Prometheus
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba
Running Time: 2 hrs 4 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: June 8, 2012
PLOT: A scientific team explores a far away moon that can sustain life. They're looking for answers to mankind's origins, but instead discover something that could destroy everyone.
WHO'S IT FOR? Fans of Alien and adult science fiction. It is a film that asks a lot of questions within this movie universe, but might not give all the answers fans seek.
EXPECTATIONS: This kind of surprised me, but I was more excited for this film than any other in 2012 so far, even The Avengers. I managed to avoid the trailer completely and had just rewatched Alien. I was pumped. While the marketing is ambiguous, this is definitely part of the ALIENverse, and has prequel elements.
SCORECARD (0-10)
ACTORS:
Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw: She's not Sigourney Weaver's Ripley. Get over that thought right now. Those are big, beautiful shoes to fill and it appears the jury is still out on exactly where Elizabeth will end up. What I can say is, this is a huge leap for Rapace from her waste of a Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows character. Here, her motivation seems to be one content on discovery, but then eventually shifting to wanting answers. That's not nearly as exciting as a very difficult medical procedure she's intimately involved with. Score: 8
Michael Fassbender as David: It's not a spoiler to say this, because the movie let's you know within the first five minutes of Fassbender's character … David is a robot. Fassbender seems to embody this even better than his sexaholic character in Shame. David does a ton of confusing things, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I loved not knowing if he was a villain or savior. Score: 9
Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers and Idris Elba as Janek: More please. In both regards I wanted them on screen a lot more. For most of the film, it didn't seem like Meredith (the character) needed to be in the film, but Theron is great as a very no-nonsense semi-leader. Janek is the ship's captain, and comes across as the heart and soul of the crew. Score: 8
Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland: I don't get the point of Pearce. I'm not talking about his career. He's a brilliant character actor, and I can't wait for him to grow old with hundreds of more roles. I just didn't need to see him coated in old-man makeup. It seems to me that this is just Scott proving he and his team can do wonders with aging prosthetics. Yippee? Score: 5
Rest of Cast: I really enjoyed the presence of the whole crew. I didn't recognize Logan Marshall-Green as Charlie Holloway, but I want to see more of him. I'm not saying we should anoint him as our next superstar, but it would be better than Sam Worthington, right? Rafe Spall continues to do good work as a comedic sidekick. Paring him up with Sean Harris works out for the scares and laughs. Score: 8
TALKING: There are big questions, with very questionable answers. Some will love this, others will hate. At this point, I'm keeping an open mind. It feels very similar to a "Lost" episode, which makes sense since Damon Lindelof is involved with both. Score: 7
SIGHTS: I forgot how awesome it is to see adult science fiction on the big screen. Yes, all "adult" means sometimes is that it's a slower pace. The technology used absolutely seems like an evolution in our society. I even love that characters still smoke (which keeps true to Alien when it seems everyone is lighting up). Also, I want one of those future hoodies that Millburn was wearing. Score: 10
SOUNDS: Some of that fantastic Alien score makes its way into this film. I loved all of the sound effects, and Scott used silent very well for the handful of scares in the film. Score: 8
PLOT SPOILERS
BEST SCENE: That insane medical procedure performed by Elizabeth. It was creepy, cool, and very interesting to see something like that is possible in the world of these science fiction films.
ENDING: As a stand alone film, the ending fails. I guess this is just the beginning.
QUESTIONS: There must be a scene missing between Elizabeth performing that medical procedure and not even mentioning it with Weyland. Are we going to know why David did everything he did and what he knew beforehand? Or is the purpose of David simply a character who experiments to understand his surroundings? This isn't a question, it's a statement ... I think Meredith is an android and still alive.
REWATCHABILITY: I will be seeing this film again in four days. I'm taking my wife, who hates anything scary. We'll see if I'm in trouble or not. I'm very curious if I feel like I get questions answered or feel like the movie fails in that regard.
OVERALL
The pacing and path are very similar to Scott's Alien. It's methodical in its beginning, and slowly ramps up throughout the film. I think that is a good thing. I also loved sitting through this film, even though the third act gets very messy. Scott beats George Lucas in this regard. He went back to material that is adored, expanded the universe, and did it in a way that has me wanting more.
The movie actually made me think of The Matrix Reloaded. I don't know about you, but I had a million exciting theories after I saw that film. It made me think of all of the possibilities to come. Was Neo inside a double matrix? I couldn't wait to find out. It made me think. It wasn't until I saw The Matrix Revolution that I realized Reloaded was simply loaded with a bunch of nonsense (and eye candy). Prometheus could be starting something great. I can't wait to be back in this ALIENverse and I love that it has expanded beyond one character (Ripley). Here's the thing, I'm ready to love the next (if we get one) and I'm also ready to be totally let down. It could happen either way. I'm shocked Scott didn't let Prometheus be a stand alone film, and I'm not talking about the fact that it is definitely a prequel to Alien.
I want more, even though I'm a little worried about what I might get.
FINAL SCORE: 8/10