Prometheus (2012) Dir: Ridley Scott
- Ridley Coote
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
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Having completed my annual pilgrimage through the 'Alien' quadrilogy, it at last came time for me to revisit the two prequels, starting with this 2012 film, which was, much like the original film, directed by Ridley Scott. I had only seen this film once or twice before, and only really remembered some of it. Still, I recalled liking it a lot, and, having only recently revisted the other films, I was sure I'd find plenty of positives in this again.
When it comes to Ridley Scott films, one can almost always count on there being some absolutely exemplary pieces of footage to gorge upon. Together with cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, they provided some absolutely breathtaking shots of the planet, albeit some of the environment felt quite bland. Some of the set and prop designs were very good, which feels notable, considering that this was the last 'Alien' film worked on by the iconic H.R. Giger before his death.
This film's greatest strength comes in the form of its vast imagination and use of imagery. There were some fascinating ideas being explored, particularly surrounding the character of David. I was also very keen on the heavy religious imagery, which worked extremely well in the context of the story. It's also worth giving a quick mention to the excellent soundtrack, which was mainly composed by Marc Streitenfeld.
The narrative doesn't quite hold up to the lauded first two films in the franchise, but it does still have some great moments. The horror elements were, in my opinion, the strongest aspects, particularly once the inevitable mayhem began in earnest. The tension built excellently to the film's wild and intense climax, providing a very compelling final third to the film.
Noomi Rapace leads a talented cast, in what was another typically strong female lead performance for the franchise. She may not have the presence of Sigourney Weaver, but she sure made herself an endearing and determined protagonist for the audience to root for. I think she often goes a little under the radar because of how significant Fassbender's performance is, but I really rate Rapace in this role.
Michael Fassbender's heavily 'Lawrence Of Arabia' inspired performance is both exquisite and unnerving. He got the slightly artificial mannerisms so perfect - it's one of my favourite 'android' performances in sci-fi. Charlize Theron and Idris Elba provided the best performances of the supporting cast members, whilst the likes of Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, and Benedict Wong, all gave solid, if not exceptional, secondary displays.
Overall, I think this is one of the better legacy films about, in part because it goes in such a unique direction compared to the original films. It's not a horror, survival, or even really a monster film, it's far more science fiction in style. From an imagery perspective, this film is exquisite, although I don't think it is anywhere near as memorable as the first two films in thr franchise, or even the more recently released 'Romulus'. Regardless, it's an adventurous and interesting take on the origins of the xenomorphs, that expanded the franchise hugely.
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