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Rather than reinvent the wheel or
this case a review, our movie editor Damien Straker perfectly critiqued
Ridley Scott’s latest sci-fi epic Prometheus, a visually stunning film
that unfortunately lacked characterisation and a substantial plot.
Although I enjoyed the film more than Damien, I would like to expand on
the visuals of the film, especially in relation to IMAX. Prometheus was
not filmed in IMAX, rather it was shot in Real 3D and when combined with
the world’s third largest screen, the vision of Scott takes on this
surreal and almost siren-like appeal. These visuals assist in drawing
you into this movie and even with its flaws; you can’t help but
appreciate the scope of it, especially when you see the barren landscape
of planet LV-223 where this film takes place, the last known place of
the Engineers, an alien civilization who visited Earth several thousand
years ago. Unfortunately the spectacle of Prometheus is let down by the
script as Damien is now about to elaborate on.
Review
Prometheus is a prequel to Ridley Scott's
Alien (1979), opening with a creature disintegrating itself into the
Earth. Forwarding to the year 2089 and archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi
Rapace) and Charlie (Logan Marshall-Green) discover that a map has been
left by the alien as a signal to another planet. A few years later and
both archaeologists are onboard the spaceship Prometheus. The ship is
sponsored by the rarely seen Weyland (Guy Pearce) but is captained by
Janek (Idris Elba) and manned by the tough talking Meredith (Charlize
Theron). There is also an android on the ship named David (Michael
Fassbender), who is occasionally taunted for not being human. Interest
arises when the group lands on a moon and discovers that there is a
direct correlation between human and alien DNA. Problematically however,
some of the crew become separated from Shaw and the rest of the group,
forcing the others to retreat from the safety of the ship to find them.
Prometheus is bigger, louder and flashier
than Alien ever was, but not as effective. Where director Ridley Scott
once relied on pure minimalism, including the use of silence, deep
shadows and selective glimpses of the alien creatures, he deters
instantly from the 'less is more' approach from the very opening of this
disappointing prequel. The immediate vision of an alien badly in need of
a suntan, with a UFO hovering above him, is the result of the impatience
of both contemporary films and modern audiences. After all, Prometheus
was delayed to make way for the likes of Alien vs. Predator (2004).
Interestingly, that Razzie Award-nominated feature became the highest
grossing film between both franchises worldwide. What has followed is a
lack of restraint in Scott's film, particularly in the visual design,
which compromises his unique stylistic imprint. The clear, white,
sterile tones of the ship's interiors, along with the tight fitting grey
uniform of Meredith, hint at a fascist regime. But the emphasis on
digital technology upsets the mood and the isolation. The ship is
comprised of see-through computer screens and sophisticated touchpads,
while in the caves the crew can use flashing red scanners to search
through darkened areas. If this is a prequel to the retro, low-tech
Alien, how is it that they have access to such advanced gadgetry? The
illogical choices in design also flow through to the narrative, which is
unresolved and emotionally hollow. Potentially fascinating ideas
surrounding destruction as a form of creation and facing our creators
are squandered by deliberate obtuseness. Rather cynically, the film's
main questions, specifically the relationship between humans and aliens,
seem purposely unanswered if only so audiences will have to tune in for
the next episode.
Furthermore, the characters in this film
are noisier and more talkative than in Alien but still have little to
say. The film is painfully short on characterisation and the cast is
underused. Rapace is perhaps the strongest because she's intense and
visceral but she is not much of a conversationalist. Idris Elba, Guy
Pearce and a barely seen Patrick Wilson, are all fine actors but they
aren't well-served by the script because they're largely excluded from
the action and substantial details about their characters are scarce.
The plot struggles around the midpoint because the motives and the goals
of many of these characters feel sketchy. Similarly, there are few
actresses better at playing ice-cold than Charlize Theron but she's
unusually heavy-handed and the part feels underwritten because it limits
her range of emotions. The most elusive member is Fassbender's David,
who seems to recognise when he is being taunted, which adds some
much-needed tension, but his bizarre actions make it difficult to tell
whose side he is on. These characters are also drawn into dumb plot
points, courtesy of even dumber actions by the expendable side
characters. There are moments where you'd like to scream 'don't split
up' and 'don't touch that alien' but these events unfold with
predictable outcomes, thanks to an intrusive music score that cues us in
on when to be frightened. The thrills are meant to be amplified but
everything is performed with little self-awareness for the genre.
There's a laughable scene where a character undergoes the world's
fastest caesarean and after the alien came out all I wanted to hear was
Agent K (Men in Black) say: "It's a...squid." The aliens, including but
not limited to an enormous tentacle beast, might be more visible and
more violent but that doesn't mean the film is more exciting or
enjoyable because of it. After the screening, I wondered why Scott had
taken so long to make the film. On top of a proposed Monopoly movie,
based on the board game, and the recently announced sequel to Blade
Runner (1982), I questioned whether Scott was officially short on new
ideas. Watching Prometheus, the answer seems simple. In terms of design
and direction, it is a product of our times and not in a complimentary
way.
Final Thoughts?
Mainstream movie goers will probably enjoy
Prometheus for its sci-fi value; given you can ignore the clichés,
sometimes poorly written dialogue and at times ridiculous subplots.
Ultimately, it will be another forgettable Hollywood Blockbuster which
unfortunately won’t be remembered as Ridley Scott’s best work. If you
can’t see if in IMAX 3D, watch it in 2D as the Real 3D experience pales
in comparison to IMAX. |
