Prometheus...Is it good to ask Questions?

Rating: 6/10 (3 June 2012)

Prometheus... a bold idea... but ultimately a very uneven film. It was filmed as a companion piece to the Alien Franchise rather than a direct sequel or prequel; instead opting to ask the question 'Where did it all start?' It was a risky strategy but one worth taking since the Alien films had lost their way since the second film 'Aliens'.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!!! I may moan a bit, but honestly I didn't hate the film... I had issues with some of it.
Get it together team!!
In the previous Alien films (not 4), they had great first acts. You get to meet the characters, you get to see them interact and it all seems natural. Prometheus started off well with David (Android), going about his daily activities whilst the crew slept. This reminded me of Moon (Dir. Duncan Jones). Once the crew are awake though, the characters were pretty dire. With the exception of Noomi's character, all the others seemed uninterested or unaware of the magnitude of their mission - even ungrateful. An example - You have a Geologist who looks like he belongs in a Ska band. He seemed completely uninterested in all the alien rocks around him, and whose only purpose is to throw some light balls around and moan. Then you have other characters that are just there to die with zero development. Alien/Aliens had developed characters! This film didn't. I couldn't care if they lived or not, even when the captain sacrifices the ship. Charlize Therons character was pointless, and woefully under developed. She seemed to have been included just to add another female to the cast.
What about our synthetic friend...
Ah David...David the Android did random things throughout the film that made no sense. In one scene he mentioned that he is programmed to do whatever Weyland needs him to do, but some of it was odd. He was constantly touching things, activating things, infecting people, and was a liability. Surely there would have been protocols for him? This leads me on to the fact that none of the scientists took any precautions, were not very bright and seemed oblivious to what was going on. A big example was when Noomi's character escaped to perform self surgery, afterwards she just returns and nobody says anything. They didn't quarantine her, ask her were her Satan spawn was, or see if she wanted help with her staples. The whole scene was a bit crazy. Guy Pearce played Weyland, but really an older actor should have been used.... this isn't middle earth with hobbits.
So what was it all about...?
The story was interesting and it definitely gets you thinking long after you've seen the film. There was a lot crammed into the film; maybe this is where the film falls down. The film should have been 30 minutes longer to sort out the pacing issues. I would have liked to have seen more exploration of the alien tunnels and corridors. It felt like there were 2 sets in the film, Prometheus and the big room with the stone head in it. The scientists should have setup a base camp in the Alien Caverns like proper scientists and done proper scientific research i.e. not injecting stuff into alien skulls without taking measurements etc (face palm). The film showed tantalising snippets of the planets incredible terrain.
Engineers or Space Jockeys... Eng-jockey!
There are more questions than answers regarding these beings. The opening scene suggests one of them spawned the modern human race deliberately/not deliberately (the flying ship was different to the derelict seen later on in the film). Later in the film it's surmised, by none other than the captain, that the eng-jockeys are malevolent and want to wipe the human race out...which is confirmed when bodies start piling up. He's smarter than the scientists! The alien engineers look impressive, but with all the questions the film poses Ridley may well have lost some of his audience by being too vague. He is after all 74 and no spring chicken anymore so who knows if he'll ever get around to making a sequel to this....and it sorely needs a sequel.
There's a religious undertone throughout the film, and the general theme of wanting to meet your maker without stopping first to ask the question whether it's a good idea or not (didn't they do that in Star Trek V?).
Are they real Mountains...Can that ship really fly?
The effects were outstanding – planets, ships, set designs etc. I watched it in 3D at an IMAX Theatre. The 3D wasn't invasive. My eyes didn't hurt; I didn't have to take my glasses off part way through. However, I wish the build up to the landing had been as intense as the Nostromo landing in the first film. It all seemed a bit easy and quick. If Ridley releases a Director's cut (a 100% guarantee from his conversations), he needs to sort out the pacing. There was quite a bit of jumping from scene to scene, set to set.
So...Is this an Alien Film or not?
The answer is yes, and no. The answer is no right up until the last few minutes, and then it's a big yes at the end. Very much the way Abrams Star Trek revitalised that franchise, this could well do the same for the Alien universe. However, this is not a TV show like Lost, and I don't want the next film to ask questions without answers. Let's see what happens....anyway....This is Csmottram, last surviving member of IMDb, signing off...