Prometheus... A film almost everyone has been looking forward to ever since it was announced just as an
Alien prequel. A film that might just answer all those questions you have about the Space Jockey, xenomorphs, etc... If you are going to see this film
just for that, you will be disappointed. But, if you are looking for a interesting and complex story that will make you think hard, a story that deals with Gods, creation of race and death, then this is a film for you. More below... I'm a huge fan of
Alien. I've watched it many, many times. So, when I heard that Ridley Scott is coming back to direct a new science fiction, and that it will be a prequel to
Alien, I was very excited, but also very nervous. You see, Scott has been talking about the Space Jockeys for some time now. He wanted to make a film where they are the center of the story, because in all those
Alien sequels, no one explored them. And as the time passed, studio and even Scott himself have said that it won't be a direct prequel, but it will share the same DNA. And let me tell you this...
Prometheus is indeed a film that is set in that universe, but it's a whole different story. I've seen
Prometheus twice so far, and it's a film that leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions, where you have to speculate... a lot. While we do get answers to some of the questions regarding Space Jockeys (the Engineers), it seems that many don't like this film because it's not what they wanted to see, in terms of getting as much details as possible. The script, which was written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof is quite bizzare, as it deals with truly big ideas, but it takes all that in a totally different direction than you are expecting. The film opens with a rather amazing sequence, and from that point on, it starts to get weird... in a good way. Now, I could go on and on about my theories, like what was that "creation scene," who exactly are the Engineers, etc... but I'm going to leave that for another time because all that would be just speculation, as we never really get a definitive answer about anything. And you know, that might actually be a good thing. I saw the film for the first time on Friday, and when it was over, I had a very long discussion with a friend about it, and then I realized that this was film's intention. To make everyone who has seen it talk about it, think about it and of course, speculate. While I really liked it the first time I saw it, there was something that made me want to see it again. So, I went yesterday and watched it one more time.
So what did I think of it? It's good, really, really good. The direction is perfect. Scott has an eye for a visual tone for his films, and that shows. Every frame is carefully planned, and this is one of the most great-looking films ever made. Just stunning. This is his third science fiction film in his career, and he already changed the genre with
Blade Runner and
Alien. I'm actually glad he went back to this universe, because there is MUCH more to this story, than what we have seen in
Alien films. And I definitely want to see more of this story. As for the performances, Noomi Rapace is great as usual, and her character goes through a lot towards the end. There is a scene that justifies that R rating, involving a surgery table and a C-section. It's crazy. Michael Fassbender gives a brilliant performance as android David, he is just so good. He plays this character that doesn't have any emotions, and yet, there are moments where you see that David feels anger, and sometimes even embarrassment (when Weyland says how he doesn't have a soul for example). David is an interesting character for many reasons, and Fassbender absolutely steals the show. Logan Marshall-Green, who plays another scientist, was really good, and there is a very emotional/insane scene with his character that changes the course of the film. Idris Elba and Charlize Theron were good, I just wish they had some more to do in the film. Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland is rather interesting casting, mostly because Weyland is an old man in the film, so Pearce has a lot of make up. Pearce brought that little something to the character that I think Scott wanted to see. Other actors were all solid, including Rafe Spall and Sean Harris. The story deals with big ideas. The creation of life, destruction and death. When we first see that Engineer drinking the black goo, we know something went terribly wrong, but also something good happened. A new DNA was created, a living organism that will change the future. And while you may not get all of the answers that you were hoping for, the film explains just enough to keep the audience interested in possible sequels. And this is where a lot people won't like
Prometheus. Like I mentioned above, it asks a lot questions, and yet it doesn't give any answers. It's all speculation, but I guess I liked it because of that. Think
Inception, with a lot more stuff going on. One thing that I didn't like was how characters reacted to stuff that were happening around them. When 'Milburn' saw that snake-like creature, he tried to touch it more than once. I mean, he didn't know anything about it, and when it attacked him, he was all surprised about it. And before that, he and 'Fifield' saw a bunch of Engineers dead. I mean, it just doesn't make a lot of sense. Also, another moment that was weird for me was when Shaw (Rapace's character) told Janek (Idris Elba) that if they don't stop the Engineer leaving LV-223 in his
ship, there won't be any home to go back to, he and those two guys just decide to take down the Engineer's ship, and therefore killing themselves. I mean, it's a key moment of the film, but it's executed in a weird. I know they had to make the decision very fast, but I don't know... It didn't work for me. There is even a joke during that moment regarding the bet those two guys made before.
To move on, I'll finish this review by mentioning the Engineers, aka the Space Jockeys. In the film, it's said that we share the same DNA as them. Now, I know Scott said in one interview that the opening sequence of the film doesn't necessarily has to be Earth (it is never said where it takes place), but when you look at the whole film, Earth is the most logical place. Because when that Engineer dies, he falls into
water, which is the important element here. So, why exactly do the Engineers want to kill us now? What happened? Those are the questions that never get answered, and
Prometheus heavily relies on the sequel. And I want to see more of these films. But like I said, a lot of people won't share the same opinion on this matter, which is fine. Also, the final shot of the film is a great nod for the fans of this franchise. Overall,
Prometheus is an ambitious film, with stunning production design, some great performances and a story that deals with a heavy subject matter, and it's just too big for one film. At times, it reminded me of
2001: A Space Odyssey, which is never a bad thing. In the end,
Prometheus for me is a visually stunning, brutal and complicated space epic. And when the time comes, and it will, film will be remembered in good light.
RATING: 8.5/10
Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba and Logan Marshall-Green,
Prometheus is now in theatres!