Crafting a good prequel film can be tricky. While it is exciting to see backstories of fan-favorite characters or the genesis of a cinematic world, the audience usually knows the outcome of the film.

They're baaaaack, and as peevish as ever. Well, not exactly. To say that the nasty aliens in Ridley Scott's eponymous franchise have returned is wrong. His new movie, "Alien: Covenant," is a prequel, ...