Now usually, before watching a movie, I find out what's showing in advanced, read up on the plots of each and then decide from there. This time though, it was totally out of the blue that we decided to watch a movie. I didn't even know Prometheus was already showing let alone know anything about it. All I knew was that it was a Ridley Scott film set to come out this summer. The experience of watching a movie knowing so little about it is actually quite refreshing. There are no expectations (lowered or increased) that need to be lived up to, or exceeded. But simply knowing that Scott was at the helm, I at least expected some wicked action scenes coupled with a decent story.
As it turns out, Prometheus is actually a sci-fi action/alien movie. Far from the realism of his recent work in Gladiator, Matchstick Men, American Gangster and Robin Hood (which is what I thought i would get), Scott returns to the genre that catapulted him to critical acclaim with Alien. In this film, a group of scientists think that they've discovered that man was created by extra terrestrial beings and set out to the home planet of said "engineers" to be able to understand our origins more. Of course, that's not all there is to it and once they get there, they get more than they bargained for.
Now admittedly, I have NOT watched any of the Alien movies, so I have no idea how Scott tackles a sci-fi alien movie. Also, upon some post-viewing research, I found out that Prometheus was actually written to be a prequel to the first Alien. Although even if I had known all of that before watching it, my feeling towards Prometheus probably wouldn't have changed. Unlike Gladiator, Matchstick Men and American Gangster which were absolutely AWESOME, I was not blown away by Prometheus.
It's not that there was anything really wrong with the movie, but I think the best way to describe Prometheus would be to relate it to a business/marketing concept (nerd much haha), Prometheus is a niche movie. Some people like sci-fi, some like horror, others appreciate intelligent movies about life in other planets. Prometheus is all of these (insert venn diagram here). So it takes a certain type of person to really love it. However, even if I have realized that I am not a sci-fi/horror/alien type of guy, there were many commendable aspects of the movie that even I can appreciate.
Acting was generally superb with Noomi Rapace (The original Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) leading the way. This might very well be her breakthrough film that sees her dominate Hollywood. Michael Fassbender was also amazing in his performance of the android David. Charlize Theron though was an utter disappointment. I have absolutely no idea why her character was even there and I'm leaning towards believing she was just cast in the film to add more star power.
As expected, the action scenes were top notch and did illicit some genuine feelings of shock and uneasiness on my part. Special mention should also go to the filming and production which created such an amazing looking movie. Even with all the aliens and the knowledge that they were on some unknown planet, the production crew did an amazing job in making it look so real.
Also, being a Ridley Scott film, it wasn't simply just another sci-fi alien movie. There were a number of sub-plots that touched on very real social issues. Our incessant want to know more about our origin brings up the Science vs Religion debate once again. This is also seen in Dr. Shaw's insistence to wear a cross because "this is what she chooses to believe". With this statement, the matter of faith is brought up and how one can still have faith in the face of so many other empirical data that prove otherwise. Weiland's quest for immortality and God complex also plays well into this social narrative of Scott.
There were also some parts that in my view were not properly explained or were just put in the film and then totally forgotten *SPOILER ALERT*. Why did David poison Charlie with the black ink? Why did the vases start leaking fluid in the first place, and why was it only those vases and not the ones near the bridge? Why have to hide the fact that Weiland was on board from the rest of the crew and have David do espionage for him? Anyways, The people behind the movie did say that they purposely did leave a lot of questions unanswered to make room for a sequel but I think they left too many questions unanswered that it hurt the overall story of the film.
Overall I would recommend Prometheus to those people who enjoy that type of film. If you're into horror, sci-fi, alien films or all three, then Prometheus is definitely for you. If you're the type who gets queasy at the slightest amount of blood, then I suggest you go see Snow White and The Huntsmen (although Kristen Stewart's acting is perpetually nausea inducing)
6.5/10
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