"Everybody wants to kill their parents..." Prometheus reviewed.

As I came out of the cinema rubbing my chin in wonderment I was still undecided on whether or not I had just watched a good film. The spectacle and scale of Prometheus was bloomin' staggering but there was something about it that deeply irked me. For the most part, I didn't have a funking clue what was going on and I'm usually quite tapped into these things. 

This film is built up of a lot of if's but's and maybe's and the vast majority of the subject matter is left down to the individuals interpretation. There are a lot of people who have done their homework on the film and have a much more in-depth opinion than me on what's what in this space oddity- and those people can be found using this link- 

http://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/uswn1/prometheus_everything_explained_and_analysed/

However, if you're not particularly interested in unearthing hidden meanings or theorising on the use of religious symbols then my review will probably serve you just fine.

The riddle of Ridley continues.

Admittedly, I am not as absorbed by the Aliens universe as some. I think one of the primary reasons for this is down to my exposure to the AVP series- the early trios inbred cousin. Despite this I went into Prometheus with an open mind, encouraged by the fact that the director said no prior knowledge of the Ripley series was required to enjoy this film- "It could easily stand alone" he says.

The opening sequence instantly grabs your attention, introducing us to one of the so called "engineers" of human life. Imagine the love child of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lord Voldemort and that's about where we are at with these mysterious grey beings. The Engineer is positioned against the vast backdrop of what we can only presume is pre-historic Earth; the waterfall, the panoramic sky- it's all very pleasing on the eye. 

However, the love child lasts all of 60 seconds before he begins to disintegrate as a direct result of drinking some unknown black liquid. His leg snaps with an uncomfortable crunch, his skull fizzes like a bath bomb and before we know it his DNA is flowing freely in the water of this unnamed planet. Presumably, this grey dudes sacrifice acts as some sort of catalyst for life itself. Sacrifice is a frequently visited theme during this film, which is why so many people are tapping into the religious symbology, Space Jesus etc. Honestly, I cant be bothered. 

This part of the film isn't touched upon again and no further explanation is made evident throughout the entire production- a reoccurring theme of Prom. This comes as no surprise when you learn that Damon Lindelof, whose other well known work is on ABC's Lost, heads up the writing team. I expect the questions posed in this film will be answered in a possible third installment, or maybe never at all. Sigh.

Personally, I think what holds the film together in the midst of this kaleidoscope of space madness is the performances of a few very well rounded cast members. Noomi Rapace and Marshall Green have a great on screen chemistry as intergalactic space couple Shaw and Holloway, whilst Theron provides a stern and icy exterior as the morbidly seductive Vickers. Michael Fassbender manages to keep his pants on and gives an eerily polished performance as the ships only android "David" and the extremely likeable Captain Janek, played by Idirs Elba, provides small bouts of comic relief amongst the films overwhelming seriousness. He also manages to seduce Theron with nothing but an accordion. Lad.

The Lead

Rapace provides a performance that perfectly balances vulnerability and strength. This is typified in my favourite sequence of the film wherein she masterminds her own abortion, having been inseminated with Alien sperm via the contaminated Holloway. As you would expect with a Ridley Scott film the pacing of this sequence has you on the edge of your seat, half covering your eyes, half begging for more- it is gruesomely wonderful. As she lasers her stomach open the med-pod is filled with the desperate screeches of her unwelcome inhabitant which is then swiftly removed with "the claw" (Toy Story reference)- but that's not the end of it, Shaw has to staple her stomach back together with industrial sized staples and snap the flailing umbilical cord with her own two hands. *heave*

But Shaw can't get pregnant, wait....is this IMMACULATE CONCEPTION!? ZZzzzzzz.

Again, for me, this film feels like a question that is going to be answered over another 1, maybe 2 films and I am not quite sure how I feel about that. There isn't really one arc in the entire film that reaches full circle, so you don't get that that traditional sense of satisfaction or closure. For someone who is only vaguely interested in the series (like myself) I felt there was an imbalance between drawing me in and pushing me away. Do I really want to dedicate my precious time to a film wherein I have to start up some sort of case study back home to fully appreciate its many, many, many different layers? Not really, but I suppose it swings both ways. I appreciate some film fans will take great pleasure from dissecting the film and they will probably relish in making sense of this unfinished puzzle. Not me though.

It felt like more like a spectacle than a film. The costumes, the set design, the special effects were all incredible but the storyline was lacking substance. A lot like David, Promethues is pristine and polished on the outside but when you dig a little deeper you're missing a few vital organs. It has no heart beat, no soul- it's just an empty shell.

Rating: More questions than answers, slightly cheesed off at the wayward story arcs and dog turd script. 3 stars.