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Prometheus Review - "Big things have small beginnings"
13 years ago
Taking a load off.
Who created us?
This question, not matter what your personal beliefs may be, is a fantastic source to launch a story from. This is primary idea behind Ridley Scott's new science-fiction adventure Prometheus, the first entry of a proposed trilogy from the celebrated British director who brought us ALIEN, and Blade Runner. This story detailing a possible origin of mankind follows journey of a research team traveling in a spaceship years away from home in search of their creators. Prometheus is a fantastic looking movie set in the same fictional universe as Ridley Scott's sci-fi/horror classic ALIEN (1979) and uses the mythology suggested by Dan O'Bannon's original script to fashion an entirely new sci-fi adventure.
Prometheus is the name of a trillion dollar research vessel created by Weyland Industries. A science team along with an assorted group of professionals has been recruited to find a planet that has been depicted in numerous cave paintings back on earth. Dr Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace, Sweden's original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [2009]) , and her lover Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshal Green) leads the science team under the critical, cold gaze of Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron). It takes over two years for the Prometheus to reach LV-223, during which the human crew is watched over by David 8 (Michael Fassbender), a highly advanced robotic organism programmed to simulate human life. Once they arrive on LV-223 they discover a structure left behind by the previous inhabitants. There Shaw and her science team searches for the key to mankind's creation, but instead finds a weapon with the potential of destroying all life on Earth.
The break out character of the movie is Michael Fassbender as David 8. We meet David going about his daily routines while the rest of the crew is asleep in one of the best scenes the movie offers in ways of character development. David eats, watches over the crew, plays basketball by himself, learns new languages, and memorizes lines from his favorite movie, Lawrence of Arabia. Here's how I'd describe this character: Imagine if HAL9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey could take human form; if you could see him actually grappling and occasionally hinting at signs of having developed genuine emotions. That is David 8.
As Elizabeth Shaw Noomi Rapace's first leading role in an English-language movie begins shaky, but by the end of the movie she's hit her stride, bringing Elizabeth Shaw to life. Her performance lacks the subtle nuance of her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but it does pack a punch. By the end of the film she does firmly step into her heroine shoes. Charlize Theron's outing as Meredith Vickers is another strong female role who despite not being as well developed as Shaw does carry a strong screen presence with her icy, professional demeanor. Her cut and dry business ethic perfectly clashes with the more investigative, adventuresome Shaw.
A character I liked that not many people talk about as much is the Prometheus's Captain Janek, an underutilized character who had more potential than the movie allowed him. He starts off as an outsider to the worlds of Shaw, Vickers ,and the expedition, but by the end has completely devoted himself to it.
Ridley Scott's stylish direction played a huge part in cementing ALIEN and Blade Runner as two of the movie world's science-fiction masterpieces and there is no doubt that Prometheus is a great looking movie. When Ridley Scott does science-fiction he knows how to make it look right, and that still holds true thirty years after Blade Runner. The full-scale sets are fantastic, there are plenty of great special effects. You shouldn't wait to see this movie on your home television: it needs to be seen on a big screen.
That brings me to 3D. I saw this movie in IMAX 3D, and it is one of the best movies I've seen in 3D...That being said I still fail to see why on earth anyone cares about 3D. I've given Coraline, Avatar, TRON: Legacy, Hugo, and Prometheus a fair chance to dazzle me with this recent development in this "exciting" technology (see: ticket price raising). These are some of the best movies to see 3D in, and yes they look good, but all of them I've also enjoyed just as much, if not better in 2D. If you really are obsessed with 3D then yes, knock yourself out, you're going to have a blast because as far as 3D is concerned Prometheus does make better use of the technology than most other films in the post Avatar boom. But, if you're like me and still aren't sold on 3D this movie will not be an eye opener.
The most important thing one needs to understand before sitting down for Ridley Scott's Prometheus: this is NOT an Alien movie. It takes place in the same universe as Alien, has visual elements of Alien, has locations and even the fledgling evolutionary stage of what will become the monsters of the 1979 classic, but alone Prometheus is not a straight-up ALIEN prequel. Prometheus is a standalone science-fiction adventure, and it is one that in my humble opinion works extraordinarily well. Ridley Scott announced he intends Prometheus to be the first part of a science-fiction trilogy set within the Alien universe. That means you should expect H.R. Giger's infamous monsters to be leaping around. This movie is about the creation of man, with the creation of what ultimately becomes the xenomorphs by the time the Nostromo arrives at LV-426 in the first Alien movie.
Do not go into Prometheus expecting a direct ALIEN prequel. End of story.
I feel I need to clarify that Prometheus is not an Alien movie because too many disappointed, annoyed, or downright angered reviewers are coming down hard on Prometheus for not filling the shows, or delivering the same goods of Ridley Scott's 1979 classic. To go in expecting another Alien movie would be to set yourself up for disappointment. This is Prometheus, part 1 of a new science fiction trilogy. It is not Ridley Scott's ALIEN 2 Electric Boogaloo.
At times Prometheus is a bit in over its head with the scope of its ambition, but at the same time I love this idea of searching for a possible extra-terrestrial root to man's DNA. Sure, the plot has been done several times in books, but only a few times in movies, and I honestly feel Prometheus has done a better job of it than does other films.
Prometheus isn't ALIEN but it is a damn good first step for what could be a great new series. For what it's worth: I loved Prometheus. Even with its flaws.
Here's to the hopes of a brilliant trilogy from Sir Ridley Scott!
This question, not matter what your personal beliefs may be, is a fantastic source to launch a story from. This is primary idea behind Ridley Scott's new science-fiction adventure Prometheus, the first entry of a proposed trilogy from the celebrated British director who brought us ALIEN, and Blade Runner. This story detailing a possible origin of mankind follows journey of a research team traveling in a spaceship years away from home in search of their creators. Prometheus is a fantastic looking movie set in the same fictional universe as Ridley Scott's sci-fi/horror classic ALIEN (1979) and uses the mythology suggested by Dan O'Bannon's original script to fashion an entirely new sci-fi adventure.
Prometheus is the name of a trillion dollar research vessel created by Weyland Industries. A science team along with an assorted group of professionals has been recruited to find a planet that has been depicted in numerous cave paintings back on earth. Dr Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace, Sweden's original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [2009]) , and her lover Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshal Green) leads the science team under the critical, cold gaze of Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron). It takes over two years for the Prometheus to reach LV-223, during which the human crew is watched over by David 8 (Michael Fassbender), a highly advanced robotic organism programmed to simulate human life. Once they arrive on LV-223 they discover a structure left behind by the previous inhabitants. There Shaw and her science team searches for the key to mankind's creation, but instead finds a weapon with the potential of destroying all life on Earth.
The break out character of the movie is Michael Fassbender as David 8. We meet David going about his daily routines while the rest of the crew is asleep in one of the best scenes the movie offers in ways of character development. David eats, watches over the crew, plays basketball by himself, learns new languages, and memorizes lines from his favorite movie, Lawrence of Arabia. Here's how I'd describe this character: Imagine if HAL9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey could take human form; if you could see him actually grappling and occasionally hinting at signs of having developed genuine emotions. That is David 8.
As Elizabeth Shaw Noomi Rapace's first leading role in an English-language movie begins shaky, but by the end of the movie she's hit her stride, bringing Elizabeth Shaw to life. Her performance lacks the subtle nuance of her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but it does pack a punch. By the end of the film she does firmly step into her heroine shoes. Charlize Theron's outing as Meredith Vickers is another strong female role who despite not being as well developed as Shaw does carry a strong screen presence with her icy, professional demeanor. Her cut and dry business ethic perfectly clashes with the more investigative, adventuresome Shaw.
A character I liked that not many people talk about as much is the Prometheus's Captain Janek, an underutilized character who had more potential than the movie allowed him. He starts off as an outsider to the worlds of Shaw, Vickers ,and the expedition, but by the end has completely devoted himself to it.
Ridley Scott's stylish direction played a huge part in cementing ALIEN and Blade Runner as two of the movie world's science-fiction masterpieces and there is no doubt that Prometheus is a great looking movie. When Ridley Scott does science-fiction he knows how to make it look right, and that still holds true thirty years after Blade Runner. The full-scale sets are fantastic, there are plenty of great special effects. You shouldn't wait to see this movie on your home television: it needs to be seen on a big screen.
That brings me to 3D. I saw this movie in IMAX 3D, and it is one of the best movies I've seen in 3D...That being said I still fail to see why on earth anyone cares about 3D. I've given Coraline, Avatar, TRON: Legacy, Hugo, and Prometheus a fair chance to dazzle me with this recent development in this "exciting" technology (see: ticket price raising). These are some of the best movies to see 3D in, and yes they look good, but all of them I've also enjoyed just as much, if not better in 2D. If you really are obsessed with 3D then yes, knock yourself out, you're going to have a blast because as far as 3D is concerned Prometheus does make better use of the technology than most other films in the post Avatar boom. But, if you're like me and still aren't sold on 3D this movie will not be an eye opener.
The most important thing one needs to understand before sitting down for Ridley Scott's Prometheus: this is NOT an Alien movie. It takes place in the same universe as Alien, has visual elements of Alien, has locations and even the fledgling evolutionary stage of what will become the monsters of the 1979 classic, but alone Prometheus is not a straight-up ALIEN prequel. Prometheus is a standalone science-fiction adventure, and it is one that in my humble opinion works extraordinarily well. Ridley Scott announced he intends Prometheus to be the first part of a science-fiction trilogy set within the Alien universe. That means you should expect H.R. Giger's infamous monsters to be leaping around. This movie is about the creation of man, with the creation of what ultimately becomes the xenomorphs by the time the Nostromo arrives at LV-426 in the first Alien movie.
Do not go into Prometheus expecting a direct ALIEN prequel. End of story.
I feel I need to clarify that Prometheus is not an Alien movie because too many disappointed, annoyed, or downright angered reviewers are coming down hard on Prometheus for not filling the shows, or delivering the same goods of Ridley Scott's 1979 classic. To go in expecting another Alien movie would be to set yourself up for disappointment. This is Prometheus, part 1 of a new science fiction trilogy. It is not Ridley Scott's ALIEN 2 Electric Boogaloo.
At times Prometheus is a bit in over its head with the scope of its ambition, but at the same time I love this idea of searching for a possible extra-terrestrial root to man's DNA. Sure, the plot has been done several times in books, but only a few times in movies, and I honestly feel Prometheus has done a better job of it than does other films.
Prometheus isn't ALIEN but it is a damn good first step for what could be a great new series. For what it's worth: I loved Prometheus. Even with its flaws.
Here's to the hopes of a brilliant trilogy from Sir Ridley Scott!
HOLD ON I'M FUCKING DYING AHAHAHA