Prometheus -The movie delivers as a prequel to Alien

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIJeQNyZ6VE[/youtube]

Prometheus, the Ridley Scott space opera is one hell of a ride.  This movie is a prequel to Alien, the 1979 classic that was later on categorised as the ultimate in space horror monster flicks ever. But Prometheus is different. The movie deals with topics like science and existentialism but leaves the viewers confused.

The film is largely set on a spaceship, the eponymous Prometheus, and the on a distant world. Elizabeth Shaw, a Christian and a scientist, who believes in "engineers," wears a cross given to her by her father and believes humans did not happen by accident. She talks about cave carvings from ancient cultures pointing to similar constellations. She believes that all humans were created by engineers from a different planet and the goal of Prometheus is to reach that planet and meet the engineers.

She is contradicted by a robot, David, who actually happens to be the soul of the movie. Brilliantly played by Michael Fassbender, this is HAL 9000 who wants to feel and understand what it means to be human.  Fassbender was impressed by the robots in Blade Runner and did not concentrate on the robots of the earlier Alien movies. It shows in his performance.

When the sixteen members of the Prometheus are in hypersleep, David is the only one who is awake. He spends time playing basketball and does a multiple run on Lawrence of Arabia.  It seems that David keeps learning new philosophical aspects of logic and life by watching Lawrence, and this has a permanent effect on his memory. David’s interaction with the different crew members of Prometheus is one of the best parts of the movie.  This is one robot who is asking the right questions. This is one android that will make a long lasting impression on the viewers mind.

In a way Prometheus is divided into two halves. The first half deals with science and philosophy and has an atmosphere. The second half is plain horror. And this is where the movie delivers best, getting into the familiar Alien territory of horrific monsters in deep space, courageous women who swear and kick ass, and sound effects and visuals that leave you awestruck. For fans of space horror, the movie is in the right direction.

Everyone will miss Ripley.  It is hard to replace Sigourney Weaver and her character when it comes to space monster movies. The expressions on her face  gave a chill down the spine every time we saw her face-to-face with the acidic monster.  Her interaction with the Alien was very personal and she was on a vendetta. It worked.

Elizabeth Shaw appears weak in comparison. She is a believer in engineers, has a boyfriend and memories from the past. But watch Noomi Rapace play Elizabeth Shaw and how her character changes from a soft romantic researcher into a fierce fighting machine.  One specific incident, where she gets herself operated inside an advanced machine that does complex surgeries on the human body, is the turning point of the character. Noomi Rapace, from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the perfect replacement for Weaver. Charlize Theron, as Meredith Vickers, the monitor of the spaceship has played her part well and she gives the viewers more than one reason to hate her.

Prometheus lacks a lot in terms of plot but delivers in terms of character. Go for it. You will not regret it.  Somewhere deep inside, this is a feminist movie with strong female characters.  Even the alien in all the movies is a female. The only man that matters in these movies is a robot. That says a lot about the future. Ridley Scott at 74, takes you on an ultimate space tripping ride. Peter Weyland (played by Guy Pearce), owner of Prometheus, is almost like an alter ego of Scott.

Further reading: io9 has a brilliant take on what is wrong with Prometheus.

The thoughts and opinions shared here are of the author.