Prometheus is big, glorious, fully rendered sci-fi cinema. It's not an action film, it's not a horror movie (though there are horrors to be sure), and perhaps most frustratingly, for some, it's not really an Alien movie either. It is much more akin to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY or CLOSE ENCOUNTERS of the 3rd KIND then the tone of any of the Alien films (except very much the first, which it has equal parts of many elements). It's conceit isn't to scare, or thrust into action, but to explore something very alien, and ask some big cosmic questions. And at that, it wholly succeeds. It gives you much to explore for yourself, both in terms of it's themes, and in terms of it's relation to that other Ridley Scott booted franchise.
That's right, it's not an Alien movie, don't expect that. Ridley and Damon tried to warn us, and set expectations appropriately here. It's not a direct prequel... as they said. But it does very much play in and further explore that universe, and the genesis of Alien.
It even gives us the Space Jockey/s, a burst chest, and the ship... just not in the right places. And something, briefly, very Alien-esque... but that's as close to a classic Alien as we get.
There are other alien creatures and life though, and like the the world that's visited, and the crew and their ship Prometheus, it's all amazingly rendered in jaw dropping realistic 3D (and the creatures here, and the horrors they unleash are a level of demented fun on par with Alien). Prometheus is a paradise for sci-fi enthusiasts. You can completely geek out on the 2 hours you get to spend with an expedition to an alien world. I loved it. I have no problem with the direction the film takes.
In terms of the story, and characters, they're all interesting too, and mostly successful. Most every gap in logic or plot is explained (relatively)... it's a pretty tight script. Fassbender and Theron stand out from the cast, and Noomi is solid. Also worth mention is the fantastic score, and amazing sound that accompany what is a visual delight for eyes, and therefore ears. A fully immersive sci-fi treat. Which makes this a banner year for sci-fi. Earlier we were treated to the popcorn pulp adventure of John Carter, and now we have cerebral pulp horror. To me, as much as I love fantasy (can't wait to get some more Tolkien) and comic book superheroes... nothing excites me more than science fiction. Nothing. So a big thank you to the many folks who made Prometheus possible.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
1 comment:
I liked it a ton, too. I think I'm going to have to see it again - the visuals were so impressive that I kind of stopped paying attention to what was going on. I mean that in a good way...
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