Prometheus has landed!

Rating: 8/10 (6 June 2012)

One of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year.
I managed to get into a midnight showing of this at the O2. Not a full house, but that's mostly because of the time it was being shown at. Ridley Scott has said in many of his interviews before it's release, that he wanted to make another Alien film true to the original story. He stated how disappointed he had become with Alien franchise over the years, in particular the Alien Vs Predator movies. So he decided to make Prometheus to set the record straight.
Where do I start with Prometheus?
It's not a masterpiece, but it's a very good, very dark sci-fi film, as well as the best film I've seen in 3D to date. I highly recommend an IMAX viewing of this. The film makes amazing use of 3D and an IMAX screening would only enhance the viewing experience for cinema goers.
The performances are excellent. Cannot fault any one of the actors for the roles they played. Of course, there are always standouts. By standouts I mean, Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw and the brilliant Michael Fassbender as the android David. Both are absolutely fantastic in this. Rapace is every much the heroine and in this film. Not only does she own the character, but I almost forgot that she's the actress playing a character. Her character goes through so much physical and emotional pain in this film, it's amazing how she manages to survive it all. One scene in particular (bit of a spoiler) involving Shaw, an operating table and an alien baby being delivered by caesarean, will be very hard to forget after you see it. She matches Ripley in intellect, emotion and strength. Whether or not they'll be a sequel about her character remains to be seen.
Fassbender is brilliant as David. I'm a massive fan of this guy. And everything I've seen him do has been excellent. David works directly for Weyland Industries but is aboard Prometheus to help and assist the scientists with their research. Fassbender has massive screen presence. He's engaging, funny and utterly convincing as David the android. David like the scientists is looking for his own answers. He asks questions his own existence, why he was made and questions the nature of humanity. He models himself on Peter O'Toole's Lawrence of Arabia and quotes lines from the film. His mannerisms and speech are everything that resemble Ian Holm's Ash from the first Alien. Terrific supporting cast, Idris Elba, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, all do a wonderful job. Idris' southern American accent is slightly wobbly but he puts in a good shift with his performance, so it wasn't much of an issue for me.
The screenplay isn't amazing, it just plods along. If anything Fassbender and Elba have all the best lines in the film. The action set pieces are also very good as are the futuristic set designs. Ridley Scott's direction is polished, has great cinematography and is visually appealing. Filmed in several countries, the landscapes look absolutely beautiful. Just like Alien, Prometheus has a lot of creepy tension and some jump out of your seat moments, but it's not perfect. The film leaves quite a few questions unanswered and towards the end, the film felt rushed and bordered on the ridiculous. The cameo at the end is a lot to be desired and I rather they not make this inclusion to satisfy the fan boys.
If I'm being honest it should've been longer just to explain a few things that were left unexplained. The end suggest that there'll be a sequel, but I don't think Prometheus will get one, because it will go against everything Ridley Scott said he was trying to achieve.
All in all it's a good film but mostly for its performances and set pieces. The plot is daft and the story needed a lot more work, but it's a good film and I was entertained. But please, by all means see this in 3D. It's absolutely worth it.
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