Prometheus - (June
8th, 2012): R
Distributor: 20th
Century Fox
Opening Weekend Box Office:
#2 with $51,050,101
Domestic Box Office
Gross to-date: $109,793,319
Gross Revenue: $262,193,319
Production Budget:
$130 million
Directors: Ridley Scott
Though many are tempted to
immediately associate director Ridley Scott exclusively with the sci-fi genre,
the fact remains that Scott has largely stayed away from the genre after his
two biggest commercial breakthroughs, Alien
(1979) and Blade Runner (1982). Needless to say, many were eager to see the
talented filmmaker return to his roots, and when early interviews revealed that
Prometheus would partially function
as a prequel to the Alien franchise,
lifelong fans expected this newest sci-fi epic to be nothing short of glorious. Potential audiences were certainly impressed
by the talented cast, but newcomer Noomi Rapace in the lead role was a bit of a
question mark, as she remained largely unknown to domestic audiences outside of
her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish adaptations of the Dragon Tattoo film series; rumor has it that
Scott was so set on Rapace portraying the lead character that he personally pushed
her to improve her English in preparation.
In terms of generating pre-release audience interest, 20th
Century Fox executed a brilliant marketing campaign, revealing very few
concrete facts in relation to the story and instead letting the sci-fi horror
angle generate curiosity, all while the viral tactics were set to begin
developing the unique cinematic world that would be presented; though
personally, I did see promotional partnerships with Coors, Amazon, and Verizon
FiOS as somewhat diluting the serious nature of the project. Still, in spite of the massive build-up to Prometheus, early critical and audience
reaction was extreme on both sides of the spectrum, so I was curious to see
whether this newest sci-fi blockbuster was something to be revered or reviled.
Opening in 2089, Prometheus focuses on an archeologist
couple, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan
Marshall-Green), as they repeatedly discover a common star map common across several
ancient cultures separated both geographically and historically; they interpret
these discoveries as evidence of a common forerunner to humanity, an advanced
civilization that have been dubbed “Engineers.”
Fast-forward four years and Shaw and Holloway have followed the star map
to the distant moon LV-223, leading an exploratory voyage aboard the scientific
vessel “Prometheus,” one that is financed by the recently-deceased Peter
Weyland (Guy Pearce) of the Weyland Corporation and is overseen by mission
director Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron).
The crew of the ship includes a weathered and experienced captain, Janek
(Idris Elba), numerous geologists and biologists, and an android known as David
(Michael Fassbender), who functions as both the ship’s butler and maintenance
director. Shaw and Holloway are
initially ecstatic when they find the remains of an Engineer and discover that
the alien creature’s DNA matches that of humans, but things take a turn for the
worst when the crew also comes across a dangerous biological weapon that begins
infecting the scientists. In the face of
this new discovery, Shaw also discovers ulterior motives on the part on both
Vickers and David, whose actions could pose an unspeakable threat to Earth and
endanger the future of humanity.
Demonstrating a masterful
understanding of the sci-fi genre, Prometheus
offers more than enough to placate the expectations of lifelong geeks, who will
be absolutely giddy over the world and technology that is ultimately showcased
in the hands of talented actors. The atmospheric
visual style of the film is epic and absolutely awe-inducing, whether that
involves the structures that inhabit the alien moon, the spacesuits and
technology utilized by the crew, or the subtle features of the spaceship itself…that
kind of detail and surprise is reminiscent of Avatar. In terms of the cast
themselves, Idris Elba and Charlize Theron make of the most of their limited
screen-time and showcase their (largely underused) talent, but the true standouts
are Rapace and Fassbender; the latter is so chilling and unnerving as the
emotionless android, that even his most simple of actions can make the viewer
uncomfortable. As for Rapace, she
delivers an absolute standout performance as Elizabeth Shaw, a strong heroine
who is not afraid to show fear, but one who demonstrates an unflappable
survival instinct; a particular surgical scene featuring Shaw is so intense and
horrific that I doubt you will forget it anytime soon. Unfortunately, even though there is plenty to
enjoy within Prometheus and more than
enough moments to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end,
incomplete character development and shoddy storytelling mar overall quality.
Prometheus
was clearly made for sci-fi fans, but this fan-base has remarkably high standards
and would be first to call foul on any questionable story twists or
ill-developed character motivations, and unfortunately, this film is saturated
with those types of shortcomings. First,
the crew of the “Prometheus” may be among the stupidest scientists to ever
grace the sci-fi horror genre, obliterating any chance of garnering audience
sympathy; when a biologist naively approaches a sinister-looking alien creature
or fails to alert the rest of the crew of his infection immediately, any
tragedy that ultimately befalls is seen as well-deserved. Second, when it comes to the characters
themselves, their driving motivations are either glossed-over or completely
ignored; Shaw and Holloway’s curiosity is not enough to justify the loss of so
many lives, while David’s intentions as a secondary antagonist are never
addressed…one can only infer so much.
Finally, in exploring the origins of the human race, the narrative makes
way for some huge implications that are ultimately left on a cliff-hanger; with
the two hour build-up, having to wait for an assumed sequel is just
frustrating. So, in the end, there are
just as many negatives as there are positives to Prometheus, meaning that this highly-anticipated blockbuster is
neither able to sink, nor soar.
As an R-rated sci-fi horror film,
there was no way in hell that Prometheus
was going to overtake the third entry in an established and revered animated
franchise; still, Ridley Scott’s newest film made Madagascar 3 work for its opening weekend title. A number two opening with over $51 million is
nothing to scoff at, and thanks to a thoroughly impressive international
presence, it really didn’t take 20th Century Fox that long to
recover a $130 million production budget.
And, given relatively weak competition in the form of Rock of Ages and That’s My Boy, it is not all that surprising that the first and
second place standings didn’t shift week-to-week. And, on a bit of a side-note, even though I
myself did not opt for the 3D glasses, I understand that the effect was
executed very well, so that is a perk that can lead to some continued revenue
down the line. At the very least,
despite somewhat mediocre critical reception, it looks like the numbers are
more than strong enough to justify the sequel, so I will be eagerly awaiting Prometheus 2 and a resolution to the
story and issues that were introduced.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
