Ridley Scott returns to the helm of the Alien franchise after three sequels separating Prometheus and the original film, Alien, that he directed in 1979. Prometheus was released in 2012 and serves as the fifth installment in the film series. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Idris Elba. The film takes place in the same universe as the other Alien films but does not follow the same story, instead expanding on the mythos and lore of the universe in which the other movies take place. The film received mostly positive reviews, with criticism directed at story elements and dialogue. Prometheus grossed $403 million at the box office with a budget of $120-130 Million. The movie was ultimately nominated for one Oscar pertaining to its visual effects, but failed to take home any wins.
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Development of this film began in the early 2000s, and Scott originally planned to build off the story of the original Alien film, with star Sigourney Weaver showing interest as well. At this time Aliens director, James Cameron, discussed the possibility of a sequel with Scott and began writing a story for the film. Soon after this development began, 20th Century Fox pitched the idea of Alien vs. Predator to Cameron and he subsequently dropped out of the project as he had lost faith in the franchise. In 2010, a finished script was made for an Alien prequel and pre-production began later that same year.
General Criticisms of the Film
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The marketing of this film was purposely vague in its connection to the original film in an attempt to draw in viewers. As a sort of origin story for the Alien film, some felt that this film was too far a departure from the original. Others who welcomed the change of pace were critical of the lack of details provided for a film of its type. The Prometheus storyline, like its marketing, remained vague and neglected to answer questions pertaining to the origin of the Xenomorphs and other questions fans had about the universe. Tom Huddleston from Time Out London sums up the film by saying, “The plot, though crammed with striking concepts, simply fails to coalesce. After an enjoyable setup, the central act is baggy, confusing and, in places, slightly boring, while the climax has flash and fireworks but no real momentum."
Another common criticism of the film is the dialogue. Many viewers praise the acting, especially that of Michael Fassbender, but find the dialogue to be unrealistic, unmotivated, and choppy. The lack of realistic dialogue takes the viewer out of the world of the film, but that’s not to say that the film doesn’t have any redeeming qualities.
What the Film Gets Right
Although the film does fail to explore some of the more pressing questions pertaining to the universe of the Alien films, it is still a substantial addition to the lore. Viewers that were okay with the fact that perhaps more questions were raised than answered found Prometheus to be an enjoyable addition to the franchise.
The casting and acting in this film are top-notch. It’s hard to beat the performance of Sigourney Weaver in the original but actors Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron helped to keep the tradition of strong and independent female characters that were established in the original. Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Logan Marshall-Green play their roles well. The dialogue may not be perfect, but they find a way to make it their own.
Finally, the proudest accomplishment of the film has to be the visual effects and set design. The original film has an almost claustrophobic feeling to it, which adds to a lot of the suspense. This film moves in the complete opposite direction and the visuals portrayed are quite impressive. We see sweeping landscape shots, beautifully designed enormous caverns, and lots of action-filled exterior shots of the large spaceship, Prometheus. Looking at this film 10 years later, the effects very much hold up. The grandiose visuals help to establish the conflict shown in this film as existential; this aspect of the film was executed flawlessly.
In conclusion, the film may not be perfect, but it’s a valid and interesting addition to the Alien franchise. The effects alone make the film worth the watch, and while some criticisms directed at the film are justified, the movie is in no way bad. James Cameron after watching the film says this, “I enjoyed Prometheus. I thought it was great. I thought it was Ridley returning to science fiction with gusto, with great tactical performance, beautiful photography, great native 3D. There might have been a few things that I would have done differently, but that’s not the point — you could say that about any movie.”
