“Prometheus”

Susan Granger’s review of “Prometheus” (20th Century-Fox)

     Science-fiction doesn’t get much more exciting or provocative than this challenging journey into outer space to seek the origins of man. Visionary Ridley Scott (“Blade Runner,” “Alien”) integrates the thematic concepts of a robot with artificial intelligence with Stanley Kubrick’s philosophical “2001: A Space Odyssey” and the visceral horror of slithering, carnivorous alien creatures.

    The prologue shows a huge, hooded humanoid sacrificing himself by a waterfall at the dawn of time. Skip ahead to 2089, on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, where archeologists discover prehistoric cave paintings showing spherical objects in space, evocative of Erich von Daniken’s assertion in his 1968 book “Chariots of the Gods” that extra-terrestrials initiated life on Earth. By 2091, those same archeologists, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), along with two geologists (Sean Harris, Rafe Spall), are headed towards a distant planet aboard the massive exploratory spaceship Prometheus, captained by capable Janek (Idris Elba), funded by wealthy Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) and imperiously run by businesswoman Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) – aided by Weyland’s enigmatic android, David (Michael Fassbender), who has the same name as Steven Spielberg’s “A.I.” When they arrive at their destination, surprises await them.

    Working from Jon Spaihts’ and Damon Lindelof’s (co-creator of TV’s “Lost”) script, Ridley Scott, along with production designer Arthur Max and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, creates an intricate, metaphysical universe unto itself – until the last reel, when terrifying strands of “Alien” DNA come to the surface. Taking its title from the mythological Titan who stole fire from the gods, it was four years in the making, with a budget of $120-$130 million, covering 1,300 CGI shots and an 87-day shooting schedule.

     The strong female protagonist played by Noomi Rapace (Sweden’s “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) embodies a Christian “true believer,” undaunted by imperious Charlize Theron, unafraid to surgically attack a repulsive alien that’s implanted in her uterus, and relentless in her search for the sentient entity who may have created mankind.

    On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Prometheus” is a tense, thrilling 9, an awesome 3-D spectacle.

 

Scroll to Top