“Alien: Covenant” is well done if all too familiar.

Ridley Scott is one of the greatest filmmakers working today. So why does “Alien: Covenant” feel so “been there, done that”? All the tropes from the franchise are there – face huggers, acidic blood, a plucky female heroine – but little is done to make them feel truly fresh. Scott’s heart seems to lie with the philosophical arguments about man vs. god explored, but clichéd horror action keeps getting in his way. Characters act incredibly dumb and die, plot twists are telegraphed a mile away, and the audience is left laughing or groaning instead of being terrified. And despite impeccable production values and smart turns by Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterson, this prequel could have used more of what those alien double mouths have - more bite.