Prometheus Review

In the year 2089, a group of scientists and archaeologists have unearthed a "star map" which connects multiple ancient cultures, including those foreign to that of mankind. They set out on board the spaceship codenamed "Prometheus" in search of who left the map for humanity to discover. This may lead to the origins of mankind itself, or it may lead to our own demise...




Alright, I'm absolutely SURE you're familiar with this film by now. The marketing has been near impossible to miss, and this is director Ridley Scott's first foray back into the science fiction genre since Blade Runner. Heck, it's even a prequel (though he himself won't officially state it) to his 1979 classic Alien. But does the film live up to all that monumental hype and anticipation? Well, yes and no.

(Note: I will NOT try and spoil anything for this review)

Now, before we get things started, yes this DOES have a connection to Alien, despite what Scott himself might say. You'd have to be either blind or have never seen the original film to argue it. There are nods aplenty to it scattered throughout, and those with a keen eye and good memory will be able to spot them. The special effects and visual effects in this are absolutely astonishing at times, as is some of the cinematography. There is a certain mix of fascination and hesitation that is prevalent without being too overbearing or discombobulating. The moments of suspense and horror that pop up may perhaps shock you or at the very least, make you cringe in your seat. Exploring a unique mythology in a universe that constantly surprises you almost makes you able to ignore the film's shortcomings.

This brings me to the main flaws with Prometheus, and that is the script. There are no real gripes with plot holes, nor are there any with the acting. My main problem was the characters, or rather, lack thereof. There are SEVENTEEN people aboard the "Prometheus" and that is just way too many for a film that barely runs over two hours. The original Alien had only seven characters for you to remember, and none of them were particularly close to cannon fodder. They were all fairly well developed, well written, and distinctive. I can't say the same for this cast. Outside of Michael Fassbender (the best character in the film in my humble opinion) and Noomi Rapace (whose character does grow a slight bit), everybody is a cardboard cutout of a character. Even the greats like Idris Elba and Charlize Theron (hottest African woman ever?) are borrowing queues from the Big Book of Cliches. Then again, I suppose I can't expect much from the writer of 2011's critically panned The Darkest Hour and the producer of the horrendously disappointing Cowboys & Aliens when they're put in charge of writing remotely interesting human beings. It won't necessarily bring down your overall enjoyment of the film, but it may keep it stuck as an "okay" to "good" film rather than a "great" one.

The editing in this film also had me upset. Prior to watching Scott's film tonight, I viewed James Cameron's Director's Cut of Aliens again. It's astonishing to see how you can improve an already outstanding film by adding in lost/cut footage, especially considering that it doesn't work all the time (I'm looking at you Donnie Darko). I would adore seeing a director's cut of this project, as I'm curious as to how much was left on the cutting room floor. Perhaps some proper character introductions and development? Or even more explanation about what our team discovers later while exploring caverns on the undisclosed (and unnamed) planet?

Whatever the case, I still enjoyed this film quite a bit. I'm not quite sure how the general audience reaction will turn out to be after this weekend, though I've already heard very mixed feelings from all sides. Some saying they think it might be "too smart" for it to truly do well, others saying that it is "The Phantom Menace" of the Alien franchise (to which I say, if you think this is worse than Alien Resurrection or either of the Vs. films, you should hesitate when it comes to breeding). Just be forewarned: it is NOT in the same vein as Alien, and you are setting yourself up for massive disappointment if you expect it to be. It's its own little unique sort of monster (pun possibly intended...aw crap, was that a spoiler?). Go see it for yourself and let me know what you think.