The Big Picture
Ridley Scott has proven to be a prolific filmmaker for over forty years, and he continues to release major films epic in scale yet still retaining intimate moments. Some of his efforts tend to underwhelm regarding box office or audience acceptance, but he is one artistic voice people still take seriously. Scott’s range can be seen in historical epics or character dramas, which all have a sense of urgency, regardless of the quality. However, there are certain hallmarks Scott continues to revolve around in his films, and one film in particular manages to cover all the bases. Prometheus is an ambitious piece of cinema by a true artist, who manages to inject critical thinking into an entertaining blockbuster.
The Alien prequel is not without its detractors or faults, but it is certainly an intelligent and thought-provoking masterwork. Like almost all of Scott’s work, Prometheus creates a beautiful canvas on an epic scale, and the visuals generate a lived-in world audiences will believe. It ranks with the first two Alien films as a sight to behold, but the film never forgets the characters and why any of this matters at all. However, the characters are also where some might take an issue with this story, which is why the film’s place in film history appears to be in question. For all its accomplishments, like the original two, Prometheus tends to stumble with poor character decisions like its sequel, and yet somehow it still all works. The issue is how fans enter the film expecting it to be directly tied to the original 1979 film, which it does connect to yet offers disappointing elements when it tries. What shines here are the writers Jon Spaights and Damon Lindelof developing their original story, but a few winks and nods to the franchise do not hurt either. In a world where everything has to be a shared universe or franchise film, this is quite refreshing by comparison, because it is a tent pole film yet feels so much like it has its own identity.
Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.
Release Date June 8, 2012
Rating R
Runtime 124
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Writers Jon Spaihts , Damon Lindelof
Tagline The search for our beginning could lead to our end.
‘Prometheus’ Expands Upon the ‘Alien’ Lore
In a world where franchises are king, Prometheus brilliantly connects a space adventure with the formula of its predecessors, but it is not interested in repeating the same story. There are certainly similarities across each film, and yet the feeling one has watching this is different. Hints are randomly seen of the iconic monster in the Xenomorph, or better yet, the entire arc of the story deals with the “engineers” first implied in the original Alien. The film has fun with the concept of what it means to be an alien, but in reality, this is a film about creation. The main cast of characters set off on a deep space exploration to discover humanity’s origins, which of course takes a turn for the worse based on every Alien film. All the gore and extravagant special effects are there for fans to clamor over, but none of this is at the center of it. Ridley Scott and company are essentially telling their version of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is also about a team of explorers seeking answers to human existence and facing dangerous technology. Both films involve humans traveling across space and time, encountering bizarre environments and each film starts with an opening scene average moviegoers would be confused by. Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film is way more abstract and challenging by design, but this does not mean Prometheus is any less ambitious.
If anything, they approach their material differently, and in doing so could function as companion pieces. Scott’s film has specific creatures potentially responsible for the creation of people, which also begs the question: who made them? This alien planet is also a place with an atmosphere different from Earth’s, the company of Weyland-Yutani is yet again behind this operation and humanity’s relationship with technology is also at play. The inclusion of the character David (played by Michael Fassbender) almost warrants echoes of Blade Runner, because Scott clearly has an affinity for artificial intelligence. It might seem like a lot at first, but the film manages to balance all in a primarily well-done fashion. The franchise ascends beyond its genre conventions and monsters, and it essentially goes backward to go forward. Serving as a half-prequel, the film appears to be more interested in offering some ideas on not merely the reasons for humanity’s existence, but more so about how people play a role in the larger world at hand.
‘Prometheus’ Continues the Alien Franchise’s Commitment to Strong Female Characters
As seen in the previous Alien films, Prometheus continues in the franchise’s tradition of strong female characters, and as always adds a rich complexity to them. Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) consistently proves she’s the only one with common sense in the original, but in Aliens she now takes the role of a mother figure to Newt (played by Carrie Henn). They spend the entire film bonding and coping with their shared trauma, which ends in a climactic fight between Ripley and the Xenomorph Queen. This creature is defending her own, who is equally ferocious. Then there is Prometheus’ Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), who is a scientist devoting her life to solving the riddle of humanity’s existence. She spends every second of her day studying and perfecting her craft, which the audience learns she struggles with the concept on a personal level.
in Prometheus, Shaw is revealed to be infertile when having an intimate moment with her partner, Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green). But the two consummate and his unknowingly infected system transfers over to her body. She suddenly discovers she is pregnant with an alien being, and she has to find a way to extract it from her system. The implications of sexual danger and mischief run rampant across the franchise, but never before has it felt so personal and rough. Scott and the creative team do not shy away from how vile sexual trauma can be, which, of course, is conveyed by the burden women face on several fronts. However, despite the cruel nature of these moments, there still lies a beauty to it all, because Ripley and Shaw are powerful, intelligent characters who show genuine care for their team and life. Shaw is seeking to save the rest of humanity, which is why it is easy to connect with her. In every Alien film, women are the lovers and the fighters, and Dr. Shaw is no exception to this rule.
Ridley Scott’s 2012 sci-fi journey is not perfect, but it also manages to offer much to say about what it means to be alive. The film has people killing for life, escaping their doom to live, and studying existence itself. What is most interesting is how the best character is a cyborg, who is attempting to make sense of it all. Most of the drama comes from people wanting to live longer, or they seek to destroy some sort of foundation. It manages to be equally enticing in its explosions as it is in its thought, and this is what the magic of the movies is about.
Prometheus is available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.
Watch on Netflix
