Ridley the Riddler

Rating: 6/10 (17 June 2012)

From reviews I have read to my own experience watching this movie, I gather there are two distinct groups within the audience. In other words, this is a 'love it' or 'hate it' movie. Like it or not, its either 'yes or no' with only a minority stuck in between. I for one find myself within this minority.
Borrowing from Greek mythology where demigod Prometheus was venerated by ancient Greeks in their quest for scientific progression, but feared as an idol of overindulgence and unforeseen consequences, director Ridley Scott's narration finds itself within a very similar paradigm. Conceptually, the film and its core message is the same as being told to be cautious when wishing for something to happen or materialize. It shares the same mythical philosophy as when Pandora opened the box, or biblically, when Adam in his greed for knowledge, ate from the forbidden tree. Set in 2089, it is within this premise where a group of scientists connect the dots to reveal a star map that interprets an invitation to the origins of mankind. We are first introduced to the android David (Michael Fassbender) as he monitors the flight path of the USS Prometheus, travelling at the speed of light. Mission director Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), followed by archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) awake from a state of stasis hibernation, just as Prometheus approaches orbital range of their destination – LV223. After touching down near a monolithic structure, Shaw leads a team of explores in search of clues for alien life forms. As the tagline suggests, what they find not only jeopardizes the safety of the crew, but the entire human race.
Like Fox Mulder of "The X Files", I wanted to believe. If James Cameron has vested considerable time and money into exploring mysteries of the deepest oceans, I wanted to believe Ridley Scott was on a similar quest, but in the opposite direction. This was probably due to the immense hype made possible through word of mouth alone, and all before the official worldwide premier. We knew Scott was working on something so big, it had every prospect of becoming his masterpiece, not to mention him standing shoulder to shoulder with titans like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Peter Jackson. Sadly, and for obvious yet unbelievable reasons, "Prometheus" will always remain Scott's big catch that got away before the haul in. From my experience, it was like watching two very different movies. The first hour is a phenomenal piece of cinematic creation with fantastic visuals, ground breaking art direction, captivating atmosphere, and a mysterious story that boldly places us on the verge of THE biggest discovery since mankind learnt the use of fire. What happens during the second hour is a real shame if you ask me, considering Scott's nuance behind the groundbreaking "Blade Runner" (1982). The culprit is a fractured script that goes from phenomenal to ludicrous, thanks to the literary creativity (or lack of) of Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof. It is all the more annoying because this film blasts off to a brilliant start, and then out of nowhere, falls out of the sky because it only had half a tank of fuel to begin with. Then there are the astounding questions asked that never receive a plausible answer. This can be frustrating for certain sections of the audience but leaving those questions open-ended also makes the film intriguing but only for a few questions that are attempted with an answer. Ultimately, the final blow comes in the genre-altering second half, changing the story from sci-fi mystery to predictable sci-fi horror, and somewhere in between throws at the audience the notion that scientists, astronauts, and intellectuals of similar caliber lack basic common sense.
In all its worth, Fassbender is just about the only actor to look forward to as the calm yet eerie android, who ironically has more soul than most other characters. Rapace comes in at a close second, but given the built-in trend of all the "Alien" movies where a female protagonist uses every ounce of strength and courage to survive, Sigourney Weaver remains my favorite alien butt kicker of all time.
As a bold and visually stunning narration that tries to answer some of the questions that have been haunting mankind since we discovered the presence of celestial bodies, Scott can be credited with the overall aesthetics of this film. However, in staying true to the genre, this is not the best we have seen from the legend that is Ridley Scott.