Prometheus (2012)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Director

Ridley Scott

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Kate Dickie, Emun Elliott, Benedict Wong, Patrick Wilson, Ian Whyte

Storyline

Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team journey across the universe and find a structure on a distant planet containing a monolithic statue of a humanoid head and stone cylinders of alien blood. They'll soon find they are not alone.

Opinion

I've been completely disappointed by Ridley Scott's latest movies - first by The Counselor, and later by Exodus: Gods and Kings, that somehow managed to drag Christian Bale down to its level -, so I've started wondering when his fall started, and now I think I've found the tip of the iceberg. 

Not as bad as the previously mentioned films, Prometheus sins of ambition, and doesn't get even close to the levels of the other science fiction movies directed by Scott. It is built on the same narrative structure of Alien, and uses the same spaceships and aliens designs, but the result is not nearly as good. 

Clearly a failed attempt to prequel Alien, Prometheus finds itself struck in the middle of a clichéd plot and so much nonsense to fill a book. The first part of the film manages to create certain expectations and to intrigue the viewer, but as time passes, it wonderfully manages to disappoint.

Many scenes do not have a real purpose, and are justified by the need to fill the film with special effects, that are very well made by the way. Unfortunately, a film can't steady itself on special effects only, because they'll be obsolete in a short time, as happens with all technologies.

There is no character development, every single character could die and you wouldn't even care, maybe Idris Elba's is an exception because more human. The only slightly interesting dialogue is the one involving android David. The spaceship setting is beautiful, but Kubrick did better 46 years ago in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The music is nothing special and hardly noticeable. 

However, since the main reason why I decided to watch this film in the first place is the presence of Michael Fassbender, I can't say I have been fully disappointed. The German-Irish actor once again shines, delivering a wonderful, emotionless, and expressionless performance as David. Noomi Rapace fails to generate sympathy, and the rest of the cast is mediocre.

Quotes

David: Big things have small beginning.