Review: Prometheus

In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a figure who represented the human fight for more, and the quest for more scientific knowledge.

The meaning of life, the process of creation; from The Big Bang Theory, to religious prophecies, to dinosaurs and cave men; it’s been something humans have been trying to figure out since the dawn of time.

Ridley Scott was determined to answer the question of creation, by going to the future, and taking a ship where it’s never gone before.

Set about 80 years into the future from present day, a group of scientists discover drawings dating back to the stone ages, of people pointing and praising a five-rock-like structure in the sky. Over time these scientists find the same pattern throughout different cultures, none of which could have intertwined throughout history, and decided they must find it, as it could be the answer to human creation itself.

Noomi Rapace plays Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, one of the two main scientists for the mission aboard Prometheus along with Logan Marshall-Green who plays Dr. Charlie Holloway. This has been their life mission, and their biggest discovery to date.

They are recruited by Meredith Vickers, a distant, cold, money and power hungry woman played by Charlize Theron. Theron does a good job as the quasi-antagonist with an agenda. The most interesting character they encounter is David, he looks like a human, but is indeed an android, played by Michael Fassbender.

With rumors swirling for about two years that this was a prequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 gold mine Alien, Scott made it a point to shoot down said rumors any chance he could. He stated that Prometheus was strong enough to stand on it’s on as a film, even though it would take place in a similar universe. Still the skeptics did not believe him.

Throughout the film there are odd parallels to Alien, even though Scott firmly stood behind his words. Even the lead character, Elizabeth Shaw had red hair just like Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley. But I guess you have to watch the film to see any other similarities.

With Scott coming back to the Sci-Fi genre, you knew he wasn’t going to half-ass it. And it shows. The film is so beautiful, the visuals, the universe which the film takes place in. From the structures, to the discoveries, it’s awe-inspiring. The special effects are few and far between, on purpose by Scott who was determined to use as much “real” footage as possible as to not tarnish the movie, or make it look like a joke.

Other characters of note, Guy Pearce plays Peter Weyland, the old man funding Prometheus, in tons of odd make-up, why not just cast an old man to play the role? Idris Elba plays Janek, the captain of the ship, who doesn’t really fit in with the cast, but wears his captain badge proudly.

This film is all about the thought process within. The search for creation, and answers to our beginning are beyond complex, and after watching this, maybe you’ll understand why it’s better off not knowing.

The tag line for the film is indeed “The search for our beginning could lead to our end.”

Fascinated by their purpose to find answers, the oddity of the film lies with David, played brilliantly by Fassbender might I add. In a role unlike he has ever played before, when we are introduced to him, you can’t help but be confused by his mannerism, his speech pattern, and eventually the reasoning for his actions. Being an android means, you’re not human, with no feelings or conscious. David states all these things many times, as he is aboard the ship to help those on board with anything they may need. Here’s a major connection I made…[Back to the mythology]

The titan Prometheus was a servant to the Gods, which aptly describes what David was created for, and, what his role was aboard the ship.

Fassbender delivers the best performance of the film, the best performance by any actor in a film this year [so far] and I will be shocked if he doesn’t at least get an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

More kudos have to be given to Rapace, who leads this film with force. Her character Elizabeth Shaw is so strong, believable, she fights for her cause, and is willing to risk it all. Rapace is sheer brilliance on screen, and is featured in a scene that will be remembered for a very long time for it’s horror, gore and shock. Prometheus will be the vehicle that drives Rapace to becoming a household name.

Prometheus was terrifying on so many levels, none of which are Freddy Krueger-type horror related. Edge of your seat, covering your mouth, jaw agape over-and-over, from the atmosphere, to their discoveries, it is so remarkable, and unlike anything we have seen in a long time.

I can’t over state how aesthetically pleasing this film is. Forget the nonsense like Avatar, this may be the most visually beautiful film I have ever seen. Nothing is given color unless it is needed, every structure and stone served a purpose, it didn’t look cheap, and it’s simply mesmerizing.

Bare in mind that Prometheus is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for the simple minded, this will stick with you, and leave you puzzled. I’m sure it’ll upset many in it’s overall message, maybe the religious folks will be up in arms over the creation aspect of the film, they can take a hike. The discovery of another being on a mysterious planet with identical DNA to that of humans, has to rattle the brain of the audience, as we being to speculate truly how we came to be. All it takes is an idea to begin planting the seed of thought.

If we are looking to minus points from the film, the one thing I can point to where the lack of character development, and the inability to defend the actions of the characters. This mainly is attributed to too many chefs in the kitchen, or characters on board the ship in this case. There was not enough screen time, or story to make each of them meaningful. It’s almost as if there were major scenes cut out of the film that would have better explained certain actions, and reactions. These issues can be overlooked, but during the film you are often wondering why someone did what they did, and unfortunately there is no definitive answer.

We can also attribute the above to Damon Lindelof, who just so happened to write the hit ABC sci-fi, mind-bending series LOST. There are major plot points at the start, middle and end that go unexplained, just like LOST. From the actual opening scene during the credits, to actions David does to Dr. Holloway. Gotta give us some closure!

Logan Marshall-Green is fantastic here. Marshall-Green, comes off as cocky and brash as Dr. Holloway, but he is in solidarity with girlfriend Dr. Shaw in doing anything and everything for the cause. I’m a fan of Marshall-Green after this role, he has the characteristics that make me think he could be a star in Hollywood.

When the scientist start their discovery, obviously unfortunate events begin to take place, this is where Prometheus shines. From nice and calm, to cover-your-eyes, holy crap, what’s happening, quick turn of events that left me flabbergasted. When you are squirming in your chair, scrunching your nose, and constantly having to pick your jaw up off the floor, you know you’re watching something special.

I made it a point to tell as many people as possible to temper their expectations for this film, fearing, from the marketing, trailers and general taste of science-fiction films that it would be very hit or miss. If you go into a film expecting greatness, chances are it will disappoint. Maybe that helped me enjoy the film as much as I did.

Ridley Scott is a master of his craft, and we should thank him for coming back to the sci-fi genre. With this picture, he has produced another remarkable notch on his belt, as the direction, cinematography, and beauty of this film cannot be stressed enough.

Prometheus is the most entertaining, thought provoking, and visually pleasing film of the year. Being dumbfounded and blown away after a film is rare to say the least, with Prometheus I was both, and still am.

Rating: 9/10