"Prometheus" - Review

"Big things have small beginnings."

       Ridley Scott is one of those directors whom I'm very well aware of, and know of their work, however, whose work I haven't seen much of. There's no actual reason why really, it's just a matter of "not getting around to it", for lack of a better description. Although, the very little work of his I HAVE actually seen, I absolutely loved, specifically "Blade Runner" and "Gladiator".

       "Prometheus" was a film I stumbled upon through trailers at the cinema, and it immediately made my list of "must-see" before I even knew it was a Ridley Scott film. The trailer showed elements I typically enjoy, which is thought-provoking Sci-Fi action. I usually prefer to view new films on the release day, so I'm not subconsciously persuaded by either critical or general public thoughts & reviews. The only reason I didn't rush out to see this one as soon as possible was because I kept hearing different things on how it was connected to the Alien series. I heard everything from it being a direct prequel, to it just sharing the same universe (à la Marvel), to a stand-alone film. That, of course, bothered me because I only saw the Alien films when I was VERY young, so I vaguely remember much, and thus, I consider them as films I haven't really seen yet.

       Regardless, I couldn't wait any longer, and went ahead to see it anyway. Overall, it definitely met my expectations. It's almost a flawless film, the only complaints I have are a collection of very minor things, most which don't really directly affect the quality of the film. The first, was that it left more questions than answers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but definitely will be a bad thing if there's no direct sequel planned. I'll share the questions if left for me after the asterisks as they might be potential spoilers, so keep reading after the second set of asterisks: 

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In the beginning of the film, what exactly happened when the alien drank the dark liquid? it looked to have created some kind of major reaction, potentially our origin? What did David say to the alien that caused him to go berserk on the group? Why did they want to destroy what they created? (humans), Why did David taint the drink he gave to Holloway with the dark liquid?

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       I suppose a couple of my questions I might have missed the answers to, some could be debated until surface of the answer(s) was scratched, but the main ones are still unanswered. My second minor complaint was that I felt the film could have had a much better flow, but maybe that's just my personal preference. Although I seem to feel the same way about the other Ridley Scott films, so it could just be his style. Thirdly, I was expecting some high-caliber performances from the cast, given the very attractive-looking ensemble on paper. Sadly, most of the roles could have been probably performed by anyone else. Particularly the roles portrayed by Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, and Idris Elba; it felt like they were just there to attract a wider-audience. Noomi Rapace was fantastic as always, although her character kind of annoyed me on a personal-level (i.e. she keeps desperately wanting to seek/know the truth, even though she keeps believing in a God), the stand-out role, was without a shadow of a doubt, Michael Fassbender as David. He's such an over-looked actor that deserves a bit more recognition. I have yet to see him in a film in which he wasn't at least one of the stand-out performers.

       So, the aforementioned was basically me just nitpicking at minor things, so don't feel that the film won't meet your expectations for one second, because believe me, it will meet them. The acting is great, the visuals are jaw-dropping, the score is great, the special effects are superb, and the story, very captivating and thought-provoking. It's quite possibly my overall favorite film of the year so far ("The Avengers" being the most entertaining film of the year so far), and I highly recommend that everyone check it out in theaters, especially if you're a Ridley Scott, a fan of the Sci-Fi genre, or just a person who loves a great film. I just hope we do get that direct sequel sooner or later, we definitely deserve it. Although there's some upcoming films that will more than likely dethrone it as my pick for best film of the year, I really don't see this losing its secure spot on my Top 10 films of the year list.

Rating: 4.5/5