Prometheus

An illustrious back story. An amazing director with a formidable pedigree. A writer with a proven track record in sci-fi and mystery genres. A star studded cast that basically comprises of who's hot in Hollywood right now. Forgive the pun but the stars were all set to align. Unfortunately, something was lacking and what could have been one of 2012's greatest films has unfortunately become just another good movie plagued by great expectations and poor characterisation.

Yes it is a good film, however it never quite lives up to the masterpiece it could have been like its sister 'Alien'. A story 30 years in the making, one that Ridley Scott always wanted and intended to tell, even to the point that he fought tooth and claw to keep the progenitor scene, featuring the now infamous 'Space Jockey', in the original Alien film. Now as I'm sure most people are now aware this film centres around the 'Space Jockey' species, now given the title of the 'Engineer's' and is effectively both a prequel, standalone accompaniment and tangent of 'Alien'. You don't need to have seen the 1979 masterpiece to enjoy 'Prometheus' but it adds depth and a micro amount of understanding and answers some of the questions posed within it. However the narrative does also pose as many questions as it answers. And potentially at times contradicts the answers it does give. And this is one of the flaws of the film, in that it tries to do much in a short amount of time. Does it answer the question of who the 'Engineer's are? Yes. Does it reveal where the 'Alien' comes from? Yes, but there are some contradictions. Does Noomi Rapace provide a substantial replacement for Sigourney Weaver? I'll leave you to answer that when you see the film.

The main letdown of this film is the lack of characterisation. The characters are all underdeveloped and very flat, with the perhaps (ironic) exception of one. There is very little development and explanation of the character's motives, they seem to act and react very much just to progress the narrative. The only character who feels real ironically is that if Michael Fassbender's David, the android. He is the only one who is consistently interesting to watch and gives the audience something to question as well as showing any real character progression. He has depths, motives, reasoning and is flawed, showcasing a more human nature than any of the others. Fassbender does an amazing job in portraying David, every look he gives and dialogue he utters can be second guessed and read into on so many different levels. I actively found myself watching him throughout the film, wether he was in the foreground or merely a part of a group scene, as he in my opinion was the absolute star in this film.

The direction, as expected, is brilliant. Whether watching the titular ship coast through the vastness of space in CGI, or the expertly crafted ensemble scenes with live action cast, Ridley Scott does a bang up job. The film is undoubtedly beautiful. An expertly crafted visual tour de force. It never feels overly long or dragged out, the film never feels dissected or short changed. If anything it feels as if it would benefit from a Director's cut or a Lord of the Rings-esque extended edition. The reason for this leads directly into the second major flaw of the film, and that lies within the undefinable genre of the film. It chops and changes from sci-fi thriller, to mystery, to action flick and finally into horror. It can't and doesn't stick with any one genre, this causes the experience as a viewer to become fragmented because just as you're expecting something to happen it doesn't and changes, and not in a good way. It creates a very disjointed and unsatisfying viewing experience.

This fragmentation also leads into the final major flaw in the film. The third act. Although brilliant at times. There is simply too much going on, a slow paced lead in is ruined by having the final 30mins go completely off the wall. Various plot threads are tied up in such a way that it feels forced and almost contrived. Especially as the last 5 or so minutes feel like they are almost a standalone teaser for 'Prometheus 2: *Spoilerific Title*'. Literally setting out the plot for a follow up.

I know this review seems primarily negative. But I did enjoy the film, don't get me wrong. I just feel that it could have been so much more. Had the 'star map' been followed it could have been a masterpiece to rival its predecessor/sister/prequel. Definitely worthy of watching on the big screen, just don't expect to be blown away.

7.5 - Good

P.S. I may update this review after a second viewing as upon re-reading it, it seems like a slating