Prometheus Review

Talk about being big headed...

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender
Release: May/June 2012
Rating: 8/10

Born from the ashes of the Alien franchise, a Ressurection, if you will, Prometheus holds some obvious strands of Alien DNA, but stands tall on its own as well. As Ridley Scott's first Sci-Fi film since Bladerunner, anticipations were high, and I must say the film did not disappoint. While it isn't groundbreaking in any particular way, the combination of the special effects, performances, the musical score, and the dialogue, all combined to make a very entertaining film.

The story itself begins on earth, with a humanoid alien destroying his own body to seed life on our planet. As his body degenerates, it spreads down a waterfall, the camera following as the screen fades to black, and the title, Prometheus, is constructed on screen the same as Alien's was 33 years ago.

Flash forward to 2089 and we're introduced to two new characters, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), archaeologists who've discovered an ancient star map in Scotland which matches others in existence. Peter Weyland, founder of what would become the Weyland-Yutani corporation, funds their journey to the distant moon LV-223. After some initial interactions and explorations The Prometheus crew explore a cave on this disturbingly artificial planet and find more than they bargained for...

From the get go we're given time to acclimatize with the characters. Of them all, five are given enough depth to be more than stock characters and we do see them adapt and flow with the circumstances they find themselves in. The script itself is quite well written however there was one bone of contention: Early on in the film we're shown an 'autodoc' table in Vicker's private quarters which *COUGH COUGH OBVIOUS CHECKOV'S GUN COUGH* simply is not programmed to do what it needs to. It's almost as if the gods/screenwriters are against their own characters in cruel and unusual ways.

The only disappointment in the film was that it wasn't scary in any way. Sure, it was a bit grotesque (but still not gory enough), but all the horrors were in the light, out in the open. The film lacked the sense of tension that Alien and Aliens have. To be fair, I never found any of the other films scary either, but it would have been nice to be scared by this one.

That said, while the film raised many questions of its own, it answered few, if any, that fans of the series have been wondering for decades. Despite this the film presents a compelling package: The music adds to the suspense, and hightens the pathos of particular moments without reaching melodrama, while the special effects are stunning; with some of the best 3D holographic effects yet. If it isn't too late to see Prometheus, go watch it in 3D. Otherwise buy it on 3D; it's honestly that good to watch.

Note: Originally written for Comikkazee (Yes bloggers, I'm cheating on you ;)