MOVIE REVIEW: “Prometheus” stars Noomi Rapace (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Drop), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class, Inglourious Basterds), Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road, Hancock), Idris Elba (Thor, Pacific Rim), Logan Marshall-Green (Devil, The Invitation), Guy Pierce (Iron Man 3, Memento), Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation, Harry Brown), and Rafe Spall (Life of Pi, Shaun of the Dead). It is directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien) and is written by Jon Spaihts (The Darkest Hour, Doctor Strange) and Damon Lindelof (Lost [TV series], Tomorrowland). In the year 2093, two scientists are recruited by Weyland Enterprises to travel to a far off planet that they believe holds the beings that created humans. This journey proves to be dangerous, however, for their curiosity will cause serious consequences.

Not too long ago, I held a marathon in which I reviewed all of the “Alien” films. Even though I stated that I critiqued every single one of them, there was one that I left out: “Prometheus.” I didn’t put this movie in the marathon, not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t have the opportunity to watch it at the time. I really wanted to, but in order to pair it with the other “Alien” releases, I would have to wait for a longer time to get my hands on it. Anyway, I have it now, and I have seen it. The biggest thing that made me happy about this film was how it is a heck of a lot better than the last two “Alien” movies. Walking in, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that it would sink to their level, but I had to state that anyway just so you know how much I hate “Alien 3” and “Alien: Resurrection.” The thing is, this flick is in its own world when compared to the previous releases. Instead of it being centered around the protecting of mankind from an evil alien race, we are given a space exploration with an agenda of finding out who created us and why. It gets into some pretty heavy sci-fi; just what I wanted. I love science fiction films that make you think and wonder, and this one is no exception. The story and concept of this movie was intriguing, and it kept me captivated throughout the whole experience (seriously, I didn’t look away from the screen at all). It’s a prequel, yes, but a very good one at that. The scope and consequences of how curiosity can take a person down a dangerous road were fleshed out in this, as the discovery of where we came from took a hefty price to pay for. Many questions arise in this film, some of which are answered and a bunch that aren’t. I’m not much to complain about questions being unanswered, as long as they are written well enough to either have the viewer figure it out themselves or come up with their own answer. Whether or not this movie succeeded at that will be discussed later in this review. Like I said, this is a heavy science fiction release, one that shines light on ideas and concepts that spark interest in those who are into those kind of things. Being one of those individuals, it was a treat to see how this tale will unfold and how the first “Alien” film came to be, in the sense of where the aliens came from. I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it, but I will say that I was satisfied by the end result. Moving onto other aspects that I liked in this movie, the cinematography was phenomenal. Ridley Scott is the man and he shows his talent for sci-fi in this with beautiful landscape shots, great color tones, and amazing camera angles that make this plot so engaging. Just looking at this film made me excited. The visuals and effects that came with the directing were astounding as Scott found a perfect balance between practical and CGI effects. I could tell which one was which, but they were both good in their own respects. As far as acting goes, everyone did a good job. There were some performances that were just okay, but there were also some breakout roles. Michael Fassbender had to be my favorite. His character of David and how a robot can become wrapped up in curiosity was wickedly cool. I enjoyed seeing him perform. Noomi Rapace was great. She played such a strong female role in her hunger for the discovery of where she came from, and how that takes a turn is interesting. Both Idris Elba and Charlize Theron played their parts well, although not as major as the first two I mentioned, and even Guy Pierce did a great job. It took me until the end of the film to realize who he played, by the way. The last aspect of this movie that I want to comment on is the musical score. Not many scores pique my interest, but this one did, with an amazing list of scores that bring this plot to life. In fact, my favorite score is called “Life,” if you want to look it up. It’s one of those scores that sounds like it comes from a legendary, mystifying experience. Thank you Marc Streitenfeld for the great music! With all of the pros out-of-the-way, let’s talk about this film’s problems. Referring back to what I said before, the questions that don’t get answered can be an issue. There were some that were left up to the viewer to decide, which I found to be no problem (I like that kind of stuff), but there were others that crippled this movie’s plot. When a film makes itself known as a prequel, it is pressured into answering the questions of how “Alien” came to be. Although this flick has some good points towards that conception, they also fail to make sense of certain things, thus giving us an ending that can either be good or bad for whoever is watching it. I don’t want to spoil anything, like I said before, but I will say that there was something I didn’t like about the ending. What this movie fails to accomplish is being its own entity. Obviously, prequels and sequels don’t usually make up their own, fresh stories, but “Prometheus” found trouble in wrapping up its own experience, thus leaving the door wide open for more sequels as well as more questions to be answered. With a new “Alien” film on the horizon, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but what if “Prometheus” did so bad at the box office that there wasn’t going to be another one? We would be left with a frustrating conclusion that gives no closure (which it doesn’t have closure even with a sequel coming up). I didn’t like how it couldn’t be its own single viewing and how we would have to rely on a new movie to explain things. It doesn’t help the film stand up on its own. As for other issues, I will admit to there being some weak/dumb plot devices. There are a few things that seem convenient in pushing us towards the how-did-the-aliens-get-there story arc, and it can come off as rather idiotic. Not so much in an “Alien: Resurrection” sense, but it will make you raise an eyebrow. Any other cons would be minor and not worthy to talk about. Overall, I found this to be a very good movie. It was an interesting science fiction tale that kept me glued to the screen and in awe over how beautiful the cinematography is. I had a great time viewing this, no matter the cons, and I recommend any “Alien” or sci-fi fan to check it out! FINAL SCORE: 89%= Juicy Popcorn

Here is the trailer: