Review of Prometheus (2012) by Bob R — 19 Feb 2014

Prometheus is a bold, grand sci-fi origins epic, that does some great stuff, but at the same time gets dragged down by some big cons. It's controversial, as fan boys love to argue about it either being amazing or a pile of shit. I gotta say, I'm kind of divided when it comes to Ridley Scott's so called 'prequel' to Alien.

A team of researchers and scientists have been in a long slumber on board the ship, Prometheus. Commander Vickers commands her android aid David, to wake the crew. The crew is woken up, and the ship has landed on the closest planet in the universe to potentially be inhabited by living things. According to scientists in the crew, there are living beings on this planet that may have something to do with the creation of the human race. These researchers want to meet their makers, while at the same time they have no idea what to expect on their search. Obviously, things get much more dangerous as the trip goes on, leaving the crew to fight for their life as they search for existential answers while trying to escape this hellish planet.

The most striking thing about Prometheus, is it's visual style. Ridley Scott creates a whole new planet here, and while it may seem empty for the most part, there are parts of the place that are incredibly detailed and impressive to look at. There are some good action sequences here, and overall, the grand nature of prometheus is pretty amazing. It's just great to look at, even with it's undeniable faults. Not many movies can manage to still be entertaining and intriguing with as many faults as Prometheus falls to. It's really weird, that I was never bored, yet I noticed so many things that bothered me. Even with it's problems, there's a whole bunch here to like, and I'll explain a bit more after I bring up some cons, which just have to stick out like sore thumbs.

First off, the writing is bored and crappy. The dialogue is stiff, cliche, and disengaging. Some of it feels like it was ripped straight out of a cheap B level horror movie. Not just this, but the characters do as well. From the beginning, we're introduced to a big cast of characters, 80% of which we can already assume will end up being useless to the big picture. There's no interest in most of these characters when we know they won't evolve past the first hour of the movie. This aspect of the movie raises the level of predictability that Prometheus boasts. Not just this, but the characters are uninspired and not memorable at all. Aside from David the android (Fassbender), everyone else including the protagonist are dumb, annoying, and nothing interesting. If there's anything interesting in Prometheus (and there certainly is), it's all in the concept and the visuals that represent it. There's nothing redeeming when it comes to the writing, characters, or acting.

The characters of Vickers and David are two particular characters that have made me thought beyond this viewing. I think David is the most interesting character in the movie, though he isn't necessarily original. I just find it ironic, that the most robotic character in the film is the most lively one. Vickers is just about pointless. She's the hard-ass commander that doesn't listen to anyone, but then again no one listens to her. There's this small little sub-plot between her and another character in Weyland. Weyland is pretty much the patriarch of the ship and the operation. He's an old man being preserved beyond his awaiting death, who wants answers to his questions when it comes to life, death, and existence. First off, there's no reason for casting Guy Pearce as Weyland, featuring brutal CGI to create the character. It would have been much more effective to just have an older actor play Weyland. There's a little moment between Vickers and Weyland that seemed like it was supposed to be a breathtaking twist, that ended up being a meaningless dud. I thought maybe I was crazy that I didn't care when this happened, but apparently I'm not the only one that thinks it was stupid. This represents pretty well the biggest fault with the movie. There's pointless subplots that add nothing. The Vickers/Weyland sub-plot, the Shaw/Holloway romance, and all the time eating unimportant character interactions. These are big issues that mire the overall film, but there's still more to talk about on the topic of good.

Prometheus ends completely open ended. It attracts you with it's final sequences, and makes you wonder beyond the ending. The movie features a solid visual experience, and a very interesting concept. With as many faults as Prometheus has, it works solely on it's concept and visuals, and it's biggest pro: it's potential. The conclusion is intriguing, and leaves you hungry. There's definitely more story to tell, even with a moronic protagonist. There should be a sequel, and I wouldn't understand if there isn't. From here, there's tons of potential to spawn at least one or two more movies, of great quality. Prometheus interests us enough to see what happens next throughout, and it definitely leaves us wanting more. I may have problems with it, but it surely has my curiosity at most.

Prometheus features poor writing, forgettable characters and abundant plot holes, but makes up for all the bugs it has with a great concept and it's amazing grand visuals.