Fascinating conceptual film but a bit too vague at the end

Rating: 7/10 (19 September 2016)

Ridley Scott again proves himself as a master of suspense. It's not jump-out-of-your seat scary, but its grip-the-edges-of-your-seat heart- pounding! And while it satisfies you as an audience member in some ways, it leaves you hanging in others.
First of all, casting is excellent. Fassbender proves himself an amazingly versatile actor in this film. His character, a robot, showed many subtle emotions in his face even though he's not supposed to be able to experience emotion. Yet he seeks what all humans seek, acceptance. He has character development as he interacts with the different characters and their emotions. And I really have no idea why the characters would want to mock the android. People, you should never anger the android with superior strength and intellect. I thought the character of David was an excellent propellant for the story line. He really stole the show. And some of those lines he delivered!
I was not a big fan of the costuming. I was not sure of the purpose of the bright blue and orange lined suits. Nor did I like Theron's outfits. They were supposed to a reflection of her personality, yes I get that, but they were really lackluster compared to the movie as a whole. Every other element of the film was well done. I can see the "Alien" technology in it (especially the ship's doors). I also liked the musical score. I think the best way to describe it would be ethereal. Its melodies really added wonder to the story's discoveries.
Everything is visually striking as well from the ship designs to the sets. And Scott finally answers the question of what the heck that thing was the Nostromo found at the beginning of "Alien." But while Scott adds brilliant details to his set, for some reason, the aliens have not discovered the use of colors. Okay, it was a place of mass destruction, but still. The aliens don't like to be visually stimulated besides ginormous busts of their heads in the center of a room? I found subtle tie ins to "Alien" that I wonder if Scott put them in on purpose or was just coincidence. The biggest one was that David calls the leader of the journey "mother." Whereas in "Alien," Ripley calls the ship's computer Mother. I caught onto that right away. Yes, his creator was Weyland who ends up being Vicker's father, and it's a little creepy that he's calling, technically, his sister his mother. A lot of character relationships seemed to hearken to "Alien" as well.
Whereas "Alien" was just about monsters that killed the crew of the Nostromo, "Prometheus" has a much deeper plot to it. It's about the simple question about finding out who we are and why we are -- age- old questions that drive our race to explore and dream. Such simple questions yet sometimes so profound as well. The "Alien" series needed a revival. I prefer to deny the last two movies even exist But as this film does have more to it than its genetic roots, we do also expect more from it. It would have been nice to address a few of the questions it brings to light. What was the point of the first scene, how did all the aliens die but one, and why are the aliens now bent on destruction? In "Alien," it was a thriller, and the expectation for explanation was just not there. This one, you expect a little more give and take. It definitely engages the audience, but it needed to give a more back. A lot more.
I think one of the themes of the movie is being who you are and not giving up. The characters are tested in terms of their beliefs and choices. It's those who can learn to adapt and not lose who they are as a person who will survive (and of course, who didn't anger the android too much). Scott is a mastermind behind creating some really strong female characters throughout his movies and building characters through their relationships. Rapace was excellent in her role as both vulnerable and determined. It was beautiful to see her character, a scientist, wearing a cross around her neck in such a meaningful way. I loved how that piece of jewelry kept re- entering the story in small ways. I also noticed that Rapace's character pointedly uses the phrase "the year of our Lord" in the voice-over narration in the end, just as Weyland did in his introduction. She sees horrible things, but she does not give up on her beliefs and who she is. I think that is what is at the heart of this film. Hence, what do you choose to believe?
Here are some conclusions I have come to: (1) The alien from the beginning was on Earth. Though the scene really has no relevance to the movie. (2) I believe the aliens created life only to learn how to more effectively destroy it. To paraphrase a great line in the movie, they're not stupid enough to make weapons of mass destruction on their own doorstep. Perhaps, as humanity had created robots and were "playing god," so too had the alien race. But there is also something much darker to be explored. (3) There should be a Prometheus 2, but I doubt there will be. Scott will leave the questions to us to fill in the blanks. That last narrative though leaves us wanting more discovery!
Very fascinating conceptual film. Why are we here? What does this mean for us? What will the human race evolve into? This is what sci-fi is best at: asking questions and making you think. Welcome back, Mr. Scott. Now would you mind providing for us a few answers? You left us too small of a bite!