Prometheus: "Big Things Have Small Beginnings"

Director: Ridley Scott
Writer:    Damon Lindelof
               Jon Spaihts
Starring: Noomi Rapace
               Michael Fassbender
               Guy Pearce
               Idris Elba
               Logan Marshall-Green
               Rafe Spall
               Sean Harris
               Kate Dickie
               Patrick Wilson
               Charlize Theron
Rating:    ****

Release Date: Out Now

It's been 33 years since Alien first burst (check out my badass pun) onto our screens, and after almost 30 years, Ridley Scott is finally returning to the genre he mastered, Sci-Fi. Even though Prometheus was originally intended as a prequel to Alien, and has been over shadowed by the hype of "the Alien prequel", it really isn't related to Scott's original film, well not much anyway. Admittedly the films have many a similarity, but that aside, they have a whole host of differences. The original Alien was all about the building of tension, which eventually lead up to it's intense climax, but Prometheus hits the ground running instantly, and drops the audience straight into the action.

Thankfully, and for some reason many disagree, the results are extremely entertaining and of course brilliantly off-the-wall, and as I left the cinema my mind was reeling and I couldn't stop thinking about what I just witnessed. Each scene features some sort of dramatic twist and crucial plot point, that if you miss, you're screwed, these details are what keep you hooked throughout the films entirety. The film also packs quite a few emotional punches, with people sacrificing themselves without second thought, all for the best of the group (and the world). And of course it wouldn't be a Scott film If I didn't walk out of the cinema with a whole host of questions I needed the answers too, and can only hope for a sequel to get hold of them.

The crew on the gigantic ship, Prometheus, are a mixed (and a tad cliched) bunch; featuring the religious archaeologist Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace), cold and unfeeling leader Meredith Vickers (Theron), smart-mouthed Captain Janek (Elba) and slightly sinister cyborg David Fassbender). Their mission, which is being lead by Shaw and her close partner Charlie Holloway (Marshall-Green), is to follow an ancient star map, discovered in caves on Earth, through space to explore the alien culture that sourced it. Now without going into too much detail and giving the game away, if you have taken notice of the trailer, you will know their expedition doesn't go so smoothly. This is when things go from bad to worse for the crew, as the elements on the foreign planet, and mysterious illnesses start to take the crew down, one at a time.

Rapace's performance really took a while for me to warm too, for starters her accent is far to distracting for me to cope with, but that apart from that I kinda struggled to find a spark between her and the cast. However, when the film kicks it up a gear, she really raises the bar and gives a genuinely honest and extremely intense performance. There is something so inviting about her acting and she draws you in her with her stunning beauty and gentle mannerisms, aswell as being a strong and fierce woman.

Then, down the other end of the personality spectrum we have cold and unfeeling Cyborg David, played superbly by the brilliant Fassbender. He has an eerie and creepy vibe to him, and unlike hes previous characters, where underneath the steely persona there is warmth and depth, beneath David is just an empty space, a cold void. It's this characteristic that makes the character work, and Fassbender is the perfect person to pull it off.

There isn't really anything negative I can say about the film, and when the only vaguely bad thing is the typically cliched crew members then Scott should be very happy. Opening with stirring shots of an abandoned Earth, to ending with stirring shots of an abandoned mystery planet, the film is a truly abandoned and baron blockbuster, that is emotional, exciting and extremely thought provoking. Lead by an impressive cast, and with zaps of witty comedy, everything about Prometheus screams summer hit. Plus if you are a fan of the Alien films, there are plenty of easter eggs hidden in this film for you, so watch it for that (especially the end scene)...

Prometheus - Trailer