Seriously! This review is comprised of HUGE plot details!
Still here? Okay then, onwards & upwards...
Prometheus starts out with beautiful high flying shots of Earth, presumably billions of years ago, right when the unknown creature, presumably Prometheus, sacrifices himself in order to give life to the planet. His body is thrown into a thunderous waterfall, spreading his DNA throughout the river. We then cut to the year 2089 in the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where scientists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover an ancient cave painting of a God-like creature, standing amongst early homo-sapiens, pointing to the stars. It just so happens, this depicted constellation, matches several other cave paintings from throughout many other civilizations, so the pair are hired by Weyland corporations to travel to LV-223 (the central planet in the cave paintings) to unravel the mystery of the God-like creatures.
The rag-tag group that accompanies them is comprised of David the Android (Michael Fassbender), Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), Captain Janek (Idris Elba), Fifield (Sean Harris) and many others. David awakens the crew after two years in cryogenic sleep to see they've arrived on the jagged-rock desert planet. Things quickly move on from here, with the team gathering their gear in order to explore whatever facility they can find.
This being the origin story of the Space Jockeys, the film doesn't waste time addressing them. Only a brief time is spent inside the haunting, dark chambers of the alien facility before we see a chilling hologram of the creatures in their last moments before death. It's here that the film begins to spin it's intriguing web of mystery. Who are these 'Engineers'? And how did they find themselves wiped out? Or are they all dead? Admittedly, while these questions that are fascinating and the pace keeps you enthralled, it is also at this point in Prometheus where the script begins to get caught up in itself. One minute we'll be addressing a threat inside, then the film will cut and run to another scene altogether, often not returning to conclude the thread it brought up in the first place. The question's structure is the problem. And Prometheus is a true paradox for this reason. It's an Alien film, but not an Alien film. There are two films sown together here, an Alien prequel and a grand space-exploring epic; and the two don't often gel together so smoothly as the filmmakers would like.
Undoubtedly, what makes the film work so well is the Android character, David, and the extraordinary performance by Michael Fassbender. One part HAL, one part Peter O' Toole, David is a fascinating character, proving to be more likable than any of the human characters he interacts with. He's like an alien himself, struggling to truly understand human emotions and motivations, all the while wishing he were more like them himself. There comes a point in the film when David drugs Holloway with the oil-like substance found in the chamber's urns. And this is where it gets interesting. Is David intentionally poisoning the crew in order to bring his creator's a sample of the specimen (after all, the specimen would more than likely have a better chance at survival if it were incubating in a human host)? Or was there an actual emotionally driven reason for it? Did he poison the doctor because of the way he was being treated aboard the ship? I find it more likely that he was programmed or ordered to infect a crew member by Peter Weyland himself, but it's nice to theorize. But one thing's for sure. Prometheus is Michael Fassbender's film. Rapace and Elba turn is really solid performances, too, but Fassbender elevates the film with his calming, but slightly menacing, robot.
As for the 3D. Prometheus is essential viewing in the format. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski brings his A game to the project with some of the most beautiful imagery I've ever seen in cinema. The opening scene is just a wonder to behold in three dimensions. Scott and Wolski really make the most of the desolate-looking Reykjavik locations, and combined with the 3D, gives you a sense of immersion like never before. For years I've been staunchly against the technology but I have to admit, Scott's use of the extra dimension is smart and additive, like Scorsese's Hugo.
In the end, Prometheus is a very, very good film. Yes, there are some underdeveloped characters. Yes, there are some minor plot holes. But Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof have created a wonderful science fiction story. One that answers some questions raised in 1979's Alien, while asking some provocative new ones. And it should be praised for not explaining everything. Cinema is imagination and audience participation. So the puzzles not solved are left open for you to decipher on your own. With it's solid story, pacing, direction and performances, Prometheus is a real treat and I have a feeling that those who are raging over it this weekend are the ones that expected Alien 5.
