Re: Official Alien Prequel/Prometheus Discussion Thread
This thread should now be for just non-spoiler reviews and general discussion. More intense discussion should occur in the spoiler thread.
I had high hopes for this film that have been mitigated by the less than glowing reviews that have come out. However I enjoyed it a lot, more as a science fiction film that raises a lot of questions rather than a suspenseful horror film as all the other Alien films have been.
I don't see how anyone, Ridley included, can say this isn't a prequel. It's in the same world and we get the answers to some minor questions that a viewer might have had upon viewing ALIEN for the first time. But it also broadens the universe created in that film far beyond the less than inspiring Alien Vs. Predator, and opens it up to tell far more interesting stories than just a couple of monsters pounding the ____ out of each other.
Ridley is very much a visual storyteller - has been his entire career, although his films often are a bit deeper than his brother's, who also is mostly a visualist. But in this film he's also asking questions (and not providing too many answers) that are core to the human condition. Occasionally these questions are clunky and poorly expressed, but you have to credit him and the writers for trying to move beyond yet another creature feature. His best films, Blade Runner included, also ask these questions and I'd include Prometheus in a list of his best films.
People have criticized the characters as exhibiting poor judgement. But these bad decisions aren't born out of plot necessity such as sending a nubile blond to the basement just to get munched on. These choices are made by flawed characters that are motivated by fear, self-preservation, insecurity and a host of other flaws that all humans have and might exhibit in a such a situation. These flaws speak to the greater questions being asked by the film itself.
As to the cast in the film - it was absolutely necessary to have an actress of Charlize's quality as Vickers. You can sympathize with her and her decisions, just as you can hate her for them. Fassbender, as always, is a revelation and his channeling of Peter O'Toole (if Peter O'Toole was a robot) is amazing. Noomi was a strange but excellent choice for Shaw - I can't imagine a lot of other actors being able to summon the physicality called for in the role.
I can see where some people might be disappointed in this movie - it's not really a suspense film or an action film although it has plenty of elements of both. But I think it will hold up on repeated viewings and will grow in reputation over the years, just as ALIEN and Blade Runner have.
As I mentioned, there are a lot of questions left unanswered by this film - but they are the sort of questions that make a work of art great and will probably keep the spoiler thread alive for many months. I'd recommend you see the film with an open mind - not expecting an Alien film - and let us know what you think.
