Prometheus has to be one of the most anticipated sci-fi movies of all time, with the great Ridley Scott returning to - as the official blurb states - the genre he helped define. Comparisons to Scott's original Alien are inevitable and unavoidable, but I found Prometheus to be even more removed from that classic as we had been led to believe - and it turns out that is both a blessing and a curse.
The story begins with Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and her partner Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discovering the final piece in a series of cave painting puzzles they believe will lead the way to discovering the creators of humanity - in essence, "God". We then jump straight to the space mission to go pay a visit to these beings, and meet the crew of The Prometheus. In possibly my favorite sequence from the movie, David the android (Michael Fassbender) busies himself by bleaching his hair and watching Lawrence Of Arabia while the rest of the crew are in stasis. When the crew awake it's debriefing time, and Meredith Vickers (a gorgeously icy Charlize Theron) makes it very clear that she's in charge, and has no faith in them finding what they are looking for. Of course once they suit up and head into the strange temple they find on the planet, they do. But it is nothing like they, or us as an audience, expect.
ok, lets get the
Alien compare and contrasts out of they way. Where
Prometheus is similar is the basic set up - crew lands on a planet, one of them gets infected, nastiness ensues. The story also clearly exists in the same universe and does eventually tie into Scott's original. But tonally it actually couldn't be more different.
Prometheus jettisons the claustrophobic terror of
Alien in favor of attempting to tell a much deeper story. And in many ways it succeeds, but unfortunately lacks a bit of tension in doing so. This might also have something to do with the flimsy characters. With the exception of Shaw, David and maybe Idris Elba's likable pilot, this lot really are a disposable bunch of "wait to dies". Whereas the crew of The Nostromo were all fully formed and distinctly real people. Of course there were only six of them, and over double that here, but still, paired down numbers and more time to get to know them would have been beneficial. Also, because of the lofty themes and ideas we are presented with, things do get a bit complicated/confusing. Truth be told I think some may wonder how much they don't quite get and how much just plain doesn't make a lick of sense! But to elaborate any further there would take us too far into spoiler territory.
But where
Prometheus excels is with the visuals. It is hands down one of the most gorgeous looking movies I have ever seen, and is also one of only a handful that benefits from being shown in 3D. The CGI and creature effects are also top notch, both being employed brilliantly for the most intense and uncomfortable scene. Performances are mostly fine, with Michael Fassbender once again walking away with the movie as the creepy android David. Idris Elba is also on form but just like in
Thor screams for more screen time. Theron plays her part well, but is the victim of a pretty daft decision involving her character. Unfortunately Noomi Rapace is the weak link as our main protagonist. She shines in some scenes, but falls totally flat in others - due in no small part to a bit of ropey dialog admittedly.
Does it match up to Alien? No, but what does or could? Prometheus doesn't try to, and mostly succeeds in branching out to tell a brand new story. Flawless looking, mysterious and at times as sublime as it is baffling. If you are expecting a non-stop Alien fright-fest though you will be disappointed, this movie wants to stimulate your brain as well as your adrenaline glands. Seemingly destined to be misunderstood by a whole lot of people, Prometheus will definitely reward repeat viewings.