There is a lot I want to write about Prometheus, but first I need to watch it again, and to revisit Alien as well. For now I just wanted to post a non-spoilery quote that made me sit up and pay even more attention to a movie I was already loving. Prometheus is amazing. It is ambitious and thoughtful and beautiful and horrific all at once. I wrote before about how Joss Whedon took the ideas of motherhood from Alien and Aliens and really went crazy with them. Ridley Scott has come back to the series, not to explore motherhood, but to move on to questions without answers. This is a horror-action movie about what life owes to its creators, and what those creators owe to their creations.
Michael Fassbender's android character David is fascinating (matched only by Charlize Theron's wonderfully restrained Vickers) and early on the in the movie he very politely (as always) and in an almost offhand way, says, "But doesn't everyone want to kill their parents?"
Prometheus is not a prequel to Alien. It takes place in the same universe, and answers some questions about Alien, but calling it a prequel sells it short. This isn't Star Wars: Episode 1. This is the Godfather II. Prometheus is equal to Scott's Alien, and while not without its flaws, it often reaches further and with more confidence.
I knew he was having child/parent issues when I saw Charlie tell him we made him "because we could.". His response said some very disturbing things. Now I want to give Charlie the Ritual Greetings of Altoidia. Douche!
ReplyDeleteNote, I have yet to see the movie, but just that little trailer said much. Going to see it Monday and your non-spoiler review made me look forward to it even more (since your other reviews have been top notch).
Thanks!
I said in my own review that the key to unlocking all of Prometheus -- which I will also be watching again, by the way -- is actually Frankenstein. Where Alien/s blasted away about motherhood, this is all about parent/progeny in general, and from both sides.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you! I was having Mary Shelley flashbacks the entire time. (also btw the line is actually "Doesn't everyone want their parents dead?") Fassbender was awesome, Theron has been killing these villainous roles lately and Rapace was engaging and brought heart to the whole film. Also love Idris Elba...just the right amount of cranky-too-cool-for-school captain!
DeleteThis movie was insane and I loved it.
Nice review Joey. I was entertained, to say the least, but I think I was expecting something so much better after all of the promotion for this flick. Maybe it was too much like Alien.
ReplyDeleteComing late to the party, but I honestly think Prometheus would have been better served had it been divorced from the Alien series. It would have worked well enough on its own and not raised too many expectations.
ReplyDeleteI really love Horror Stuff, movies in particular and I do Play Helicopter Game alot lol
ReplyDeleteThe people who panned this movie are the people who have no imagination.This movie was just as good as the first Alien film. If it is done right, this could be the start of a multi-million dollar franchise like Alien thru Predator to AVP. Imagine the story line, Predator/Alien hybrid on the home world of the creators, the Predator home world gets wind of the situation, they are still peeved about what happened after Antartica and are looking for payback. It could be as big as Star Wars. One can only hope.
ReplyDeleteMarlene
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