Master of science fiction, Ridley Scott (“Alien,” “Gladiator”) returns to form with the sci-fi drama, “Prometheus.”
Prometheus
20th Century Fox
Directed by Ridley Scott
Produced by Ridley Scott, David Giler, Walter Hill
Written by Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof
Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron
Studio Synopsis:
Sir Ridley Scott, the renowned filmmaker who reinvented the science fiction film genre, offers his signature brand of action, thrills, scares, and much, much more, when Prometheus is unleashed in theaters worldwide this June.
With Prometheus, Scott has created an original mythology that tips its hat to elements of the original Alien. In the story a team of explorers discovers a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey aboard the spaceship Prometheus to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UEv03g51kU[/youtube]
J.P.’s Take:
With the exception of “Alien,” “Blade Runner” and a couple others, Ridley Scott films (“Thelma & Louise,” “Hannibal” “Black Hawk Down,” “American Gangster”) have failed to draw audiences to theaters the way his groundbreaking sci-fi hits have. “Prometheus” finds Scott returning to form in a stellar way, with a sci-fi/horror/drama that gets back to its roots in many aspects of the word. Although Scott has exclaimed that his new project isn’t necessarily a prequel, some may feel this is a film of origins as it showcases his signature directing style. Additionally, without divulging much of its premise, the sci-fi drama offers a fresh mythology based on the previous “Alien” franchises — sharing common DNA.
In this storyline, co-writers Jon Spaihts (“The Darkest Hour”) and Damon Lindeloff (“Star Trek,” TV’s “Lost”) evoke the philosophical idea about whom or what created the human race. Although they don’t provide total clear cut answers to those questions, they do, however, deliver an engaging discussion on this core philosophy. Running parallel to the human origins story is a subplot which tries to explain the existence of beings said to be our creators. Archeologists Dr. Charlie Holloway and Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Logan Marshall-Green, Noomi Rapace) discover that these beings they call “the engineers” have all perished, except for one being held in cryostasis. Fans of “Alien” will also recognize the Weyland Corporation conspiracy, which once again rears its ugly head here.
Over the course of this interplanetary expedition, many of these plot points mentioned above became a little redundant. Even though the story threads are well constructed, the audience is intelligent enough to know what’s happening; meaning there is no real reason to continue driving the message home in a sense. But, by the time viewers finish digesting what’s discussed in the first half, they are rewarded with sheer terror in the later half. Some truly hair raising moments simmer their way to the surface, which I found were effectively composed. Just to highlight one grueling scene in particular, we witness Dr. Shaw as she learns she has been impregnated with a strange alien life form. Not to spoil the fun, but she attempts to remove the foreign body herself using an automated surgical pod. How this scene plays out proves cringe inducing — it’s something you must see. More over, there are plenty of emotionally charged and grueling scenes to follow, including an ending I believe will stun viewers because of its references to the 1979 classic.
“Prometheus” thrives not only on it’s fully flesh story, it’s perfectly casted crew of actors also bring Scott’s dark vision to life. Some heavy hitters in the movie biz are brought aboard, which includes Guy Pierce, Charlize Theron, Marshall-Green, Idris Elba, and Rapace, and they all give knock out performance. Michael Fassbender alone is one to pay close attention to in his role as the android David. Fassbender’s role is an integral part of the storyline, for which he plays the highly intelligent, corporate motivated synthoid with an eerie ulterior motive.
A true identifying feature of a Ridley Scott film is the fact that he utilizes real landscapes and set pieces. With many sci-fi flicks that relies heavily on wild computer generated effects, Scott searches for locales that best resemble his imaginative scenery. The film boasts awe-inspiring visuals, filmed entirely in 3D, but can be enjoyed in regular 2D just as well. It opens with sweeping shots over baron wastelands shot in parts of Iceland,Scotland and Canada. Scott recreates the same bleak vastness as found in “Alien,” especially in scenes taking place in open space.
Upon its announcement, I noticed there hasn’t been much hype surrounding the films release. It just goes to show you that a Ridley Scott sci-fi outing really doesn’t need any hype to promote itself. “Prometheus” is surely a sci-fi masterpiece that is though provoking, as it is terrifying. It blends the same sense of curiosity with the sheer dark terror as with the original “Alien” film. Hands down, I’m certain it will stoke excitement and intrigue among countless fans, while capturing the imagination of new comers.