Fans of the Alien franchise went nuts when they heard that Ridley Scott and H.R. Giger were teaming up once more to make a new film. Originally thought and expected to be a direct sequel to the Alien series, the project, like it’s story, underwent evolution and change. The final product was labeled as being “in the same universe as the Alien mythology,” but not being directly related to the series. I think that Scott decided to tell a different story and just have the creature Giger designed be a small part of it. The result of these efforts would undoubtedly be something to see.
IN THE END….IT REALLY DOES MATTER For as long as there has been recorded history, man has pondered about who or what created humans. Charles Holloway and Elizabeth Shaw believe they have found the answer. Evidence of people worshipping a giant that points to a specific star system had been found all over the world, amongst cultures separated by time and distance. Having located that specific star system, they set off to literally meet our makers with the help of the Weyland Corporation (notice it is not Weyland-Yutani…yet). They find a moon capable of sustaining human life for about two minutes and on it a solitary artificial structure. Exploration of the structure proves fruitful in many ways; not all of which are good.
“ARE YOU A ROBOT?” Idris Elba needs to win an award for best pickup line ever. That’s almost all he had to say to bang Charlize Theron, who was both sexy and creepy in her role as mission director, Meredith Vickers. The only person more creepy was Michael Fassbender, who played the android David. The worst part about his character was that he was always so polite, even while doing the worst of deeds. Holloway (Marshall-Green) was a likeable character, but he was too Abercrombie, Ivy League preppy-type. You knew his smile was not going to last. Shaw (Rapace) is clearly the new Ripley, and she is actually tougher than her spiritual successor 9events happen before Alien). Never have I seen anyone run track and field while being held together by staples. Combine that with the “abortion” scene and this chick is pretty much the most badass hero of all time. One word of advice tow white people in horror movies: Now that you are finally smart enough to get out before it is too late, make sure you know which way the exit is before you start running.
THAT’S NO MOON Well, it is, actually, but its purpose was way off from what Shaw & Holloway thought. Before the Prometheus even reaches LV-426, you see the time and effort put into the film. From the makeup on the engineers to the holographic effects of both Weyland and the engineers, this movie is beautiful to watch. It’s funny when prequels are made and movie technology has advanced so far. Prometheus takes place before any of the Alien movies but the technology in those “future” stories looks way behind that of this one. It’s completely understandable, but still laughable. The only thing that was not so high tech were the vehicles and they were still cool because they reminded me of the classic videogame, Moon Patrol. I have to say that 3-D visuals are improving, despite still being unnecessary. Between what I saw in this film and the trailer for Spider-Man, 2012 will see a much better use of the technology. Prometheus is a little thin on action for really awesome use of 3-D, but it still looked pretty good.
ALL ABOUT ATMOSPHERE I am trying to minimize spoilers here, so all I will say is that Prometheus is very different from Alien, despite similar locale and setup. Part of the big sell is the score. You have music in the beginning that gives off a sense of wonder and promise not unlike the first Jurassic Park. Shortly thereafter, we are treated to very slow and subtle, eerie tones that make you want to grip your chair as you begin to expect the worst. When things really go bad, the tone and pace of the music completely change to match what you would expect is the heartbeat of the characters. When everything is said and done, we get a reprisal of the opening music. This time around, there is a conveyance of hope for the future; not the one that we have seen. There is an untold story here that hopefully leads in a totally different direction.
(light spoilers ahead) The answer to the big question is no, this is not a prequel to Alien. There is heavy fan service in this movie for lovers of the series, especially at the end, and the inevitable sequel will possibly have more. However, the direction of this story will not lead to the Nostromo or Ripley, so do not expect anything like that. Do expect a well written story within the Alien mythology and characters that have their own story partially or entirely separate from it. This movie presents too many questions to be self-contained and I for one demand a sequel. This movie is a must see for anyone who even remotely liked the Alien franchise. This movie is also a must see for anyone who (somehow) hates the Alien franchise but loves a good sci-fi story. There is something for just about everyone in this movie, but I would not suggest watching it while eating if you have a weak stomach. The visual effects were spectacular, but there is not enough flare or action to merit the 3-D IMAX ticket, so I recommend getting the cheapest ticket you can. Regardless of how you see it, Prometheus is definitely a movie to watch in theatres this year
How many times do I have to tell you that even the good movies aren’t safe from my wrath? What’s wrong with this flick is all the damn marketing! There was absolutely nothing that surprised in this film. Half of the story I was able to guess while sitting in the theatre. This is a film that needed guerrilla marketing like what they did with Cloverfield. Just flash random images, give no clue as to what the story is about. Make no mistake, this movie is damn good and you need to go see it. P{roblem is that if you have seen the trailers it’s like they already showed you the movie on TV. Whoever was in charge of marketing this to the public did a piss poor job of baiting the general public. You gave us too much of an appetizer and we were already full when we sat down to the main course.
