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| Courtesy of 20th Century Fox |
As with most modern blockbusters, everything’s a
setup for Prometheus 2. That means we won’t get answers to the frustrating
mysteries raised by the film until much later – if ever. Which is to be
expected when the screenplay was co-written by one of the guys behind Lost.
Delayed gratification aside, the flick is
generally a success. It’s unquestionably gorgeous to look at, with some
awe-inspiring shots of waterfalls and caves on our planet, along with
computer-created looks at other worlds and species that are practically
photorealistic. As such, seeing it in 3D is a must – something you’ll rarely
hear me say – because it was actually filmed with the format in mind and Scott
clearly knows how to employ it. It’s up there with Avatar and Hugo as one
of the best uses of the technology.
Story-wise, things get a bit iffier. The plot
kicks off with a couple of promising elements, but they’re eventually squandered
by the above-mentioned case of sequel-itis. We’re introduced to the world of Prometheus through a prologue that seems to take place on Earth hundreds of
thousands of years ago.
A snow-skinned, hulking humanoid stands above a
raging waterfall as a spaceship hovers above him. He holds a strange black
liquid in his hands, which he promptly downs like a shot of booze. The being
immediately collapses, goes over the falls and breaks into pieces. Consider my
interest piqued.
Fast-forward a few eons, where we briefly
witness scientists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan
Marshall-Green) discover an ancient cave painting confirming that early man was
visited by extraterrestrials. One more fast-forward (another decade or so) and
we’re in the main part of the storyline. Shaw, Holloway and several other
scientists are onboard the space vessel Prometheus, heading to a galaxy they
believe is home to the beings who visited Earth all those years ago.
However, other crewmembers have missions that
are less scientific in nature, including an enigmatic android named David
(Michael Fassbender) and Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), the corporate
executive financing the expedition. One of the film’s many mysteries is how the
competing agendas will come into conflict. And will that even matter once
Prometheus arrives at its destination and the team begins to encounter some
less-than-welcoming creatures?
Despite a muddled screenplay from Jon Spaihts
and Damon Lindeolof, Prometheus is Scott’s best film in years.
(Take that with a grain of salt, as Scott hasn’t exactly been cranking out the
classics lately.) It’s nowhere near an Alien-level classic, but I appreciate
the attempt to make a sci-fi thriller that’s as much about life’s big questions
as it is gory kills.
Now if Scott was concerned with actually trying
to answer those questions, the grade at the bottom of this page might’ve been a
little higher. Even a lackluster attempt would’ve been better than a maddening
“wait for the sequel.” And while his eye for astounding visuals is
indisputable, after a while it feels like he’s using that to overcompensate for
a script that needed another few revisions to weed out the plot holes and
unnecessary characters.
Even as the crew of the Prometheus is
introduced, it’s obvious most of them are there as alien chow. It’s only a
matter of who goes when. The leads do solid work, even if it feels like they’re
overcompensating for underdeveloped characters.
Take Idris Elba, who plays Janek, the ship’s
pilot. He’s only in a handful of scenes, but he makes Janek so affable that you
can’t help but smile whenever he’s on the screen. It’s only later that you
realize you still know jack-squat about the guy.
The same goes for Theron’s character, who the
actress clearly understands better than the script does. The film paints her as
a shadowy villain, even though her behavior seems perfectly reasonable under
the insanely dangerous circumstances. Rapace is adequate in the lead role, but
she never fully conveys Shaw’s supposed brilliance or why she would continue to
associate with certain characters once spoiler-laden revelations are disclosed.
Still, everyone pales in comparison to
Fassbender, whose astonishing work as David the android turns a $250 million
blockbuster into a one-man show. The actor is so often the best part of the
movies he stars in (Shame, X-Men: First Class, Haywire) that I'm running out of adjectives to describe his talent.
I could watch an entire movie chronicling how
David keeps himself busy on the ship while everyone else hibernates. The brief
glimpses we get of him shooting hoops, riding a bike and modeling his behavior
on Lawrence of Arabia are fascinating. I also liked seeing how he modulates
the character’s behavior based on the treatment he receives from those around
him. He’s a totally different “person” around the android-averse than he is
when interacting with those who treat him as an equal.
While Prometheus is ultimately not as
brilliant as I’d hoped, it’s worth recommending based on some powerful
performances and astonishing special effects. Just don’t get your hopes up for
a follow-up that answers all of your questions. This thing will have to be a
colossal hit for a sequel to even be considered, and I don’t see that happening.
Prometheus
is rated R for sci-fi violence including some intense images, and brief
language.
Grade: B-
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