Prometheus (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Prometheus' (directed by Ridley Scott, Alien, Blade Runner) takes place during the final week of the yr. 2093. Doctors Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) & Charlie Holloway (Tom Hardy lookalike, Logan Marshall-Green) are enthusiastic archaeologists who have collected a series of ancient cave paintings (from across the globe) which confirm that an alien race visited Earth more than 3,500 yrs. ago, and seemed to be revered by the humans here. The archaeologists ask: where did they come from, were they our creators, and are these cave paintings an invitation from humanity's forerunners to go find them in outer space? To solve the mysteries of the origin of life on Earth, this archaeologist couple are given passage on Prometheus, a trillion-dollar spacecraft, & the only vehicle capable of taking them to the solar system they have determined is the home of the aliens they are calling our "Engineers".
Meredith Vickers (an icy Charlize Theron) is the manipulative & arrogant exec in charge of the expedition. There are 17 crew members including the ship's captain, Janek (Idris Elba). And overseeing the crew while they're all in a state of hypersleep stasis is David (Michael Fassbender), an android who has his own secret (and haphazard) agenda on this scientific mission. Once they land on this desolate planet (named LV-426), the crew discover an enormous temple filled with underground caverns, strange tubes that sweat a black substance, a giant monolith, & the corpse of a humanoid. But nothing is 'alive'. Early in the expedition, Dr. Shaw & her team decide that the planet seems be the home base of alien "Engineers" who intervened in our early human history. But with the Prometheus crew having invaded this sacred space ... what ensues is a violent & gruesome response by the aliens.
'Prometheus' is one of the most visually astounding films I've ever seen. Darius Wolski's 3D cinematography is a wonder. The epic scope of the barren locales, the pristine ship, the black alien catacombs, the use of shadows ... just magnificent. All the while, Marc Streitenfeld's powerful, yet melodic musical score aids the visuals we see. And Arthur Max (aided by eye-popping special effects) has created an epic world for us to take-in with his majestic production design: Prometheus, the high-tech machinery, the planet, the alien species, etc.. For nothing else, I recommend this film for the awe-inspiring visual & aural experience it affords you.
Now, 'Prometheus' has a few bozo script moments. You'll have to fill-in a few plot holes. And after a spellbinding start, the ending felt a tad rushed. But these flaws result from the filmmakers playing with big ideas, rather than playing it safe. I like that the story deals with piecing together events that lead to the birth of a species, as well as trying to solve mysteries about the motivations of the "Engineers" who came to planet LV-426 in the first place.
As Dr. Shaw, Noomi Rapace undergoes an experience as harrowing as the one forced on Sigourney Weaver in Alien (trust me, it's a holy sh*t moment). We understand what motivates her & respect her survival instincts. Other than her, the most intriguing character is android David, who is played with a cool mixture of curiosity, envy & arrogance by Fassbender, and who models his appearance off of Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia (in a wonderfully atmospheric scene prior to him waking up the crew from hypersleep). In watching 'Prometheus', you're obviously reminded of Alien, but due to the pivotal role of David, I was also reminded of the Replicants in Blade Runner - both of whom long for souls that their inferior human counterparts have.
The most ambitious component of this film is the longing for scientific proof of the origin of humanity ("who are our makers?"). Dr. Shaw hopes that the mission will prove that God(s) created humans. But she & her team are shocked that the aliens have their own clear response to the human outsiders & their answer-less questions. 'Prometheus' is an immersive, exciting, tense, CREEPY, & thought-provoking spectacle. Expectations may vary (sci-fi diehards will likely be disappointed that this movie is not the game-changing, philosophical/horror epic they envisioned), but flaws aside, I found 'Prometheus' to be genuinely satisfying.
Meredith Vickers (an icy Charlize Theron) is the manipulative & arrogant exec in charge of the expedition. There are 17 crew members including the ship's captain, Janek (Idris Elba). And overseeing the crew while they're all in a state of hypersleep stasis is David (Michael Fassbender), an android who has his own secret (and haphazard) agenda on this scientific mission. Once they land on this desolate planet (named LV-426), the crew discover an enormous temple filled with underground caverns, strange tubes that sweat a black substance, a giant monolith, & the corpse of a humanoid. But nothing is 'alive'. Early in the expedition, Dr. Shaw & her team decide that the planet seems be the home base of alien "Engineers" who intervened in our early human history. But with the Prometheus crew having invaded this sacred space ... what ensues is a violent & gruesome response by the aliens.
'Prometheus' is one of the most visually astounding films I've ever seen. Darius Wolski's 3D cinematography is a wonder. The epic scope of the barren locales, the pristine ship, the black alien catacombs, the use of shadows ... just magnificent. All the while, Marc Streitenfeld's powerful, yet melodic musical score aids the visuals we see. And Arthur Max (aided by eye-popping special effects) has created an epic world for us to take-in with his majestic production design: Prometheus, the high-tech machinery, the planet, the alien species, etc.. For nothing else, I recommend this film for the awe-inspiring visual & aural experience it affords you.
Now, 'Prometheus' has a few bozo script moments. You'll have to fill-in a few plot holes. And after a spellbinding start, the ending felt a tad rushed. But these flaws result from the filmmakers playing with big ideas, rather than playing it safe. I like that the story deals with piecing together events that lead to the birth of a species, as well as trying to solve mysteries about the motivations of the "Engineers" who came to planet LV-426 in the first place.
As Dr. Shaw, Noomi Rapace undergoes an experience as harrowing as the one forced on Sigourney Weaver in Alien (trust me, it's a holy sh*t moment). We understand what motivates her & respect her survival instincts. Other than her, the most intriguing character is android David, who is played with a cool mixture of curiosity, envy & arrogance by Fassbender, and who models his appearance off of Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia (in a wonderfully atmospheric scene prior to him waking up the crew from hypersleep). In watching 'Prometheus', you're obviously reminded of Alien, but due to the pivotal role of David, I was also reminded of the Replicants in Blade Runner - both of whom long for souls that their inferior human counterparts have.
The most ambitious component of this film is the longing for scientific proof of the origin of humanity ("who are our makers?"). Dr. Shaw hopes that the mission will prove that God(s) created humans. But she & her team are shocked that the aliens have their own clear response to the human outsiders & their answer-less questions. 'Prometheus' is an immersive, exciting, tense, CREEPY, & thought-provoking spectacle. Expectations may vary (sci-fi diehards will likely be disappointed that this movie is not the game-changing, philosophical/horror epic they envisioned), but flaws aside, I found 'Prometheus' to be genuinely satisfying.