Anthony's Film Review - Prometheus (2012)

The suspense is heart-pounding in this sci-fi flick from Ridley Scott...

Prometheus, directed by Ridley Scott, is a science-fiction thriller that is set in the same fictional universe as the 1979 film Alien, also directed by Scott. Whether or not the audience has already seen Alien doesn't matter. There is plenty of good cinematic material in Prometheus to please Alien fans and newcomers alike: a constantly moving plot, intensely scary moments, breathtaking special effects, and a set of well-casted actors. This is a movie that shouldn't disappoint.

At first, the story appears to have no connection to Alien. In fact, it looks like the beginning of a more benign sci-fi story about discovering a new world. As explained in a holographic presentation early in the movie, there is evidence that several human civilizations throughout history, with no apparent connection in geography and time, have witnessed the same constellation in the sky. It is now determined that one solar system correlates with that observation, and that solar system has a planet. This begs the question: is there truly a God, and can He be found on that distant planet?

To answer this question, a crew of 17 on the science vessel Prometheus embark on a trip through space towards that planet. The crew includes Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), Dr. Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), a robot named David (Michael Fassbender), and Captain Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron). When the crew arrive on the planet and explore the inside of a rock that may be artificial, there is a sense of wonder and anticipation. There is a bit of suspense, too, because who knows what lurks inside the caves and tunnels?

This suspense soon lingers when a few things go wrong. First, a silica storm hits, with high-speed winds blowing millions of shards of glass in all directions. Because of this, two foolish and cowardly scientists get left behind in the tunnels. And instead of staying put, these two characters carelessly come into contact with a slimy alien creature. This is followed by a series of increasingly disturbing events. At this point, the movie becomes more like the original Alien movie, almost as if Prometheus is a remake of Alien. The two movies are similar in that the beginning is slow, the middle builds suspense, and the last part gets very intense.

There are scenes in Prometheus that mirror or are a slight variation of scenes from Alien. For example, there's a part in Prometheus where an alien creature is inhabiting and quickly growing inside one character's body. Because the character is constantly screaming, there is great fear that the alien will burst out of the body, similar to the infamous chest-bursting scene in Alien. I won't say what happens here, but it's definitely my pick for one of the scariest scenes in Prometheus.

As for that premise about coming to this planet to find God, there are still a few scenes that deal with this. Otherwise, it really serves as a hook for both the characters and the audience. It's a story of being lured by something potentially great, only to be thrust into a hellish nightmare and to still have questions remaining about our origin.

There were plenty of things I enjoyed about Prometheus. Besides the story, the cast is good, especially Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw and Michael Fassbender as David. The special effects and set design for every scene are mesmerizing. On top of this, the movie succeeds in making one experience various emotions, especially fear.

It's been 23 years since the first Alien movie and Ridley Scott has amazingly maintained his magical touch as director. I liked how he could provide both familiar material from Alien as well as original story content. I nodded with approval at the end of the movie. And anyone who hasn't seen Alien may find themselves interested in checking out the 1979 film. As for how I think Prometheus compares with Alien, I would say they're about the same. Both are amazing, thanks to Ridley Scott's skill as a director.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Prometheus, visit the Internet Movie Database.