A Ridley Scott film, no more no less...

Rating: 9/10 (7 June 2012)

One element that keeps coming out in reviews throughout the world is that "the character of Noomie Rapace is the only fully developed character and everybody else is a cardboard cut-out", or words to that effect. In true form, this is correct, but it's not that simple. Noomie is the main character in a way that no other "person" even coming close (stiff competition would be from Michael Fassbender's David, with emphasis on stiff and "person"). Ridley Scott sure knows what to do with an Android and he makes a non-living entity into a compelling character in this film. Again.
One the one hand, it helps the story that certain characters remain mysterious throughout (Vickers and David especially) and the story doesn't suffer much by the lack of depth in other characters. Here's why: after spending over 2 years in hyper sleep, this group of technicians, pilots, medical staff, etc. are greeted by a very cold and aloof Vickers who tells them what they're there for. They have a mission, and chatting and fraternising isn't part of the plan. Not all members share her muted enthusiasm though and some are more vocal and sarcastic about their mission. There are "relationships" which were there before the story picks up (the captain of the ship and his navigators; Elizabeth and Charlie) or developed through the story (Elizabeth and David), but in the time constrains of a film like this in which pacing is crucial (it's already 2 hours long), dragging down the plot with chatter about minor characters' origins and intentions would muddle the story unnecessarily. Believe me, you won't be left wondering about their character arcs with everything else going on.
Elizabeth Shaw is with us pretty much from the get-go, and while everybody else seems to have an agenda in this story, she's the one who takes us by the hand and shares our excitement, confusion, bewilderment, shock and horror. One thing I really liked about the film in this character is that she's a believing Christian who has her faith tested, but she chooses to maintain her faith when events and persons around her start questioning it. She soldiers on until the end, knowing that the very fact that their mission took them to that planet was, itself, an act of faith. Unlike some Hollywood tripe out there (like "Paul"), this film doesn't trample on the faith of a believing Christian like the character Shaw is, and neither does it "pimp for Jesus". it's just a character trait that is fundamental in understanding the motivations that drove this person through the story.
What do I mean by the Ridley Scott film no more no less? I'm thinking about his other masterpieces, Alien and Bladerunner (curiously - or not - also sci-fi films). Any other director would probably put too much drama in the dialogue, perhaps a lot more explaining about the engineers and their intentions, their origins, etc. But if Scott knows one thing, it's what works in science-fiction: the secret is not explaining everything. I like that I watched this film and was amazed, not only at the sublime visuals, but also at the possibilities, all the threads that he left hanging. That, for me, is what separates a great film from a Michael Bay film. It keeps your mind churning long after the credits have rolled. People still argue today on whether Deckard was a Replicant or not and that's a good sign for me. It's not a film I'm likely to forget.
When the film ends, your mind is aching with the possible story arcs it offers: the planet of the Engineers, the other planets where the Engineers have staged these bio-engineering facilities, what else would we find in the other ships on the same planet, what are we to the Engineers, with what intent do they create these species (to populate planets, to exterminate life on planets or something else). I didn't miss the xenomorphs, so there's no point to bitch about that. It would be like spending too much time studying the ants in a savanna when there are other things out there!
No, it isn't in any way a prequel to Alien, although it inhabits the same cognitive universe of the other films: LV designated planets, the Engineers (formerly known as the Space Jockeys), the C shaped ships of the Engineers, cargo holds filled with thousands of cannisters or eggs, the control room with intricate and utterly alien devices, the impending threat to Mankind, scheming androids, creatures with acid-for-blood, etc. It sets things in a way that you could "kinda" see how the xenomorphs came about, but it has the good taste of not going down that rotten path.
One thing I found a bit annoying was the irrationality of certain decisions and stupidity of a few lines of dialogue (the 2 first victims come to mind). Also, if the planet didn't have an oxygen based atmosphere, how could that flamer thing work? And why was the atmosphere inside the ship breathable, when clearly the Engineers had no need for it - actually, this is one of those questions I don't mind not having an answer to.
This is the beginning of something new and we can only hope it stays out of the hands Jeunet, Krause bros. or Paul Anderson for many years to come, thank you very much. Maybe James Cameron could make something interesting out of this if he could get his head out of Pandora, 'cause that film was horrible story wise. We don't need more "Dances with Wolves" meets "the Smurfs" in space.