
With the newest entry to the Alien franchise hitting theaters this weekend with Alien: Covenant, it’s time to look back at 2012’s reintroduction of the franchise, Prometheus. The prequel that wasn’t a prequel according to its filmmakers, takes a deeper look into the world that the original created nearly 40 years ago and expands upon it to create something new and, for better or worse, unique.
The discovery of a
clue to mankind's origins on Earth leads a team of explorers to the darkest
parts of the universe. Two brilliant young scientists lead the expedition. Shaw
(Noomi Rapace) hopes that they will meet a race of benevolent, godlike beings
who will in some way verify her religious beliefs, while Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) is out to debunk any spiritual notions. However, neither the
scientists nor their shipmates are prepared for the unimaginable terrors that
await them.
Prometheus is often criticized for
having a ton of plot holes, and yet upon revisiting it there really aren’t too
many things that mess with the plot. There are some unanswered questions of
course but the film isn’t about those and chooses mystery instead. As a prequel
it functions in an interesting manner to showcase the world of Alien before
Ripley and Co. ever board the Nostromo. The film goes deeper and more thought
provoking than the original films, questioning the origin of life and meeting
one’s creator, a theme that is reflected in the Human-Engineer relationship and
in David’s relationship to the humans.
The casting of the
crew, at least the main players, is spot on. Michael Fassbender as David really
steals the show. Even as an android Fassbender conveys subtle undertones and
alternate motives while maintaining this machine facade and demeanor. Noomi
Rapace is a somewhat worthy successor to Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, though not
as memorable, and gets to show off her acting ability. Charlize Theron and
Idris Elba bring some great performances to the film as well, with Theron
playing the cold, calculating member of the crew and Elba becoming the real
hero of the film.
Say whatever you
want about Ridley Scott, the man can shoot some spectacular visuals. From the
opening scene, the visuals are truly breathtaking and the design of this world
builds upon past films and creates it’s own new aesthetic for the human tech
and the alien creatures. Prometheus
also crafts horror in a similar fashion to the original, and while this
film relies on action and weaponry a bit more than darkness and shadows, the
results are similar though not as effective.
Overall, Prometheus is a film that catches a lot
of flack despite being a pretty solid sci-fi film. It expands the world of Alien while establishing it’s own
mythology. The casting is superb even if some of the minor characters make
questionable decisions and the action coupled with the horror is fairly
intense. Prometheus introduces
audiences back into the world of Alien
and with any luck jumpstarts the franchise into bigger and better things.
So what did you think of Prometheus? How does it
rank amongst the other films of the franchise? Share, subscribe, comment below,
and as always return to I Am Sam for more weekly reviews and insight.
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