Prometheus Has Landed

This review can also be found on Step2TV.

To say that Ridley Scott's latest movie, sci-fi epic Prometheus, had been the recipient of much hype over the past couple of months would be an understatement! Prometheus was set to see the famed director of Alien return to the Universe that had forged a classic piece of sci-fi horror, shedding some new light on the original film and endeavouring to tackle some bloody hefty existential questions... But after all the hype and anticipation, did it live up to expectations?

In short; yes. Impeccably.

Visually stunning, captivatingly written and sublimely scored, Prometheus is nothing short of a cinematic spectacular!

I'm not usually a 3D cinema goer (I don't really find that 3D adds anything of importance to a film at all), but when I went to see Prometheus at the Empire in Leicester Square I had very little choice; I had to don the ridiculous glasses. Did it look brilliant? Absolutely. Did the extra dimension add anything to the film? Not so much. Did I let out a slightly pathetic whimper when something flew out of the screen at me? Maybe...

Set in the year 2091, Prometheus tells the story of the eponymous exploration vessel on it's remarkably ambitious quest; to discover the origins of mankind, and to learn more about humanity's extra-terrestrial creators – dubbed “the Engineers”. Following a star-map depicted in a number of ancient pictograms from around the globe – discovered by doctors Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) in 2089 – the Weyland Corporation's starship Prometheus embarks on it's voyage of existential discovery, by special order of the company's aged CEO Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce).

Piloted by Captain Janek (Idris Elba), commanded by Weyland Corporations' head-strong representative, Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), and maintained by David (Michael Fassbender), a deceptive android with a Lawrence of Arabia obsession, the Prometheus was inevitably going to be the stage for some good old fashioned human conflict and drama. But following the discoveries made on the distant moon of LV-223, there's something all the more sinister to worry about than an authoritarian businesswoman and a robot with a penchant for impersonating Peter O'Toole...

Wonderfully written by Jon Spaihts (The Darkest Hour) and Damon Lindelof (Lost), the premise for Prometheus is very reminiscent of the ancient alien/exogenesis theories, most notably in Erich von Däniken's book Chariot of the Gods. It puts forth the idea that perhaps life on Earth was created by an advanced race of beings from another world, whom humanity then mistook as supernatural gods. In Prometheus, these beings were the Engineers – first only briefly glimpsed as an ancient corpse in Alien as an omen of things to come – who seeded their own DNA to create mankind millenia ago, with subtle hints which point to them also potentially being the basis for Sumerian culture. It's an idea that could have felt gimmicky, but in the hands of Spaihts, Lindelof and Scott it's the spring board for a captivating and chilling narrative; the crew of the Prometheus set out hoping to discover Utopia and learn their place in the Universe, but what they find is a dark and twisted nightmare.

Bringing this interstellar horror to life is the fantastically stellar cast. Although the entire cast provide truly outstanding performances from beginning to end, the absolute run-away stars of the film have to be Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. As the tenacious survivalist, Rapace's character, Elizabeth Shaw, has to endure far more than anyone should have to, but against the odds she survives and continues to fight until the bitter end. Rapace is thoroughly gripping throughout; from her initial joy of discovery and exploration, to her pain and anguish as the expedition takes an unexpected turn, even down to her continued faith and determination to survive after all she's been through – every emotion is truly palpable. She is easily one of the best things about this film, and although Elizabeth Shaw is worlds apart from Ellen Ripley, Rapace's fantastic portrayal of a strong female character is one who can certainly stand shoulder to shoulder with Sigourney Weaver's original sci-fi heroine!

Although his emotional range is certainly not as varied as Rapace's, Michael Fassbender's role as the ethically-ambiguous android, David, is an eerie and calculated performance. It's a role that could easily rival that of fellow synthetic, Ash (Ian Holm), in Alien. In a similar vein to Ash, David is under strict covert orders and is programmed to carry out his mission whatever the cost, even if it means the loss of the crew. It's the cold detachment with which Fassbender delivers even the most sinister of lines that makes the character all the more creepy. He’s certainly earned his place in the synthetic hall of fame alongside Ash and Bishop (Lance Henrikson)!

And every other actor who has not thus far been mentioned may as well have “Victim” tattooed firmly on their foreheads, as one by one they meet their maker – and not in the way the expedition had originally planned! Rafe Spall and Sean Harris play Milburn and Fifield, who provide the proverbial red shirts for the film, as they decide to wander off on their own on an alien planet. Rookie mistake... Kind of sounds like a twisted and unfunny joke; “A biologist and a geologist walk into an alien ship. One has his face burnt off by acid, and the other chokes to death on a mutant snake.” And from there on out, the rest of the crew's days are numbered.

My only gripe is that Idris Elba and Charlize Theron's characters felt somewhat underused, and really could have used a bit more exposition (I mean, what film couldn't be improved with more Charlize Theron?!). Janek and Vickers have an interesting character dynamic which I felt could have been played on to greater effect. That being said, though, it could have made the film feel too packed, as Prometheus already has a lot of content to deliver – and yet there are still questions that need to be answered!

It is these many questions that create the film's intrigue... Who are the Engineers, and why did they create us? Why, after leaving invitations all over the Earth to come and find them, did they then plan to destroy us? Are they themselves also the product of another race? Is the Xenomorph the Engineers’ most prized creation, or a being that they revere, propagating it’s genetic code throughout the Universe? There’s a lot to speculate about, and although some say this makes the film feel unfinished, I believe this adds a layer of mystery and intrigue that couldn’t be achieved if all the answers were there. It sucks you into that Universe whilst the film takes you on the journey, as the audience find themselves in a similar place to the characters (albeit with markedly less danger), seeking answers. And with the final act left open to potentially pave the way for a sequel, I certainly hope that we’ll see more from this fascinating Universe in the near future.

If there is indeed to be a sequel to Prometheus, we can expect to see it deviate further away from Alien and more out into the Universe of new possibilities opened up in this film. In many ways, Prometheus is more of a spin-off than a prequel to Alien; it's got the same core DNA and is set in the same Universe, but it's certainly a film that can stand on it's own giant, bipedal legs. Whilst Alien was all about survival in a confined space with some fantastically tense moments, Prometheus focusses more on exploration and discovery – albeit exploration and discovery that goes terribly awry. However, this exploration does shed some interesting insight to the original film (including the unnerving truth behind the origin of the Xenomorphs), tying the mythology of the two quite nicely. It's safe to say that after the revelations of Prometheus, you won't see Alien in the same light again!

With an utterly outstanding cast, compelling narrative, sublime cinematography, fantastic visual effects and a superb soundtrack, Prometheus is an utterly phenomenal film. I left Leicester Square in a state of dumb-founded awe, and I don't believe any combinations of words I could throw together would truly do the film justice. It's another sci-fi great from the man behind Alien and Blade Runner, and certainly stands the chance of becoming another classic of it's genre. I hope that a Prometheus sequel is of a high priority for Sir Ridley Scott!

A definite must see.