Most people who have reviewed this film have only seen it once, and therefore there is every reason to have a healthy skepticism about the wide array of opinions that have already been voiced about Ridley Scott's return to the world of science fiction, PROMETHEUS. I can't imagine truly grasping some of the concepts at work here after only one viewing. The plot itself isn't confusing, but the amount of philosophy and speculative science at work here makes at least two viewings necessary. And I say that as someone who wasn't particularly impressed with a lot of this film on the first go-round.
Before I dive into the boilerplate, let me digress just a moment on one aspect of PROMETHEUS. One of the elements of the movie that I was riveted by was the idea that Noomi Rapace's character, Elizabeth Shaw, is a woman of faith, something I'm fairly certain we haven't seen in any of the Alien movies. There's a moment in the trailer that I've always found gripping—when her whole world seems to be crashing down on her, Shaw suddenly clasps her hands together in desperation and prays. That's her defense mechanism, her last-ditch move to survive the insanity around her.
Sadly, that moment from the trailer is missing from the finished film (sort of; there's an alternate-angle version of it that is far less poignant than the version in the trailer). Nevertheless, the idea of a person of faith being the instigator of a mission that may once and for all prove that God doesn't exist is fascinating. Shaw and her team (fully funded by trillionaire Peter Weyland, played in old-man makeup by Guy Pearce) are in search of "Engineers," aliens who landed on our planet, possibly kick-started the genetic engineering that led to humanity (and all life on Earth, more than likely), and left clues to their whereabouts with ancient civilizations in the form of cave paintings and other such drawings. When one of her team questions her theory, she says they are accurate because she chooses to believe they are. Not exactly the scientific method, but instead it's her definition of a new kind of faith.
The movie opens with one of my favorite scenes. We see a humanoid creature on what may or may not be Earth doing something that appears to be either a mistake or a suicidal scientific experiment. Whatever it is, it is clearly the origins of life... somewhere, and it also seems clear that these Engineers can repeat this experiment anywhere where life can be sustained.
Jump forward to the mission itself. If we haven't learned by now that androids can never be trusted in Ridley Scott's movie, we have no one to blame but ourselves. But that doesn't stop David (Michael Fassbender) from being perhaps the most interesting character in the film. When we first enter the scientific expedition on the ship Prometheus, David is wandering the halls alone while the crew is frozen, awaiting arrival at the planet they believe is the home of the Engineers. But what David is doing on his own is kind of great: he's watching Peter O'Toole in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA because he's feels a connection, so much so that he colors and styles his hair to look exactly like O'Toole's. And almost from the minute we meet him, we know that David is hiding something and that his agenda is not the same as Shaw and her team.
Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers is drawing from the same icy well that she did for SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, but thankfully she's dialed back her performance as the ship's captain and loyal Weyland executive. She and Idris Elba's Janek (the ship's pilot) have one great scene together that does a fantastic job of establishing all aspects of her personality. If anything, I wish there was more of both of their characters in this film because there are certainly less interesting performances going on in PROMETHEUS that could have been sacrificed.
For example, my least favorite character is Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), Shaw's work partner and romantic interest (always a healthy combination), and the reason is I didn't buy a single thing this guy did or said. He's too ramped up and emotionally driven to be a straight-thinking researcher. At a point in the film, he gets sick, but rather than stay on the ship so as not to jeopardize the mission of going into the giant structure where the Engineers apparently lived at one point, he straps on a space suit and helmet and goes right out with the rest of the team.
And his actions pretty much set the dominos falling for the rest of the mission and movie. His actions feel like plot devices, not the actions of an actual person. And that's probably the biggest issue I had with PROMETHEUS overall. For every mind-blowing idea or image Scott and writers Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof give us, there are at least as many moments that feel rushed, nonsensical or unbelievable (in the context of this story).
Some people are telling you that viewing ALIEN before seeing PROMETHEUS is not necessary, and in terms of story that is absolutely true. But I watched the film anyway, and I thought in terms of contrasting how Scott's brand of science-fiction-horror has evolved. I also loved getting meet a different kind of professional space traveler. Whereas in ALIEN, the ship was populated by blue-collar types simply looking for a payday, here we get scientists and other research specialists mixed in with guys who can actually fix the ship if it is damaged. Do no watch PROMETHEUS if you're looking for connective tissue to ALIEN. If you do, enjoy being disappointed. The connective material is there, but if that's all you care about, you aren't giving the new film a fair shake. And those links are some of the least interesting parts of the film, especially a closing sequence that feels like a desperate afterthought.
Far more interesting is discovering this version of the future, which doesn't seem so removed from our world today. I also liked the searching/discovering aspect of the team as they enter this structure and walk through what seem like miles of caves to piece together what happened years earlier. I think it almost goes without saying that the visuals are spectacular and groundbreaking—and yes, I'll plug the 3D version of this film without hesitation. And I'll give the overall film credit for being something that is easily watchable as a stand-alone experience. Sure, seeing the Space Jockey in context has more power knowing ALIEN, but it's in no way essential.
PROMETHEUS is about the possibility of meeting our creators, and it poses the question, "What if our creators don't want to meet us?" And that alone makes it a film with huge ambition (which, alone, does not make it great) and a wonderful potential to spark hours of conversation after every screening (which does make it great). Its shortcomings are too big to ignore, but so are the places where it absolutely nails it. That makes it difficult to decide whether or not to actually recommend it as both a film and conversation starter, but I think in the end I have to say it's worth taking a look at as long as you dial back your expectations. In fact, it might make the experience a whole lot better if you approach PROMETHEUS as a movie that exists in its own universe, forgetting where the DNA that may run through its story is from. This is what we call a mild recommendation, but I firmly believe the less you bring in, the more you'll take away from this film.
