The ending, begging you to be surprised but just sucking all of the excitement out of the action packed air because you know what is coming, takes the movie down a lot. The start of the film was great, promising something that blended Prometheus and its philosophical side with a bit more horror. However, it all derails.
Additionally, you never get the sense of fear from daring stunts or horrifying sights that you would expect, like you got from the original Alien. You are seeing awful things and witnessing daring stunts, but the characters aren’t responding as if that is what is going on.
I’m really bothered by Covenant in a similar way to Prometheus, it is so damn uneven in its executions. What ultimately hurts the movie most though is the former, you cannot build suspense for so long on something that is so obvious.
I will say that the aesthetic of the franchise feels more realized here than in Prometheus. Plus, just like in Prometheus, there are a couple of scenes that are cool on their own.