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Monday, June 11, 2012

Prometheus


Most of the conversation surrounding Prometheus, Ridley Scott’s best film since Matchstick Men, or Black Hawk Down, or hell, Thelma & Louise, is how closely it is rooted in Scott’s own Alien. Is it a prequel, a spin-off, its own movie entirety? Conversations like this are, to me, not only boring, but completely counterproductive to what’s at hand, which in this case is a very fine, very badass, very intelligent science fiction film. I’m only making mention of the would-be Alien tie-in so that we can be done with it. Moving on.

In Prometheus, a group of doctors and other assorted people of scientific importance descend on a faraway planet in search of the origins of human kind. In charge of the expedition are noble doctors (and current lovers) Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green). Elizabeth and Charlie have spent their lives tracking what they call “invitations” from unseen beings as to The Why of our race. And, now that they are closer than ever, things start to go a little wrong.

Their initial and main hindrance is Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), the Head Bitch in Charge who represents the company that footed the bill for the mission. Another character of great deception is David (Michael Fassbender), a robot who does exactly what he’s told… which has varying degrees of menace, depending on who’s doing the talking.
But really, Vickers and David are small potatoes compared to the shit Shaw and Co. find once they touch down on a seemingly isolated planet. I’m not going to go into what happens – just know that happens shit does. And them some. In truth (and rarely do I say this), Prometheus is 124 minutes long and could stand to be even longer. Its thrills are engaging, its frights and genuine and its aesthetic power is utterly mesmerizing.

Using as little CGI as possible, Ridley Scott, along with expert cinematographer Dariusz Wolski and countless other technical crewmembers, have crafted a film of pure visual wonderment. From the cold, wet caves found on the new planet, to the sweaty, claustrophobic rooms of the aircraft, Prometheus has the uncanny ability to lock viewers in and make them feel as though they’re there. An IMAX screen helps with this, as does a bit of reserved 3D, but no matter what dimension you’re in, Prometheus is visually mind blowing.

Equally impressive are the skills of practically every actor involved. Nearly as good here as she was as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo films, Noomi Rapace nails the varying nuisances of her performance with the proficiency of a pro. Several specific, differing emotions are demanded of Rapace in this performance, and she exudes all of them flawlessly. Elizabeth is the heart of the story – if we don’t trust in her, then the film could fail. Prometheus had the budget to cast whoever it wanted in its lead role. Props to Scott for giving Rapace a well deserved shot.
Logan Marshall-Green is an actor I had never seen before, or at least not remembered from duds like Devil and Brooklyn’s Finest, but what he does with Charlie is something that certainly isn’t going to merit any complaints from me. It isn’t an extraordinary performance, but it fits snuggly into the world Scott has created.

“Extraordinary” is a word best saved for Mr. Fassbender, the finest actor of his generation who has been kicking ass and taking names in various roles for the better part of two years. His David is the antithesis of Rapace’s performance; he never changes emotion, he never raises his voice or sweats out of panic. He calculates, manipulates, and operates within the confines of his robotic software. Playing a robot is tough – push too hard and you provoke laughter, save too much and you’re forgettable. Instead, Fassbender makes every line of dialogue and every subtle gesture an act of curiosity. When we hear David tell himself “big things have small beginnings,” it’s impossible to not smile at the actor’s exceptional prowess.
Now, it is typically my practice to list and detail the faults of a film as much as a do its strengths, but to be honest, plenty of people are being hard on Prometheus for what I consider unjust reasons. Is Marc Streitendfeld’s score puzzlingly out of place at times? Yes. Is Idris Elba’s southern accent as pointless as you might expect? Indeed. But, frankly, this is the month of June, and if I’m judging Prometheus based on the merits of other blockbusters released in this or any year, then I can confidently assert that this movie kicks a whole lot of ass. Discussing the few minor quibbles I have would be to reveal a litany of spoilers, which ain’t gonna happen.

The film is not without its faults, but let me put it this way: the minute Prometheus was done, I told myself that I had to see it again. Now. To the best of my recollection, that’s the first time I’ve felt that way about a movie this year. A-

32 comments:

  1. I liked this movie, but I didn't love it like you did. It was definitely good enough to recommend, which I did in a post I put up today.

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    1. Nice. Glad to hear that you liked it nonetheless. I really thought it was bitchin'. I'll scope out your post tomorrow.

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  2. I felt the same way when the film ended, for the same reasons no doubt. What does Elba's accent have to do with anything? That's absurd! That's like saying the same thing for Stephen Lang in Avatar. Quick aside, speaking of Stephen Lang, have you seen Gods and Generals? I just watched it yesterday. I'm curious as to your take on it.

    Anyway, I'll have think about the score next time I see it, since I'm not sure how out of place it seemed since I was too enthralled with what was going on on-screen.

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    1. I just didn't understand why Elba had to be southern. He's one of my favorite actors, so I don't want to hate on him, but let's be honest, it was a spotty southern draw at best. Why not just leave him British? Or hell, give him a B-More dialect haha.

      I have seen Gods and Generals, but not since high school. I remember it being loooooong but with its fair share of good moments.

      Can't wait to see Prometheus again.

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    2. Oh, that's what you meant about his accent. Who knows what accents will be around in 2093? =] And a B-More dialect would be awesome: "GET ON WITH IT"...

      G&G is quite long, I had to do an intermission, haha. It has great acting, but showing every angle to keep it historically accurate is a bit painful--which is why it's so damn long. I'm thinking of holding off a few weeks on watching the other 2 movies (yeah, I just found out it was a trilogy, lol).

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    3. Yeah those other flicks... I did not like them very much at all. I like the notion of not knowing what accents will sound like in 2093. But shit, having him talk like Stringer would've been classic.

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  3. so glad for this review, which really covets the movie. i didn't see any flaws with it actually but i'm glad you enjoyed it as well.

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    1. Thanks! I'm glad you liked it too. Team Prometheus.

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  4. Yeah. The film is a prequel, I will now explain why - just kidding. I know that will annoy you somewhat. I agree that Rapace and Fassbender were superb, but the rest of the characters were not greatly engaging, uninteresting and sometimes unbelievably stupid. I wasn’t expecting Alien, but was expecting tension and good characters and both were in limited supply.

    I’ve read quite a few reviews and seem to be more convinced by the negative ones, not saying your isn’t great or anything…

    Anyway I gave it 3/5.

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    1. To me, it sounds like all of your complaints (if that's what you want to call them) are completely valid. Of the negative reviews I've read, the biggest criticism is that the film wasn't "enough" like Alien, which is just silly to me. I suppose my main areas of context are that 1.) I hate most summer blockbusters, and 2.) I hate most science fiction movies. So the fact that this was able to sustain my interest throughout was a very good thing.

      I actually rewatched Alien last night and the similarities between the two were remarkable. I really hope Scott gets a chance to make another one of these.

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    2. I can't wait to do Visual Pallels for Prometheus and Alien - lots of stuff in Prometheus seems like a hommage here - the crew sitting and eating, hypersleep, the shot of David and the urns, the shot of Vickers standing there in a creepy way, little stuff but somethings you recognize instantly as "Hey! There was something like this in Alien!"

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  5. Agree with basically everything!!! I've got in arguments with mates telling them it's not an Alien prequel, but I try to take the higher ground and say it doesn't matter and just discuss the movie.

    I thought Logan Marshall-Green was very good and also an actor I'd never seen before.

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    1. Oh don't get me wrong, Marshall-Green was definitely good, he just didn't strike me as remarkable. Ugh, who cares if it's a prequel or not, you know? It's a good movie, anyway you look at it. To me at least.

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  6. Glad you liked it too, Alex! That's a good observation about the ability to lock viewers in and make them feel as though they’re there.

    Tough for Ridley, he is kind of competing with his earlier self, because he has set the bar so high with Blade Runner and Alien. Certainly a return to form in my opinion. Superior to a lot of other recent sci-fi movies.
    As I wrote in my last monthly recap, the suspenseful story managed to hold my undivided attention

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    1. Yup, I'd completely agree with that. I also agree that this is superior to most recent science fiction films. I'm really not a sci-fi fan at all and this entertained and intrigued me throughout.

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  7. I actually saw it twice within 3 days, it's so entertaining and never lets you go, literally glued to the screen for 120 minutes. I agree it should be longer - the only complaint I have is the editing in 3rd act where it seems a lot of footage will be soemthing we will get to see in Director's cut - it's a shame too since I suspect those moments are from Shaw's two most badass sequences in the film.

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    1. I agree, the editing in the third act was definitely spotty at times. Again, it's difficult to talk about without giving too much away, but I thought certain things were...rushed.

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  8. Glad you dug this one. I find it fascinating how divided the reviews have been. There are a lot of people on both ends of the spectrum. I thought it was a really enjoyable movie, and it should hold up as one of this summer's best blockbusters.

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    1. Completely agree with you. I don't get all the hate for it either, although, I suppose everything that is loved is hated as well. Oh well, I definitely enjoyed it.

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  9. Great review. I found more differences than similarities between Prom and Alien (especially the music). I definitely agree on Elba's accent. Why??

    I didn't care for Logan and I hated his character even more. Guy was a douche bag.

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    1. His character was a bit douchey haha, but I didn't really mind the guy playing him. Elba's accent... yeah, I'll just have to let that one go.

      So you liked the flick? Interested in a possible sequel?

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    2. I liked it and I didn't like it. Finally got my review up yesterday. I need to see it again. I'm definitely interested in the further adventures of Shaw and David, I guess that's the most obvious direction a sequel would go in.

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    3. Yeah I'd be interested in seeing that too. I really want to see it again as well... hopefully this weekend.

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  10. Enjoyed your review. I also wanted to see it again (but I won't) just because I had so many questions.

    It was compelling and I really enjoyed it, it just seemed incomplete. I seriously would have been good if it had been 20 to 30 minutes longer.

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    1. Thanks! Couldn't agree more with you about it being longer. There's early word that Scott will add in several minutes into the Director's Cut. We shall see.

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  11. Yes sir. Really glad you enjoyed it. I was the most enthusiastic about the film amongst my group when I came out, and I have not had the chance to see it again. But, I think as a stand-alone film (yeah) it is certainly one worthy of recognition. Smart, tense and awe-inspiring. My mouth was agape almost the entire duration. I agree about Fassbender and Rapace (killed it) and while the script has issues, they became obsolete and forgettable because it is so damn spectacular. Can't wait to see it again, and Im really glad you liked it. It has been getting some shit, and I understand why, but at the same time I heartedly disagree.

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    1. I have nothing to say to your comment except: yes, yes, yes, and fuckin' yeaaahhh.

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  12. While I agree this was a fun film to watch, and must see at the theater. I left the cinema with the feeling that this could have been a truely great film, if it wasn't for the numerous flaws in Damon Lindelof's script. His constant use of character stupidity as a means to advance the plot, left me shaking my head. The saftey protocol violations and lapses of common sense are more prevalant than you would find at your local McDonalds.

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    1. I agree, the script had some issues, no doubt. But I dunno, for a summer blockbuster, this flick kicked all kinds of ass, to me. But you're right, definitely not without its flaws.

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  13. Finally, somebody has stopped bagging this movie out! A fantastic cinema experience! Compelling from the word go........and easily one of my favourite sci-fi films in recent memory. So much to see in this film.
    Fassbender could become one of the greatest actors ever........look at his resume! A genius!
    Loved the Lawrence of Arabia bit.
    Flaws.......phoooey......people are just too damned clever for their own good! Why not just sit back and enjoy this master class in film making and stop picking it to pieces!
    Thank God for us, Alex! A- though........hmmm, definitely an A+++ for me!

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    1. Ha, thanks man. I'm not entirely sure why so many people bagged on this movie, but I thought it was great too. Definitely one of the better sci-fi films I've ever seen. Fassbender ruuules!

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