Let's start with a little synopsis: Prometheus is director Ridley Scott's newest foray into sci fi; a land where he's no stranger (I need not mention Blade Runner) and is set in the 21st century and follows a crew on the ship "Prometheus" as they discover the remnants of an ancient civilization on a foreign planet that could be a link to human existence. The film follows Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), an archaeologist who leads the team that includes Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), fellow archaeologist and Elizabeth's love interest, and an android named David (Michael Fassbender).They are summoned by the Weyland Corporation to discover this ancient planet. Weyland Corp. is headed by Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), an old man who has long passed on and is introduced to the crew via hologram. Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), an employee for Weyland, is there to ensure that things go as instructed. She's cold, strict, and by the books. As the story progresses we find that they may have instead stumbled upon mankind's extinction.
So, was it the film that I hoped for? Meh. That's right, "meh". The film was decent in its visuals (the opening was stunning, in my opinion) and in its premise. But I felt that a few things caused the film to not reach its full potential. For one, for a film that started as a prequel to Scott's Alien film, then not connected at all and supposedly standing on its own, there were many references to Alien. Again, the premise of humans trying to find the link to existence and possibly to a creator "god" or "gods" is good. With that said, allusions to Alien only serves as a reminder that Ridley Scott directed Alien. Prometheus can stand on its own.
As far as the characters, I could see early on in the film that they all have wants and desires. This was displayed without being too obvious. I felt that Theron played the role of the icy Meredith Vickers well. The android David's desire was that of any android: to be human. To me, he takes that desire in a different direction in the film.
With Shaw, though I wasn't hoping for Ripley's "tough bitch" attitude to be replicated (a role that was played brilliantly by Sigourney Weaver), I was hoping for tough. With Shaw, I didn't get that despite the events that transpire in the film. I found myself not really caring about her to a point and becoming interested in David's wants (when you see the film, you'll know why). I felt that he was more interesting.
The film also left a few questions unanswered. One big one being "why?". It leaves you feeling as though you have to wait for the next film (if there ever will be a next film).
All in all, despite the aforementioned hiccups, the film is enjoyable. It'll keep your interest, at least. From watching the film I can only guess where Scott will take the new Blade Runner film currently in development. Let's hope for more than "meh".
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