships have the ability to read the atmosphere, it's been shown in Alien and Prometheus. Do we really have to see it every film? If you want to nitpick, why the hell did the Colonial Marines leave the Sulaco unattended on a freaking rescue mission? Why did THEY go into Hadley's without protective gear since there could very well have been a pathogen that wiped the place out. Where was their atmospheric readings, since the damn atmosphere processor could've simply malfunctioned one day?

Except they are still setting foot onto an uncharted planet. Obviously the scanners are not that accurate or in-depth since they missed the spores.

 

[dude stannis]

They ran scans, recon, etc. before the drop. They kept track of the atmosphere processor throughout the film, its a plot point.

I would argue the Sulaco was left unattended due to AI, not as complex as MOTHER, but something Bishop was able to interface with. I believe the Colonial Marine's Tech Manual backs this argument.

Great catch on them doing initial recce, thank you. The atmosphere processor only becomes a pertinent plot point only after they shoot up the joint IIRC. If we're to use the Tech Manual, we can use the ADF novels, commentaries and deleted scenes too, in which case landing on a planets surface actually takes hours and does so in every film.

Except they are still setting foot onto an uncharted planet. Obviously the scanners are not that accurate or in-depth since they missed the spores.

Even if they did there's no reason the spores couldn't penetrate the EVA suits.

 

[TheVileOne]

Great catch on them doing initial recce, thank you. The atmosphere processor only becomes a pertinent plot point only after they shoot up the joint IIRC. If we're to use the Tech Manual, we can use the ADF novels, commentaries and deleted scenes too, in which case landing on a planets surface actually takes hours and does so in every film.



Even if they did there's no reason the spores couldn't penetrate the EVA suits.

Sounds like overly convenient and contrived storytelling.

 

[dude stannis]

There's another good C word that comes to mind.

Contrarian.

Doesn't matter if it's face huggers, or goo, or spores, eventually someone needs to get infected for the movie to go on. They could've been wearing the Iron Man suit, someone would still have gotten infected. 6 films in, we can skip over certain details to expedite the process.

 

[Roose Bolton]

How is the scenario Dude posited any different from a facehugger being able to breech the helmet of a spacesuit?

 

[TheVileOne]

The fact is these are scientists with advanced technology. They are supposed to be smart people. You think for a deep space colonization mission they have protocols in place for this.

It's like when you go to Mexico, you don't want to drink or ingest the water there because of water-borne illnesses and bacteria. Also, I'm not the only person who has brought this up. Numerous other reviewers have brought it up, including RLM and CBG19.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I think atmo checks and such are obvious. You can skip that stuff. But where they walking around without helmets and such getting infected? I get that they have to get infected, but removing all challenge from it does seem a bit easy imo.

 

[dude stannis]

But do you go to Mexico in a full EVA suit? They where analysing the water.

You bring up CBG19 and RLM, what the **** makes them authorities on anything? They're no different to the people who post here, they just happen to make youtube videos.

 

[dude stannis]

I think atmo checks and such are obvious. You can skip that stuff. But where they walking around without helmets and such getting infected? I get that they have to get infected, but removing all challenge from it does seem a bit easy imo.

The facehugger didn't have much trouble with John Hurt.

 

[TheVileOne]

But do you go to Mexico in a full EVA suit? They where analysing the water.

No. You don't drink the water. You drink bottled water and you don't ingest the water there while you shower. You take precautions because the water there isn't the cleanest and it will make you sick. So you are going to an uncharted planet for the first time. You don't know what's there. You haven't vetted and scanned it like Origae-6. Maybe with that in mind, you take some extra precautions because maybe there are pathogens or bacteria that will tear the human body apart or make you sick that shipboard scanners can't anticipate.

You bring up CBG19 and RLM, what the **** makes them authorities on anything? They're no different to the people who post here, they just happen to make youtube videos.

They are noted online critics, and they brought up the issue as well. My point is, the other poster made it seem like it was a personal nitpick. I don't think it's a nitpick, I think it's a valid point against the movie's storytelling, and other critics pointed it out as well.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The facehugger didn't have much trouble with John Hurt.

No doubt. But that is why I think it works. If I remember correctly, it destroys his helmet. This idea kind of feels like the 3rd season of a CW shows, where things get lazy and we skip steps.

But then again, as you said, these are the steps. We know where this is going, so pretty minor in the end. In the realm of Alien, even the Mariners were pretty stupid.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

But do you go to Mexico in a full EVA suit? They where analysing the water.

You bring up CBG19 and RLM, what the **** makes them authorities on anything? They're no different to the people who post here, they just happen to make youtube videos.

God yes. Their pollution is horrible.

 

[TheVileOne]

It's the least of the movie's problems, but it's still one problem I had with it. In Prometheus they at least wore protective suits and were mindful of the atmosphere and things...until the second act with Milburn and Fifield vaudeville duo.

 

[dude stannis]

No. You don't drink the water. You drink bottled water and you don't ingest the water there while you shower. You take precautions because the water there isn't the cleanest and it will make you sick. So you are going to an uncharted planet for the first time. You don't know what's there. You haven't vetted and scanned it like Origae-6. Maybe with that in mind, you take some extra precautions because maybe there are pathogens or bacteria that will tear the human body apart or make you sick that shipboard scanners can't anticipate.



They are noted online critics, and they brought up the issue as well. My point is, the other poster made it seem like it was a personal nitpick. I don't think it's a nitpick, I think it's a valid point against the movie's storytelling, and other critics pointed it out as well.

Ricks flat out states the scans of the planet are far better than Origae-6's, and that there's zero signs of fauna on the planet. It's not the Star Wars universe where we see completely diverse impossible to exist topographies, every habitable planet we see in this franchise has Earth like geography in some way shape or form. And at the end of the day those where booby traps laid by David.

As for those "noted" critics one set have made a career out of comedically over exaggerating their nitpicks and CBG19 can be as deliberately obtuse as certain other "noted" critics.

No doubt. But that is why I think it works. If I remember correctly, it destroys his helmet. This idea kind of feels like the 3rd season of a CW shows, where things get lazy and we skip steps.

But then again, as you said, these are the steps. We know where this is going, so pretty minor in the end. In the realm of Alien, even the Mariners were pretty stupid.

Yeah lazy is the right word here. But still, if everyone took every possible precaution the films would be 6 hours long lol.

God yes. Their pollution is horrible.

Reminds me of Athens and Bangkok where the atmosphere is entirely comprised of second hand cigarette smoke and smog respectively.