If the originalStar Warsopened in theaters for the first time tomorrow, it wouldnt becomeStar Wars.
And yet…its utterly perfect.
Thats part of the genius ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens.
20th Century Fox
Director J.J. Abrams threaded needle of a film is both modern and retro.
(Got all that?)
Covenantpicks up some of the mythological threads that Prometheus puts down, but the setup is a throwback.
Has the dude never seenAlien?)
The result is something that certainly looks likeAlien.
Whats most remarkable, however, is thatCovenantfeels likeAlien, much likeThe Force Awakensfeels likeStar Wars.
There are drawbacks, though.
This isnt the shockingly new blast of space-born terror that audiences discovered nearly four decades ago.
Its a rerun, but a damn good one.
ButAlien: Covenantis fun and builds a compelling case for venturing out to an actual theater.
The audience laughs because it doesnt know what else to do with its terror.
Nervous giggles ripple through the crowd like whatever thing is crawling under that sick guys skin.
We root for Waterstons Daniels, the new tough-as-nails brunette, to kill that thing!
Youre not just watching a movie next to strangers.
Youre in this together.
So maybe Hollywood cant really make them like they used to, but theres a way to come close.
