Release Date: June 8, 2012
Rated: R
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Horror
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Charlize Theron
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer(s): Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof
Running Time: 124 minutes
Synopsis: At the end of the 21st century, a pair of archaeologists uncover a pattern in the paintings and sculptures of many unrelated ancient societies: a distant star system. Backed by elderly billionaire Peter Weyland, the crew of the Prometheus are assembled to travel to the system’s only inhabitable planet and search for answers regarding mankind’s origins. But the crew soon find that they may have discovered more than they bargained for…
“Now that the world has seen my penis, it’s people shall submit to me.”
Ridley Scott is a fantastic director; I’ve loved nearly every film I’ve seen of his. While he is more than apt in most genres, I would argue that he is a master of science fiction. 1979′s Alien—only his second film I might add—is still regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. His follow-up to that film, 1982′s Blade Runner, is one of my all-time favorite films and a glorious blend of sci-fi and film noir. Both films are critically acclaimed and worshipped by geeks like myself the world over, but Scott didn’t make another sci-fi film after those—until now. Thirty goddamned years later, Ridley comes home and it was well worth the wait.
Hm… I wonder what this could be a precursor to…
Right out of the gate I want to go ahead and confirm what you already know—this is absolutely a prequel to Alien. That’s not a spoiler; if you’ve seen the trailers and the first two films in the Alien franchise then you already knew what was up. There’s been a lot of speculation that Prometheus “takes place in the same universe, but creates it’s own mythology”. Don’t let that fool you, that newly-created mythology only reinforces the existing Alien lore and turns some of aspects of it on it’s head—and it’s awesome. For instance—and I promise I’m not going to ruin anything for you—that giant elephant-looking alien who’s corpse is found in Alien? You’re going to get a revelation regarding that, and it’s going to make your brain shit tumors. For an Alien fan, like myself, this film is the answer to many questions you’ve had; for someone who the only aliens they know are E.T. or ALF, this is still a great sci-fi film but you’re going leave the theater with your underwear significantly less sticky.
Look how cute she is in her little spacesuit!
The writing in Prometheus is fantastic; Spaihts and Lindelof really capture the tone of the film’s predecessors while still giving it a fresh and original spin. There’s some really intense moments here, especially one scene involving emergency surgery(I could’ve sworn I heard someone gagging behind me and thus I was merely seconds away from being showered with hot beer and undigested nachos). The film does start out slow—although completely engaging the entire time—but once you get about a third of the way in, the shit hits the fan and things go into high gear. The cast really keep the momentum up as well; a very capable ensemble including Noomi Rapace(so dreamy!), Michael Fassbender(he’s dreamy too! Ahem, or so the ladies have told me…), Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron. All the actors involved were phenomenal, but I really have to tip my hat to Rapace, Fassbender, and Elba. Noomi really brought heart and courage to the character of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, and Fassbender completely owned the film as the android David—at times I found myself wondering if the actor was a damn robot himself. Elba ended up being my favorite character though as the incredibly likeable and funny captain of the Prometheus.
I can see I’m not the only person who had a happy “accident” during the film’s conclusion.
Prometheus is proof that Ridley Scott hasn’t lost his uniquely creepy touch that has been long missed in the realm of science fiction. He’s on his game here, big time, and I’d go as far to say that this came very close to rivaling his original sci-fi opus. If you are a fan of the Alien franchise or science fiction in general, you’re going to have a blast with Prometheus. The film—much like the ship that shares it’s title—is a technological marvel to behold and will keep you enthralled and, at times, squirming in anticipation. I do have to say that even though this was shot in 3-D, the effect is very standard and not overly spectacular, so it’s up to you if you want to pony up the extra cash. I can say, with confidence, that anyway you choose to watch Prometheus will be a wise choice.
