Written by John Logan, Dante Harper, Jack Paglen and Michael Green, 'Alien: Covenant' is the latest instalment in the 'Alien' franchise from director Ridley Scott. Starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender in leading roles alongside the likes of Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup and James Franco, the film follows the journey of the crew of the colony ship Covenant. Bound for an unexplored planet that they believe is a paradise just waiting to be discovered, they soon come to realise that it's a dangerous world that was better off left alone.

Ridley Scott makes his return to the 'Alien' franchiseRidley Scott makes his return to the 'Alien' franchise

So will the crew be able to escape unscathed? We seriously doubt it when looking at Ridley Scott's history of 'Alien' films, but it's certainly a nice thought. Whatever the case may be, the storyline and plot must be a compelling one if this working formula is to engage an audience all over again. 

With that in mind, we've decided to take a look at what the critics are saying about 'Alien: Covenant' to discover whether or not the new sci-fi adventure is one worth packing out the movie theatre for...

Cath Clarke, TimeOut: "For reasons too spoilery to give away, Fassbender is electric, giving a spectacularly skin-crawling performance. ‘Covenant’ has the same beautiful design as ‘Prometheus’ and once again the script is being all clever and profound, asking the biggies: Who are we? Where do we came from?"

Andy Lea, Daily Star: "Another big twist is too easy to guess and the climactic action scene feels a little too familiar. But stunning effects, suspense and two great Fassbender performances makes this a thoroughly satisfying ­addition to the franchise."

Mike Ryan, Uproxx: "The Alien movies have a lot in common with the Terminator movies. What started out as a simple, “let’s run away from this scary thing,” are now so bogged down in their own mythology of why these scary things exist, it’s almost unrecognizable."

Alonso Duralde, The Wrap: "The writers also perpetrate a twist of which the film seems inordinately proud, despite the fact that only the deeply credulous or cinematically inexperienced won’t see it coming. And we’re still in prequel territory here, it’s not like the ending is going to be consequential or unpredictable."

Fred Topel, We Live Entertainment: "There are good set pieces in Alien: Covenant, but the story connecting them is nonsense. Explaining how the xenomorphs were created is a mistake itself. Now it’s not some unstoppable force of nature. It’s some convoluted exposition that can’t possibly be satisfying, even if it were better than this. A prequel doesn’t have to explain its successor. In fact, it shouldn’t. If the original worked, then that’s all the explanation that was ever necessary. Just be a new story set earlier in the timeline."

Edward Douglas, NY 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."


 So it would seem on most accounts that the new 'Alien' film is a success, if a little predictable. When it comes to a film of this type however, most people hitting the cinema know what they're in for and are paying for the privilege of watching it all over again because it's such a thrill.

There are those complaining because of the film's predictable nature, and it's certainly interesting to discover that viewers will for the first time find out exactly how the xenomorphs are created, but is adding another layer of mythology to the series really a bad thing? That's for each personal fan to decide.

More: Katherine Waterston Discusses Working With Ridley Scott On 'Alien: Covenant'

'Alien: Covenant' hits the big screen in the UK on May 12, before its US release a week later on May 19.