Prometheus Trailer2 – Alien Ship Leaving (Photo credit: Filmstalker)
By Kevin Martinez
WSWS
27 June 2012
Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof
Prometheus
Prometheus is a prequel of sorts to the 1979 science fiction-horror film Alien, also directed by Ridley Scott. The new film, the fifth installment in the Alien franchise, takes place in the year 2089 onboard the spaceship, Prometheus. The crew of the ship, some of whom are scientists while others are employed by the fictional Weyland Corporation, are en route to discover the origins of humanity on a planet far from Earth.
Archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) have discovered artifacts from early civilizations suggesting that humanity was visited (and perhaps created) by extraterrestrial beings, nicknamed “engineers.”
Prometheus’ captain, Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) does not share the scientific outlook or interests of Shaw and Holloway and is only committed to realizing the goals of aging CEO Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), who believes the “engineers” might hold the secret to prolonging his life. Accompanying the crew on their journey is an android named David, masterfully brought to life, as it were, by Michael Fassbender.
When the crew of Prometheus arrive at their destination and discover the remains of the “engineers” inside a large, cavernous structure, they come into contact with a vicious creature and soon the crew members are fighting for their very survival.
From a technical standpoint, Prometheus is impressive. The cinematography, sound and special effects have something menacing and otherworldly about them. Prometheus is not overly bombastic in this regard, unlike many other films today. Scott allows his audience members some time to think instead of overwhelming them with various pieces of eye candy. Although certainly violent, Prometheus is not as blood-spattered as, say, a Quentin Tarantino film or many others in the current “slasher” genre.
Having noted that, what can one say about a work whose only memorable character—when all is said and done—is a robot? Ultimately, the primary weakness of Prometheus is that it fails to move or provoke much thought in its audience.
