Movie Review - "Prometheus" (2012) ****

     When I first heard rumors that Ridley Scott was going to be making a prequel to the movie Alien, that immediately went to the top of my list of movies I was interested in. Then over the course of the last year, I've heard all the talk that yes, it is a prequel to Alien, with an equal number of sources saying no, that in fact it was not. The debate has gone back and forth. I didn't care anymore, I was invested and I just wanted to see it. Of all the 2012 summer releases, Prometheus is the one I have been looking forward to the most with Dark Knight Rises being right there at the top also. I still have to wait a little while for Rises but Prometheus has now come and gone. It was worth the wait. I'm happy with the outcome but to answer the original question; Is it a prequel to Alien? The answer is of course yes AND no....we'll get into it in a bit, first a quick summary of the story.

     A team of explorers led by Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover a clue to the origins of mankind while exploring a cave. A drawing on the cave wall matches others that have been found in ancient civilizations all over the globe. They believe it points them towards a celestial body in the universe that might provide the answer to how we came to be. The duo joins the crew of the spaceship Prometheus on an expedition which is being led by Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) and financed posthumously by Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), who appears in a video recording to explain the mission which is taking place after his passing. Also on board are an android named David (Michael Fassbender), the ships captain Janek (Idris Elba), and other scientists. Upon arrival at the desolate planet, several members of the crew, led by Shaw, head out to explore a series of underground dwellings and passages. It appears nothing is alive. Of course, appearances are deceiving and before long the crew is battling for their lives in attempt to not only save themselves, but all of mankind.

     First off, this is one of the more visually stunning films I have ever seen. I saw this in 3-D and it joins Avatar and Hugo as the best use of the gimmick that I have seen. I don't think you need to see it in 3-D by any means, but if that's something you can consider, you won't be disappointed. The depth is really well done in many parts. This is just all around a visually stunning movie, nothing bad there. The pacing of the movie definitely has an Alien feel to it. This is a slow build, not much actually happens for the first hour of the movie, but Ridley Scott utilizes this time effectively to slowly build the suspense, just like he did in Alien.  There's a lot of surprisingly deep themes in this movie, and that was a nice surprise for me. Contact with Jodie Foster is one of my favorite films, and it goes a lot into the debate about how we were created. Did God put us here, or can everything be explained scientifically? I loved how that movie approached both sides equally and fairly, and I had some of the same feelings with Prometheus. I definitely have my viewpoint on this, but I love to see debates about things like this, debates that don't involve people yelling at each other. It's refreshing to see. All that being said, there's enough here to satisfy the horror fans too. This is not a horror film by any means, but when you're compared to the Alien franchise, you're expected to have some of that and this movie does. Trust me, all hell breaks loose in the second half of the movie, and there is some nice gore, it's just not what I would classify as horror.

     So, let's talk about that question we mentioned earlier; Is this a prequel to Alien? I stand by my yes AND no statement. Anyone who says this has nothing to do with Alien is just wrong, and I have heard that argument. I'm sorry, it's just not a true statement. There are definitive homages to Alien here. In fact, even though it's not necessary to see it beforehand, I would recommend watching Alien shortly before or after seeing Prometheus, and I think then you will agree with me. That being said, it's not a direct prequel...though I think it could be eventually. I feel Prometheus has more story to tell and I definitely feel at least one sequel should be made. It works as a stand alone movie, but I think there's a lot more here and I hope they approach it. I want more of this world. The acting ranges from satisfactory to pretty good. No Oscar performances here but everyone does a decent job. Michael Fassbender is the standout, in my opinion, as the android David. As you know, if you have seen the previous Alien films, it's not always clear where the android stands in the story. And Fassbender does a great job here straddling that line, we're not 100% sure if we should trust David or not. That's the way it should be. I've never been a huge Ridley Scott fan, when you look at the whole body of work, but Alien was a masterpiece in my book and he now makes Prometheus which I feel highly about and want to see again. He knows this world, and it is a world that appeals to me a lot. I want to see more and I hope he continues down this path. I give Prometheus a high recommendation and I think it's rating could go up even more upon repeated viewings.