Prometheus
3/4
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Logan Marshall-Green, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba
Rated R for Sci-Fi Violence including Some Intense Images and Brief Language
I've seen "Prometheus" three times, including once in the theaters. I neglected to write a review as soon as I saw it because I couldn't wrap my mind around not liking a movie that I anticipated so much and was so excited about. In all honesty, I'm glad I waited.
"Prometheus" takes place in the "Alien" universe, but isn't a direct prequel. The xenomorph is largely absent, although the connections to the quadrilogy that started in 1979 are strong. This film is heavily linked to the "Alien" movies, but it's a stand-alone feature.
Drs. Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Marshall-Green) have made a startling discovery. There is a pictogram that has been found in various places around the world from wildly different time periods. The pictogram depicts stars that couldn't be seen from Earth in any of these time periods. Shaw and Holloway conclude that aliens, whom they call Engineers, have visited our planet and created man themselves. So, with a trillion dollar grant from the Weyland Corporation, Shaw and Holloway travel to the planet that they think the Engineers came from, hoping to find answers to some of the most important philosophical questions of our time. Where did we come from? Why were we created?
This is not an action-oriented picture. Although there is a bit of violence (including a very intense medical procedure), this is largely a talky picture founded upon ideas. But they are so compelling and since Ridley Scott is a terrific director, the film is never boring.
The acting is very strong. Noomi Rapace, who like sadly few foreign stars who have made a hit (Chow Yun-Fat, anyone?) has made headway into the Hollywood scene, is terrific as the naiive but idealistic scientist. Michael Fassbender mixes pathos and genuine creepiness as David, although his intentionally emotionless performance has the effect of making some of his dialogue a little hammy. Charlize Theron makes Vickers, their boss, into an aloof yet passionate woman. She's very professional to the point of being blunt and has her own agenda, but she's not an out and out villain. Logan Marshall-Green is also very good at playing the impulsive Charlie.
Ridley Scott takes his time telling this story, and that's a good thing. There's nothing more disappointing than seeing a story rush through the provocative material in favor of quick, frenetic payoffs. And after 33 years, he hasn't lost his skill at crafting scary sequences. He also has an amazing visual sense (which has been proven before). Although it's a chilly and dark movie, it's absolutely gorgeous.
The film runs into trouble in its third quarter. The twists come too quickly and the pacing is uncertain. The unresolved questions feel frustrating at first, but later I realized that they work. If no sequel is made (reports are that one is in the works, and while at this point that must be taken with a grain of salt, the film was hugely successful, which means that 20th Century Fox would like one ASAP), the film would feel complete while leaving the audience to make up their own minds about the answers to the questions posed by the film.
This is one of the films that keeps growing on me. I do enjoy watching it, and I think you will too.
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Logan Marshall-Green, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba
Rated R for Sci-Fi Violence including Some Intense Images and Brief Language
I've seen "Prometheus" three times, including once in the theaters. I neglected to write a review as soon as I saw it because I couldn't wrap my mind around not liking a movie that I anticipated so much and was so excited about. In all honesty, I'm glad I waited.
"Prometheus" takes place in the "Alien" universe, but isn't a direct prequel. The xenomorph is largely absent, although the connections to the quadrilogy that started in 1979 are strong. This film is heavily linked to the "Alien" movies, but it's a stand-alone feature.
Drs. Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Marshall-Green) have made a startling discovery. There is a pictogram that has been found in various places around the world from wildly different time periods. The pictogram depicts stars that couldn't be seen from Earth in any of these time periods. Shaw and Holloway conclude that aliens, whom they call Engineers, have visited our planet and created man themselves. So, with a trillion dollar grant from the Weyland Corporation, Shaw and Holloway travel to the planet that they think the Engineers came from, hoping to find answers to some of the most important philosophical questions of our time. Where did we come from? Why were we created?
This is not an action-oriented picture. Although there is a bit of violence (including a very intense medical procedure), this is largely a talky picture founded upon ideas. But they are so compelling and since Ridley Scott is a terrific director, the film is never boring.
The acting is very strong. Noomi Rapace, who like sadly few foreign stars who have made a hit (Chow Yun-Fat, anyone?) has made headway into the Hollywood scene, is terrific as the naiive but idealistic scientist. Michael Fassbender mixes pathos and genuine creepiness as David, although his intentionally emotionless performance has the effect of making some of his dialogue a little hammy. Charlize Theron makes Vickers, their boss, into an aloof yet passionate woman. She's very professional to the point of being blunt and has her own agenda, but she's not an out and out villain. Logan Marshall-Green is also very good at playing the impulsive Charlie.
Ridley Scott takes his time telling this story, and that's a good thing. There's nothing more disappointing than seeing a story rush through the provocative material in favor of quick, frenetic payoffs. And after 33 years, he hasn't lost his skill at crafting scary sequences. He also has an amazing visual sense (which has been proven before). Although it's a chilly and dark movie, it's absolutely gorgeous.
The film runs into trouble in its third quarter. The twists come too quickly and the pacing is uncertain. The unresolved questions feel frustrating at first, but later I realized that they work. If no sequel is made (reports are that one is in the works, and while at this point that must be taken with a grain of salt, the film was hugely successful, which means that 20th Century Fox would like one ASAP), the film would feel complete while leaving the audience to make up their own minds about the answers to the questions posed by the film.
This is one of the films that keeps growing on me. I do enjoy watching it, and I think you will too.
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