Throwback Thursday Review: 'Prometheus'

I apologize for yet another delayed review but this week's Throwback Thursday is over Prometheus to coincide with the release of its sequel Alien: Covenant. If you happened to miss any of my Alien Anthology series of Retrospective Reviews, you can find those at the subsequent blue hyperlinks: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien: Resurrection. Next week I'll be finishing out my series of Pirates of the Caribbean reviews as I review Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides to tie in with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Other reviews you can expect to see over the course of May and June include Throwback Thursday Reviews over Cars, The Mummy (1999), Cars 2, Transformers: Age of Extinction, and Despicable Me 2 and new reviews for Alien: Covenant, Baywatch, Wonder Woman, The Mummy (2017), Cars 3, Transformers: The Last Knight, Baby Driver, and Despicable Me 3.

'Prometheus' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects.

Prometheus follows an expeditionary team to the far reaches of space as they believe they've discovered a hint towards the origins of humanity. The team arrive to planet LV-223 (not LV-426, the planet shown in Alien and Aliens) and soon discover the answers they seek will lead them to horrifying conclusions.

At the time of Prometheus's release, it was ambiguous exactly how Prometheus fit into the Alien-universe. Since then, it's been given the distinction of being a quasi-prequel to Alien. This essentially means Prometheus certainly exists within the Alien Anthology but isn't a direct setup to Alien. After 33 years, Ridley Scott returned to his roots to helm Prometheus and thankfully delivered one of the Anthology's most coherent creative works in quite some time, for more on this read my reviews of Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection. 

Even when accounting for Prometheus' flaws, distinctive and persistent philosophical ponderings surround the story. From beginning to end, Scott and his terrific technical crew paint a pretty picture using space as their canvas. Scott and cinematographer Dariosz Wolski capture exceptionally breathtaking images of the hushed, lovely landscape while the vfx team create resonant renderings that pair perfectly with the immense, spectacular sets constructed by the prime production designers. Marc Streintenfeld's sumptuous space score bodes well as accompaniment, filling the vacuum of space with ethereal tones played by a swelling, harmonious orchestra.

However, Prometheus is easily one of the most frustrating movies I've seen in recent memory because it poses plenty of questions but doesn't ever get around to granting any clear-cut answers. I'm not particularly bothered by a few dangling threads but screenwriters Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof leave Prometheus' monumental mysteries to be ill-defined, only painting broad strokes but never retracing their steps to refine any blemishes. I'm sure this was intentional incorporation into the grand scheme of Prometheus' philosophical nature but it's not fortuitous that they didn't fill in any gaping plot-holes. I will say that turns things around with a thrilling third act but up to that point you'll be peeved by the dumb decisions the expedition team partake in. This team is made up of intellectuals so their brainless behavior on the planet's surface is inexcusable.

Unfortunately, many of the crew members feel vaguely characterized as only the prominent players are given substantial depth and corresponding complexity. This in turn detracts from the supporting ensemble's subsequent portrayals but magnifies the principal characters. Noomi Rapace offers an excellent portrayal of devout archeologist Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, playing into the frantic uncertainty Prometheus provides. Rapace's Shaw isn't quite up to par with Ripley as a fascinating female lead but she's superb nevertheless. On the other hand, Emum Elliott showcases a steel-faced wooden portrayal of Shaw's partner and love interest Charlie Holloway. Guy Pearce also has an odd arc as an aged Peter Weyland. Charlize Theron and Idris Elba are sufficient as mission director Vickers and charming captain Janek respectively, each adding a dosage of star power to the mix. Elsewhere the crew composed of Logan Marshall Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Benedict Wong, and Kate Dickie are fine in their distinctive roles but none of the bunch bring anything particularly memorable to their characters.

On all accounts, it is certainly Michael Fassbender who steals the show. Fassbender's intricate android David is the most interesting character among the bunch as he demonstrates unconventional, individualistic autonomy. Fassbender brings a clout of gravitas that melds well with David and projects an ominous and unsettling disposition that plays out perfectly.

In conclusion, Prometheus boasts proficient performances, tremendous technical work, a splendid space score, and accomplished aesthetic but gets dragged down by presenting weighty philosophical questions and failing to conjure an adequate answer to any of them.

Film Assessment: C