ALIEN: CONVENANT

R, 122 minutes. Niantic, Mystic Luxury Cinemas, Waterford, Stonington Westbrook, Lisbon. The “Alien” franchise has always been battleground for the philosophical and physical tussles for dominance between human, alien and artificial intelligence. While “Alien” set up the themes, character types, and iconography of this universe, 2012’s prequel “Prometheus” established an origin story and philosophy, bringing up questions of faith, spirituality and the risks of creating life. “Alien: Covenant,” once again directed by Ridley Scott, is the second prequel in the series, chronologically following “Prometheus,” and exploring the fallout from the events of that film, while offering a rich terrain for an epic battle between the differing forces in this world. The questions posed in the film are universal, and primal, and easy answers are never forthcoming. The humans in the story are a plucky crew of space explorers; a tight-knit group of couples piloting a ship of colonists to a new planet that holds their dreams of a fresh start and new life. When a random shockwave hits the ship’s solar recharging sails, damage is incurred, lives are lost, and the team is diverted from its course. A rogue, seemingly human, transmission offers the opportunity to explore a closer, previously hidden planet, so they decide to try their luck. Rogue transmissions, planets that seem too good to be true, and a motley crew of space explorers? It sounds a lot like the “Alien” we know. “Covenant” uses the mythology established by “Prometheus” and fuses it with the story and character types of “Alien.” Scott explores