2012’s “Prometheus”, directed by Ridley Scott.
Starring Michael Fassbender, Naomi Rapace, Logan
Marshall-Green, Charlize Theron, Guy Pierce, and Idris Elba.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley, and Martin Hill).
What is it about?
The 5th standalone Alien movie in the series, “Prometheus” takes place in 2089. We open to a group of scientist explorers, who discover ancient art depicting “engineers”, an alien race thought to be the forbearers to humans, and a map. They hop on a space ship (not too subtly named Prometheus and financed by the Weyland corporation), and head for the moon of planet LV-223. 4 years later, they wake up from cryo sleep and touch down. We meet Fassbender’s android character, David, and observe his attempts to research and fit in with humans. We also meet a couple, Naomi Rapace and Logan Marshall-Green, she faith based and primed for the heroine role, while he is impulsive. Elba plays the ship’s captain, following orders but not scared of going against the grain. Theron is the project manager, and definitely lets the crew know the corporation she reports to is large and in charge. The group begin exploring, heading into a structure. The setting of religious looking iconography and not too safe looking goo filled alien pods, combined with a hostile weather storm, eventually reveals the intentions of the corporation, and as the company men go about their orders, the fun begins.
Why is it worth seeing?
Featuring a gorgeous opening credits sequence that would feel at home during a Blue Planet segment, initially it was a delight to see Ridley Scott returning to the universe that made him so famous in the first place. But has he? It’s a mess. Officially called a prequel to 1979’s “Alien”, but changing the rules on how/where the aliens’ live, hatch/spawn, impregnate, mature, and look, Scott fights the mythology (and logistics set up in the earlier films) that he made so famous in the first place, and creates another species that is practically as hostile as the iconic creature.
Worse, Prometheus has abandoned plot points, and half drawn characters
that at times act so stupid that it’s possible to be delighted at their dim
witted demise. Scenes of the group spending time together (as per “Alien” or
1986’s “Aliens”) are abandoned for scenes of Fassbender learning how to mimic
humans behaviour (Fassbender studied “Bladerunner”’s Rachel replicant character
for his inspiration). After multiple viewings, I realize that the disconnect
starts to make some kind of sense: Prometheus feels more like Fassbender’s
movie than Rapace’s, or even the hostile alien life forms, as he cheerfully
tries to orchestrate destruction at the highest level. Scott mostly abandons
the haunted ship theme of movies past, and here there is an almost agoraphobic
tension instead, which changes how the movie feels in comparison. As mentioned
above, it’s also quite beautiful, with the future (past?) looking bright,
functional, and futuristic- again a far cry from the (very) lived-in universe
of the other Alien Movies.
If you stand far enough back and squint at the context, you
start to wonder if the Fassbender android’s promotion to star player is a sign
of a different kind of evolution. His own creation, born from mankind, and then
willing hatchet man of the chaos, echoes the “engineer” race’s intentions of
creating the antagonistic aliens as weapons designed to wipe out humans, in
order to create life out of the destruction. Company Men androids are nothing
new to the Alien universe, but this would be the first time we’re watching a
film where they’re practically the protagonist. It’s a glossy but chilling statement
from Scott, that underneath the acidic blood and burst body cavities, lie an
artificial consciousness that speaks more of petty irritation at mankind than
cooperation and inspiration. But Scott has shown us before, once you have an
alien inside you, it’s tough to get it out of your system.
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