Prometheus Review

Plot Summary:
A team of explorers in the year 2093 led by Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) discovers a clue to the origin of mankind on Earth. This discovery leads them to a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must face an alien force that plans to destroy the Earth.

The Positives:
Most people know of this film as an unofficial Alien prequel. While it does have many traits of the original 1979 film, I feel it is worthy of being a standalone film from the franchise. Its thought-provoking questions it creates and the haunting atmosphere it has leads to a great science fiction film rather than a science fiction horror flick.

The casting was pitch perfect for this film. All of the actors did a wonderful job with the characters they were given, even Guy Pearce did great as an old man. The best performance in the film is easily Michael Fassbender's portrayal as the android David. The way he carries his motives and plans secretively brings out a captivating performance from Fassbender. He stole the show in last year's X-Men: First Class and does so also in this film, this man has a great career ahead of him.

The special effects were very well done also. The aliens/engineers looked really cool. The dark setting added to the suspense in the film, rather than taking advantage of it. This film uses visuals to assist the story, rather than over-the-top special effects becoming the story like most films have become nowadays.

I had doubts in Ridley Scott directing this film. I felt he had lost his touch over the years with his films, a recent example being the abysmal Robin Hood. I left the film rather impressed with his direction of it. He directs each scene carefully and beautifully, making sure each scene makes sense to the story.

I also really enjoyed the writing in this film. While it doesn't focus on the characters too much, it focuses more on questions about life and where we come from. Writing like this is similar to old fashioned science fiction literature rather than a modern blockbuster. While it doesn't answer every question, it leaves the audience with open interpretation to discuss the film afterwards. A film that does this in my opinion is one with successful storytelling.

The Negatives:
As I mentioned earlier, the characters are really not focused in the script. In fact, the only character I can think of that was developed was David. Also, the characters do constant dumb mistakes and motives throughout that if avoided, could have made the film more interesting. These are only minor flaws in my opinion.

Conclusion:
Prometheus is a well-done science fiction film. While it isn't quite what I expected, I left the film haunted and constantly thought about it. Its intriguing storytelling, dazzling visual effects, and wonderful performances easily make Prometheus one of 2012's top films and most memorable films. This is a film definitely worth seeing twice.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10