Prometheus 3D

For many years director Ridley Scott has teased audiences with hints that he may embark upon filming a return to his beloved, yet terrifying _Alien_ franchise. Initial talks seemed to suggest that Sigourney Weaver would return in a film in which humans ventured to the home planet of the acid for blood aliens, until finally Scott announced he was to work on a new 3D film called _Prometheus_.

Since the announcement, few details had been leaked about the project, which forced many of Scott’s legions of fans into a hysterical search for whether Prometheus would be a part of the Alien franchise or not.
Scott had stated that the film would share a ‘DNA’ with _Alien_, yet refused to reveal to what extent _Prometheus_ would truly be a part of the franchise. This has proved to be an effective marketing strategy, making the film not only the biggest blockbuster of the summer so far, but a pivotal point in Scott’s film career, having not directed a sci-fi project since 1982’s (now cult classic) _Blade Runner_.

However, the questions I had regarding the film lay in its ability to perform as a stand-alone sci-fi thriller, with the ability to attract and entertain a new generation of viewers who had not seen 1979’s _Alien_.
Furthermore, due to the films enormous budget, lengthy production process, costly CGI effects and the decision to utilise 3D technology, _Prometheus_ was under a great amount of pressure to deliver; so did it?

I’ve heard many people being overly critical of Scott’s film, based on the fact that it leaves audiences with a great number of unanswered questions and based on what I assume are people directly comparing the film with the original _’Alien’._ Such a comparison is unfair, given the numerous different variables involved and the context we must address in terms of the changing expectations that surround a modern day summer blockbuster.

{{ quote Prometheus succeeds in providing audiences with an exhilarating, beautifully crafted and visually breathtaking sci-fi thriller}}

In my view the film only suffers from one problem, its ambition. The film’s writing is not only uneven and incomplete, but is so broad in the original ideas and thematic questions it raises that it couldn’t possibly hope to deliver all the answers we may feel entitled to.
The audacity of the film should be clear to most, given that the space ship (and film) is named after the Greek God Prometheus, who in legend, gave fire to humans, thus forever changing the evolution of our species. The film attempts to tackle some of these philosophical allusions, though its attempts feel half-hearted and fail to come off with any sort of resolute impact. This isn’t helped by the film’s script, which shifts from moments of thoughtful and well-executed intrigue to clichés that undermine these instantly.

Regardless of such shortcomings, _Prometheus_ succeeds in providing audiences with an exhilarating, beautifully crafted and visually breathtaking sci-fi thriller. Although I’m sure many students here at Warwick would disagree with me, I’d argue that not all of us want to be intellectually challenged for over 2 hours when going to see a summer blockbuster.
Those being critical of the film based on its shortcomings are failing to appreciate the level of effort that has clearly been invested in designing and executing such an ambitious project.
The acting of the film’s cast in particular Charlize Theron and Noomi Rapace (of the original Girl with Dragon Tattoo fame) who takes on her first leading role is fairly solid, with only Guy Pearce’s Peter failing to prove a convincing character. Though despite such fine turns, it is the busiest actor in Hollywood, Michael Fassbender who will once again garner the critical praise he deserves for what is a brilliantly spooky performance as the ship’s android, David.

I’m hesitant to reveal too much of the plot, but briefly the film follows a space crew investigating the apparent discovery of a life form on a far away planet, that they believe may have created mankind. A crew of engineers from the Weyland Corporation take the scientists to the planet, where they discover what they were looking for, only to stumble upon another life form that exists on the planet, with far more hostile intentions.
By far the strongest elements of _Prometheus_ are the film’s outstanding special effects and meticulously crafted visual design. No matter how seasoned a veteran of summer blockbusters you may be, I assure you that you will not have witnessed many films that could compete with the dazzling appearance of Scott’s ambitious return to sci-fi.

_Prometheus_ may not satisfy fans of the original ‘Alien’ who are searching for truly shocking scares, yet it does provide many tense and well crafted action sequences that are sure to satisfy a multitude of audiences in search of a summer thriller.
My best advice to those who have been highly anticipating Ridley Scott’s return to the sci-fi genre is to go in with an open mind, as if this was the director’s first film. Because for those who watch Prometheus without the added baggage of unrealistic expectations, you’ll be richly rewarded with an effective and impressive summer blockbuster.

Besides, all your questions will be answered in the sequel…