Prometheus

I walked into this movie just absolutely giddy. Yeah, yeah I know, no surprise there but this one had me more giddier (is that even a word?) than usual. It was the most eagerly, heavily anticipated, and long awaited sort of prequel to the classic movie Alien. I was armed with my killer corn and my soda and couldn't wait to get started on this journey. When the lights came up, my popcorn and soda was gone and I left the theater with way more questions than I thought I would have had once Prometheus was over. Directed and produced by the great Ridley Scott, the man who directed Alien I really thought Prometheus was going to answer one HUGE question that Alien, Aliens, Aliens3, and Alien Resurrection never did answer and that was "who was that huge guy sitting in that chair?". The answer Ridley chooses to give us is basically wait and see.

Now do NOT get me wrong, Prometheus definitely delivers on almost every front. While not as scary as Alien, there are some serious cringe worthy scenes that will make you laugh that nervous laugh. You know that laugh, it's the one you give when you're happy what's happening on the screen isn't happening to you. Yeah, there are a few of those scenes in this film but no one sitting in the audience should have been surprised by that. I know I wasn't and in fact I was looking forward to them, nothing like having the bejeezus scared out of you and Prometheus does just that thank goodness.

Starring Noomi Rapace as Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, she and fellow doctor and boyfriend Charlie Holloway played by Logan Marshall-Greene scour our planets oldest civilizations and in all of them they depict the same solar system being pointed to by a large figure. Dr. Shaw and Holloway find said universe and with the backing of Peter Weyland played by Guy Pearce, they and a crew of seventeen set out to find answers. What they find instead is some cringe worthy stuff. The cast also includes a very stoic Charlize Theron who plays uptight Meredith Vickers, a member of The Weyland Corporation who is there to make sure the job gets done, whatever that may be. Idris Elba plays Janek, captain of the exploratory Prometheus vessel. His Janek is the heart, soul, and sense of humor of this movie but without a doubt the most interesting and intriguing character is David the android played pitch perfectly by Michael Fassbender. David has a secret and separate agenda from everyone else on board but you don't know if it's related to helping the crew or destroying them.

The look of the film is beautiful. It's crisp, clean, and everything works unlike the Nostromo's landing ship in Alien. Where Alien was all grit and dirt and old/used looking, Prometheus is shiny, smooth, and fresh out the wrapper looking which of course makes sense since Prometheus supposedly predates Alien by hundreds of years. Scored by someone who is quickly joining the list of my favorite composers, Marc Streitenfeld crafts a brilliant, moody, and dark score that I think would make Jerry Goldsmith proud. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski subtly creates a look that a true fan of Alien, Aliens, and Alien 3 quickly recognizes while bringing something new to the table (and wait until you see that table, so cool).

If you like sci-fi then go see Prometheus. If you're looking for answers, wait until the DVD or the sequel which seemingly HAS to happen. I need to see it again and I will and if you choose to check it out then I'll either see you in line or I'll see you at the theater.