Prometheus

Prometheus

Postby meezookeewee » Sun Jun 10, 2012 3:25 pm


Ridley Scott. The man who directed one of the most terrifying science fiction movies ever, returns to science fiction after 30 years. During that 30 years, Scott has directed some of the most spectacular films ever made: Blade Runner, Legend, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven. Ridley Scott knows how make an awesome movie. His real breakthrough was Alien, which was released in 1979. Described as "Texas Chainsaw Massacre in space," Alien took us on a terrifying journey into the dark, bringing us face to face with one of the most terrifying creatures put on screen. Being a huge success, Alien spawned three sequels, two spinoffs, several video-games and hundreds of books and graphic novels. After 4 movies, the series started to stagnate, and was eventually pushed to the back-burner. A couple of years ago, Fox announced it was working on a prequel to Alien. Intriguing, but didn't sound like a good idea. Then they got Ridley Scott involved, and THAT got me interested. What started out as a prequel eventually became something very different.

The film opens in 2089 on an island off the shores of Scotland, where two scientists make an incredible discovery. Dr. Elizabeth Shaw(Noomi Rapace) and her beau, Charlie Holloway(Logan Marshall-Green) discover ancient cave paintings indicating that life on earth may have been created by other-worldly beings. 4 years later, an expedition into space is underway, headed by an icy businesswoman, Meredith Vickers(Charlize Theron). Also along for the ride is android, David(Michael Fassbender), who has his own reasons for being there. They eventually discover the planet where they might meet this race of beings, called Engineers. They soon discover ruins that appear to be eerily similar to ancient ruins on Earth. To say anymore would be to spoil the movie, and I certainly won't risk it. What I will say that there are twists and turns in the story that you may not see coming, and others that you might. One of the questions people have asked if it is tied to Alien in anyway and the answer is yes. It takes place in the same universe as Alien, but as to Prometheus' connection to the original film? I won't say. What I will say, is that there are several directions an inevitable sequel could go.

Acting-wise, it's pretty strong across the board, with Noomi Rapace taking top-billing as Dr. Shaw. There's a scene involving her and some medical machinery that has to be seen to be believed. She throws herself into the role. Charlize Theron, plays the requisite corporate scumbag, but she doesn't seem nearly as evil as she appears. She's a bit of a mystery. The real standout of the film, though is Michael Fassbender as the android. I don't think there's anything else I can say about Michael other than to say he's quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. The other actors are pretty much disposable. Visually, this film is spectacular. From the opening montage to the storm on the planet to the Engineers themselves, this is a dark film that's heavily influenced by H.R. Giger's work. A lot of the ship designs and environments that you see from Alien show up here, particularly the Space Jockey design. So, visually, it ties in with Alien in many ways, but it also manages to be different from Alien. The ship, the Prometheus is far more advanced than the Nostromo, which was designed to be flown by "truckers." The Prometheus is clearly a scientific vessel, so the sets are far more sterile and stylistic than the Nostromo.

Now, the pacing of the film is kind of slow, but it's allowing us to get to know the main characters. The pacing may be off-putting to some who are expecting a more action-packed thril ride. While it's definitely a thriller, it's not balls-to-the-wall. It's deliberately paced, much like Alien, so the tension can build. Ridley Scott is a master of building tension. Another issue is that the film asks questions, but few of them are answered. I feel that's appropriate for this film, because it instills a sense of mystery. I mean, if you're asking questions about creation, you might find some answers, sure. But you may not like some of those answers, and I think that's what Ridley Scott was trying to do with Prometheus. This is definitely a sci-fi movie to be sure, but it also hits the right notes in terms of horror as well. It's dark, it's creepy and its not particularly clean. Is it gory? Not gratuitously, as there are certain scenes that get fairly graphic.

I have to admit, ever since hearing about Prometheus, my expectations have been all over the board. Is it an Alien movie or not? The answer, quite simply is yes AND no. On the one hand, there is definitely a connection to the first film, and it's not particularly subtle about it. On the other hand, it ventures into different territory altogether, and it works as both an Alien prequel-of-sorts and as a completely stand-alone film. It's not necessarily required that you watch the Alien movies to get what's going on in Prometheus, but what you get out of it may depend upon whether or not you've seen the previous films. This is not going to be a movie for everyone. It may be too slow for the adrenaline junkies, and it may not be Alien-centric enough for fans of the Alien series. But what we DO have here is a very solid sci-fi movie that has the potential to go in different directions depending on who directs a sequel, and I truly believe there will be. Will there be another Alien movie centered around the xenomorph that was featured in the previous movies? At this point, it's up in the air. Prometheus could very well give Alien a much-needed shot in the arm. Ridley Scott's first science fiction movie in 30 years manages to impress on every level. Great acting, with some interesting twists and turns in the story and a definite nod to Alien make this an experience that really needs to be seen on the big screen. While I'm certain there will be a director's cut on Blu-Ray sometime in the future, I think Prometheus is excellent as it is. Overall, I give it a solid 9/10. It's one that's worth checking out.