Prometheus
Year: 2012
Director: Ridley
Scott
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael
Fassbender, Guy Pearce
Before I begin my
review….
Honestly, this review for Prometheus is probably one of the
hardest reviews I have ever written.
I’m not
quite sure how to put into words why I have found this so hard to write, but my
actual experience with the film was that I left not knowing how I am supposed
to feel about it. Well maybe that is the wrong way to put it. I left the cinema
and I wasn’t sure whether I liked the film or whether I didn’t like it. I
needed time to gather all the information I had and pile it together to get an
informed opinion. I really didn’t feel like I could write this review if I only
half-heartedly believed that I liked it or didn’t like it. What good is a
review when you are telling people “I’m just writing this review for the sake
of writing a review because I really don’t know whether I like it or not so
therefore I can’t inform you as to whether you should go and see this film or
not”?
My husband and I are big fans of
the original Alien and Aliens and the one big thing I felt like
we missed out on with Prometheus was
I wanted to know more about the aliens which are in these films. If I looked at
it that way, I was going to be disappointed. Ridley Scott has gone about Prometheus from a completely different angle and really,
as a stand alone film, I am very impressed.
So my initial thoughts were that fans of the original were going to be
disappointed.
Yet,
many Alien/ Aliens fans really loved Prometheus. There is really a divided
thought among all the sci fi fans out there. I guess the big thing is that Prometheus is very different compared to
what people, including me, were thinking it was going to be. This is probably
where the disappointment some people are experiencing came from. I see
similarities between Prometheus and Alien,
but it is a different sort of blockbuster than we are used to. I use the word
‘blockbuster’ here because of the massive marketing and promotional activity
surrounding the release of this film. The majority of blockbuster releases are
action films, with the rest of them really being animation. Have you also
noticed that many blockbusters happen to be sequels or prequels? Maybe many of
us where expecting an action packed prequel, and it isn’t that.
I
believe that Prometheus is the thinking
man’s sci-fi film. It does have some pretty spectacular special effects, but
not really any action packed battle sequences. What Ridley Scott wants you to
do is leave the cinema and keep thinking about the film long after you have
left the car park. Considering I left and had to really dissect Prometheus, this worked with me!
So
bottom line is if you want action galore out of Prometheus and those terrifying aliens running everywhere
throughout the film, open your mind a bit before buying your ticket. An open
mind will get you many places.
Review
Prometheus may well be the most highly anticipated movie release of
the year. The question is, does it live up to the expectations installed in us
by the crazy promotional campaigns you have seen at every corner and those
expectations held by Alien fanatics?
The
answer is it definitely depends what you want out of the film and also if you
like to be challenged mentally by a film.
That is
what makes Prometheus such a great
one of a kind film. Ridley Scott may not have given some people the action
packed Alien prequel which some
people were expecting, but he has given us a science fiction that makes you
contemplate some of the questions humanity faces going into the future with
some pretty spectacular special effects and cinematography thrown in.
In the
future, a group of explorers travel on the vessel Prometheus to the far reaches
of the galaxy to where they believe lies the key to finding out where the human
race came from. However, when they arrive there, they realise that unlocking
the secret to human existence also means unleashing danger on the human race in
more than one form.
The
important thing to point out firstly is that Prometheus, even though it is a prequel to Alien, shouldn’t be approached with the mindset that it is going to
be an updated version of Scott’s 1979 Alien.
There are several links to the film, but it is better as a stand alone film
than a link to the Alien films. It is
almost as though Scott has just used the ship that is seen in Alien as a setting for a separate film
that covers a whole set of new factors.
What
makes Prometheus so intriguing is
that it is not merely a film about a ship travelling to an unknown planet and
being met with their dangers. It is a film about the friction between faith and
human engineering, that is, the belief in God creating human life vs the idea
that humans and science are the creators. The way the film pans out with these
two ideas is perfect as both sides are presented in the beliefs of the two of
the main characters, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan
Marshall-Green). The films conclusion shows what these two ideas can result in
as far as human behaviour is concerned.
Scott
does quite a good job in direction. The cinematography is extremely impressive
as is the editing. The script by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof can tend to
lack in parts and although the concept for the film is great, the script can
let it down a bit. Some things aren’t
carried as well by the characters as they should be and there are still some
questions left unanswered. Such as the depth and nature of Meredith Vickers
(Charlize Theron) and Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce). Also Shaw and the “pilot” of
Prometheus, Janek (Idris Elba) seem to form an unbreakable bond in about 2
minutes. One would think a relationship with a result like theirs would take a
bit longer to form.
Scott
couldn’t have possibly assembled a better cast for Prometheus. The three lead actors are three of the best actors
around at the moment and are all having a huge year thus far. Noomi Rapace has
confirmed with this role that she has made the move to English speaking roles
with brilliance. Her character goes through a transformation throughout the
film from being almost timid to being a strong woman and her character development
skills are stunning.
Charlize
Theron is very good as Meredith Vickers. She is a character who you know you
should hate, but it is almost impossible too as she is just so good to watch as
a hard woman.
Michael
Fassbender’s portrayal of the android, David is brilliant. He is such an interesting
character. Yet, he is extremely disturbing. Peter O’Toole will never be seen in
the same light again after David’s imitation of him. The character carries the “Is
he a good guy or is he a bad guy?” tag which is possibly the most intriguing
tag a character can carry.
Guy
Pearce is also very good and almost unrecognisable as the elderly Peter
Weyland.
Prometheus is a win for movie goers who
like to be challenged in their thinking by a film, but like to have it done in
as interesting a way as possible, not just in a film which consists primarily
of two characters sitting on a park bench having a philosophical discussion.
Just
remember, stand alone film. Not an Alien with
2012 technology.
7.5/10
Sources
Itsfilm.com
