Ridley Scott's Prometheus -- A Review
It has not happened often, but when it does, one has to give credit when its due. A couple of weekends ago the movie Prometheus premiered. A Ridley Scott film that had been greatly anticipated since the 1979 release of Alien. Unfortunately, very few events live up to the billing they receive and as long time science fiction horror fans will state Mr. Scott's participation has been missed. Many fans hoped that the prequel would be epic. Prometheus overall as film was breathtakingly huge and gave summer movie blockbuster fans the feel they needed when watching film on the big screen, but yet the screenwriting by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof at many points severed the connection between the audience. Spaihts and Lindelof disjointed narrative telling left the audience feeling awkward. For instance, in the beginning of Prometheus the writer entwined the Greek myth with metaphor and the human need to know of how, why, and where do we come from and then pivot into a suspense and horror movie.
The director, Scott, and the screenwriters chose not fully develop the supporting cast, which leaves an artificial and antiseptic feel to the movie. In Alien, Scott's ability to show the bonding moments with the crew gave the audience a connection and a reason to care for the deaths. In Prometheus, the opposite was true.The crew never really seemed to bond and the dialog was stilted, in that, the banter between the characters came across as forced.
Despite these shortcomings. the movie Prometheus has excellent acting by the primary characters Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw, Michael Fassbender as David, and Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers. Michael Fassbender 's character, as other reviewers have indicated, seemed to be channeling Peter O'Toole and yet there was a cold mechanical feel to his character that properly reflected the stillness of an humanoid android. Charlize Theron corporate profiteer and raider persona provided the necessary tension of conspiracy, yet the thoughtful calculation of vulnerability and strength allows her to expand beyond the cliche'. Noomi Rapace characterization was well balanced, for the most part, in the portrayal of a scientist in search of our origin and the human need for the spiritual connection most satisfying. Her conviction in seeking the knowledge of "why" and strength to surpass her fears provided the audience with a powerful woman lead.
Nevertheless, the main criticism of this reviewer is that human need and drive to understand who, what, and where we are from presides deep within humanity and Prometheus touches far too briefly on the subject. The overall screenwriting narrative is disjointed and further development should have been smoothed out. This time could have been used to develop the "bigger themes" with character development of the supporting cast, while transitioning into the genre of science fiction horror.
But as a summer blockbuster fare, the movie lives up to the overall expectations.
The director, Scott, and the screenwriters chose not fully develop the supporting cast, which leaves an artificial and antiseptic feel to the movie. In Alien, Scott's ability to show the bonding moments with the crew gave the audience a connection and a reason to care for the deaths. In Prometheus, the opposite was true.The crew never really seemed to bond and the dialog was stilted, in that, the banter between the characters came across as forced.
Despite these shortcomings. the movie Prometheus has excellent acting by the primary characters Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw, Michael Fassbender as David, and Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers. Michael Fassbender 's character, as other reviewers have indicated, seemed to be channeling Peter O'Toole and yet there was a cold mechanical feel to his character that properly reflected the stillness of an humanoid android. Charlize Theron corporate profiteer and raider persona provided the necessary tension of conspiracy, yet the thoughtful calculation of vulnerability and strength allows her to expand beyond the cliche'. Noomi Rapace characterization was well balanced, for the most part, in the portrayal of a scientist in search of our origin and the human need for the spiritual connection most satisfying. Her conviction in seeking the knowledge of "why" and strength to surpass her fears provided the audience with a powerful woman lead.
Nevertheless, the main criticism of this reviewer is that human need and drive to understand who, what, and where we are from presides deep within humanity and Prometheus touches far too briefly on the subject. The overall screenwriting narrative is disjointed and further development should have been smoothed out. This time could have been used to develop the "bigger themes" with character development of the supporting cast, while transitioning into the genre of science fiction horror.
But as a summer blockbuster fare, the movie lives up to the overall expectations.
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