Film Review: Fascinating Journey to ‘Prometheus’ Makes For Bumpy Ride

CHICAGO – Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” rides a wave of expectation, anticipation, hype, and an already-building backlash into theaters this weekend and all I have to say is something that most critics hesitate to do – you need to see this for yourself and make up your own mind. Is it the perfect blend of adult, intellectual science fiction and summer action that I was hoping for at the beginning of the season? No, it’s a flawed film. But not only does the film do enough right to warrant a recommendation, even where it goes wrong is in ways that can stimulate thought and provoke interesting conversation. The film’s not even out and I’ve already discussed it more than any other released this year. When’s the last time you could say that about a summer blockbuster? Isn’t that reason alone to see it?

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) believe that a series of cave paintings around the world from vastly different civilizations point to the same solar system and possibly to man’s creator. At its very core, “Prometheus” is a film about going to meet God or whatever version of the divine deity in which you believe. Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) finances the long journey and a crew is assembled.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Prometheus” in our reviews section. [14]

Flash forward to a few years later as the human team lies in stasis on the interplanetary journey and android David (Michael Fassbender) passes the time playing basketball and watching Peter O’Toole movies to mimic his mannerisms. He also watches Elizabeth’s dreams. The team reaches their destination and their leader, Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), is the first to wake from deep sleep. Cold, calculated, and possibly even an android herself, Vickers is there to keep everyone on task.

Just what is that task? Well, here’s where the narrative gets muddled and where a critic has a tough time continuing without something that could be considered a spoiler by the overly sensitive. The crew of the Prometheus reaches its destination to find what is clearly a structure created by a sentient being. Is it the being that created man? Is that being still alive? Is something else alive as well? Why haven’t they made contact before? A crew investigates, things get crazy, and plot points start flying around like a mid-third season episode of “Lost.”

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Prometheus” review. [14]

Prometheus
Photo credit: Fox Pictures