‘Alien: Covenant’ course-corrects and serves up the gore

It’s been a long time since the word “alien” has been associated with fear and dread in the world of cinema, but all that looks to change with the release of “Alien: Covenant.”

The new prequel takes place years before the events of the 1979 original starring Sigourney Weaver, and plants the seeds of where the titular creature comes from. Set a decade after the events of the 2012 film “Prometheus,” “Covenant” follows the colonization ship of the same name as it charts a course to an unexplored planet.

Unforeseen events lead the team of colonists to another planet that looks habitable, but—naturally—houses terrifying secrets and dangers that will spell doom for all.

In many ways, "Alien: Covenant" succeeds where "Prometheus" sort of failed—answering where the Xenomorphs came from.

The film however takes its time to set up this explanation, with much of the first half dedicated to introducing the new cast of characters, led by Katherine Waterson of “Fantastic Beasts” fame and “Watchmen” star Billy Crudup, who are phenomenal in their own right as space settlers in the wrong place and time.

Michael Fassbender reprises his role of David and play a new synthetic, Walter, and he carries the movie. Once it's time to show the beasts, "Covenant" delivers a gorefest and reminds us that the franchise is still full of potential scares that the unknown in space can provide.

If you’re an "Alien" fan, Ridley Scott’s new tale will supply some answers yet leave more questions in your head once all is said and done. It’s a film that course-corrects things to keep the franchise in line, but it’s best to see this after watching the original films, "Prometheus," and the Prologue chapters. Overall, it’s a serviceable horror science fiction film that revisits tradition for a new generation. — BM, GMA News

"Alien: Covenant" opens in theaters in the Philippines on May 10.