Prometheus

Ahh Ridley Scott you are one of the most interesting directors I have ever seen. At his greatest (Alien, Blade Runner) he is unstoppable but when he is off his game he can get tiresome (Legend, Robin Hood). Still he deserves to be considered the greats for his complete works but I vehemently adore what he did with Alien. Perfectly combining science fiction with horror and giving us cinephiles one of greatest movies of all time! So now we come to Prometheus as the creator returns to the world he made 33 years ago. I certainly was excited and the trailer that followed made my head explode a few times. Needless to say my expectations were high and I was hoping to see Scott in his top form once again. With a stellar cast including Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Idris Elba I thought that just maybe my expectations would become a reality. So how did Prometheus turn out? Read on to see my thoughts...

Prometheus follows a space crew headed to a newly discovered planet that has shown signs that it can support life. The crew features two explores that have found ancient civilizations drawings that seem to be an invitation to this planet and hope to search the planet to find the great answers to life's big questions. As the crew lands, some of the members seemingly less trustworthy than others, they find an huge complex full of mysterious jars and unknown languages. As the search becomes deeper and the mystery starts to unravel, the danger increases putting everyone on the mission in severe danger. Will the crew of the Prometheus be able to survive? Will the answers be found? Go see the movie and then read my review to find out...


I will very boldly say that after seeing and reflecting on Prometheus that I really did enjoy it. It is a lot of fun with some great moments of suspense, some incredible shots, and some real classic fun. Ridley Scott seems to really dive back into the world he once created and have some real fun with it. The suspense is all here and Scott brilliantly creates great sets that combine nostalgia with great atmosphere for the film. We see new aliens that horrify us and we become entangled into the mystery all at the same time. It is a lot of fun and I must admit that I enjoyed a lot of it.

There were a few things that stood out to me that make this movie memorable. For one it is hard to ignore the sheer beauty that the film's look has, its a marvel to look out. The film is gorgeous and every shot looks to be taken with care and can be easily admired. There are also some awesome shots that were just plain awesome. My favorite one was the ship flying across space in complete silence that felt like a reminder to Alien, no one in space can hear you scream. I also enjoyed the close up on Fassbender as he slowly turns to madness and the final shot of the crew as they head to their ultimate sacrifice. It was great to see Scott in top form with his dazzling visuals once again.

There were also some great moments that are throughout this movie that add a nice touch to the rest of the film. The opening prologue is gorgeous while also setting the tone and epicness of the film perfectly. I also LOVED the surgery scene because it combines two things that made the original Alien so awe inspiring: tight spaces and fear. As Shaw runs for her life to make it to the medipod that will save her life, ironically the same pod becomes a trap that could mean her death. The surgery itself is so full of tension and gut wrenching visuals and sounds that it is too awesome not to enjoy.

Expectations can make or break a film. As with this movie I think that it certainly didn't break it but at the same time it didn't make it. I am not saying that I didn't enjoy the film but when I think of my biggest problem with this film the thing that comes to mind is that it isn't a masterpiece. I couldn't put my finger on it but it just falls short from being an instant classic like Alien. Now while this holds the film back at the same time it doesn't hurt the movie. The film still rocks and there are a lot of good things about it, sadly it fell short of what I was hoping it to be. This is not the only thing that held the film back though for there were little things that ate at me while I was watching. For one I was not a big fan of Charlize Theron and her character as I felt that it was cliche and completely unoriginal. Worst all it felt forced and completely unnecessary to the rest of the story. Even the fact that Weyland was so old that he had to wear a brace that made him walk like a robot annoyed me so much that I could barely stand watching it. 

Overall though this film is still highly enjoyable between the great tension and amazing visuals. Scott may not have made another Alien with Prometheus but he certainly is headed in the right direction. Fans of the Alien series are surely to enjoy it in my opinion, especially for the last scene which was my favorite part. While there are A LOT more questions than answer here and its obviously while watching that it was written by the same guy who did LOST, I did not mind it too much because everything was pretty comprehendible and nothing felt prestigious or full of itself. I think most people will enjoy this film, especially if you sit and reflect on it, and certainly not as bad as some have said.

3/4