Last Seen 70s/80s Movie

[ferretchucker]

(Image kindly found by Roshiq)

Well, I saw this yesterday, and it's difficult to say too much about this film without spoiling a great deal - I'll try my best. First I'll approach the film as a construction, then I'll say a bit about the story itself.

The casting is SUPERB. Theron really gets into the ice-queen persona of Miss. Vickers perfectly, and Michael Fassbender's David has the perfect mix of chillingly emotionless robot and unusual superiority. The slightest movements of his eyes are unsettling with their lack of humanity. I found some choices odd, such as Idris Elba and Rafe Spall playing their roles with an American accent. The main reason this was odd for me is that it added nothing to their characters - their nationality was irrelevant so I just wonder why it was deemed necessary that they change their accents. But ho hum, still marvelous.

The visuals were all brilliant - I particularly liked the opening shots of sweeping, overcast landscapes. Maybe this is just personal preference, as I'm a sucker for the stormy autumnal look - it's why I loved The Ghost Writer so much! But I really think it helps set the tone. But there were others aspects of this I liked - the design of Prometheus itself was clever. I can see the tough position they were in - how do they make it look high tech and cool WITHOUT totally undermining the sets of Alien (a la Star Wars prequel trilogy)? However, they pulled it off well - subtle continuity in design between the Nostromo and Prometheus interiors combined with the knowledge that the former - though set in the future - was a small mining ship, whilst the latter is a trillion dollar expedition leader kept me, as a fan of the series, more than satisfied.

Other points to note that don't REALLY need to be said - the score and direction are brilliant. We all know what to expect from Ridley, so I don't think that was a surprise. I've read a few reviews that criticise the score as being too orchestral and overbearing, but I didn't notice this at all. And quite frankly, when you're dealing with THE ORIGINS OF HUMANITY...you're allowed to be a bit bombastic. And the end-credits music is an inspired choice!

And that brings me nicely to...the story. Hmm. This is where I'm torn. Like many, I've pondered for a long time what happened to the space jockey - who was he, what was he doing etc. etc. But whether or not these questions needed answering I was unsure. Couldn't it have just been left a mystery? The haunting, unexplained echo of a previous struggle? Leaving things like this to the audience's imagination allows absolute freedom to decide the scale for themselves. Some might imagine a huge, intergalactic war between Jockeys and Aliens! Others might choose to imagine a similar situation to the events on the nostromo - a small crew in a confined space, unaware of the ghastly truth of their cargo. The second the audience is shown the "truth", this freedom to fill in the gaps disappears...and the problem is, when a worldwide fanbase has had over thirty years to fill in the gaps...the "truth" had better be pretty fucking spectacular.

I admire Scott's path with the film - he could have easily leeched off of the Alien name and bombarded us with messages screaming "THIS IS IN THE SAME WORLD!" But this isn't the case. It's far more subtle - they work for Weyland, they land on LV-223 (I'll get to this in a moment), the androids function in pretty much the same way, the vehicle design is reminiscent of Aliens - again, I admired that Scott respected the continuity of even the films he had nothing to do with. Though it would have felt like a massive punch in the face, he COULD have retconned or ignored them, but he didn't. What he DID retcon - the AvP fiasco - is more of a relief than anything! Again, this is achieved with a quiet but firm push - we get to see the OFFICIAL Mr. Weyland. Sorry Lance, Charles is no longer canon.

But this is where some issues arise. Prometheus establishes PLENTY of ideas on a collosal scale...but doesn't answer them. This is can always do in the sequels, yes, but I was left with a feeling of emptiness. However, the BIGGER issue is that the jumping off point for these ideas is a bit TOO similar to AvP for me. [POTENTIAL spoilers ahead - I'll keep it as vague as possible] We open with Shaw and Holloway finding cave paintings suggesting a higher alien race's involvement with prehistoric Earth. It's implied that they visited us fairly frequently and taught us many things. Of course, in Alien Versus Predator, this is how to build and shizzle, whereas in Prometheus, it's them who built us. So, whilst the two paths are forking off in different directions, Prometheus doesn't travel far enough down it's own path to entirely leave behind it's shared roots with AvP.

And this is of course, the MAIN problem with Prometheus. It doesn't go far enough along it's own narrative. True, there will be sequels, but even when a trilogy is planned from the offset, the first film should feel like more than just an opening scene (in the grand scheme of the entire series). It needs a certain amount of resolution, and that's something that we don't get in Prometheus. The entire basis of the film was to answer the question of the Space Jockeys...and it doesn't. It only creates further questions, and - from what I could tell when trying to work out where the next film will go - further ISSUES when trying to bridge the gap between it and Alien.

This is the LV-223 problem. I won't go into too much detail, but setting it on a totally different moon may make SOME sense - we all know that 426's atmosphere was hardly friendly. However, anybody who has seen the trailer for Prometheus is aware that there's a bit of a crash landing in it. So...if the crash is on 223...how do things get to 426? The very end of the film DOES leave it open to do to 426 but it just feels like they're making more work for themselves! I don't know..it's tough to explain fully without retelling the end of the film, and I won't do that. Suffice to say, however, the VERY VERY end of the film - whilst initially being fan-boy-porn also leaves a fair few questions - again, in relation to how the action ends up on 426.

So to summarise...the film itself is good. More than good. The acting - brilliant, the visuals, score, direction, effects etc. all marvellous. However the lack of resolution for almost ANYTHING is frustrating. It feels like Prometheus was only made to have a sequel, but far from being part one of a three parter, it's more like the pre-release podcast. When the sequels fly in and the story can be viewed as a whole, I'm sure I'll be VERY pleased. But as of yet, I'm left wanting more - not so much because I was that enthralled by it...but because I was unfulfilled.

3/5

[_____V_____]

Superb review, ferret. If only there was an option to make a post a sticky, yours would be definitely stuck up there. Thank you.

[ferretchucker]

No worries, your praise is enough :) Hope you enjoy it!

[phantomstranger]

"Hatfields And McCoys" (2012)
-Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton

Plot: IMDB
'Devil' Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy. Close friends and comrades until near the end of the Civil War, they return to their neighboring homes - Hatfield in West Virginia, McCoy just across the Tug River border in Kentucky - to increasing tensions, misunderstandings and resentments that soon explode into all-out warfare between the families. As hostilities grow, friends, neighbors and outside forces join the fight, bringing the two states to the brink of another Civil War.


Phantom's Review: From what I have read on the net, the true life descendants of the Hatfields,McCoys, and "Bad" Frank Phillips have all claimed that this epic History Channel Mini-series is not nearly as historically accurate as the History Channel says it is, but as an entertainment I thought it was an excellent show. Terrific acting from the entire cast, interesting and well written story,and plenty of action. It may not be totally accurate but it was definitely worth watching.
--

[The Villain]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

Prepping for the first day, first show come the 8th.

I'm seeing it on Sunday. Can't wait.

[Elvis_Christ]

Been revisiting some 80s sci-fi flicks this week...

Alien Nation

Still holds up well but could've done without the brief voice-over at the end however.

The Running Man

Arnie has some of his more wooden moments (but this is still perhaps his most underrated film) with this one but it's still great and is still my favorite futuristic game show gone astray flick.

[_____V_____]

Originally Posted by Elvis_Christ

Alien Nation

Still holds up well but could've done without the brief voice-over at the end however.

One of the more underrated sci-fis. Mandy Patinkin is fantastic.

[Elvis_Christ]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

One of the more underrated sci-fis. Mandy Patinkin is fantastic.

Definitely. It melded the genres together really well I thought. Plan on watching The Abyss next which was always overlooked IMO too.

[_____V_____]

Originally Posted by Elvis_Christ

Plan on watching The Abyss next which was always overlooked IMO too.

One of my all-time favorite films. Love to re-watch it every chance I get.

Never understood the hate for it. IMO, Cameron's masterpiece, T2 and Aliens aside.

[Elvis_Christ]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

One of my all-time favorite films. Love to re-watch it every chance I get.

Never understood the hate for it. IMO, Cameron's masterpiece, T2 and Aliens aside.

I think people were just expecting more of a shoot 'em up style flick after The Terminator and Aliens. For me it was his last really great film. I like T2 a lot but it lacked the depth of the three films before it and it was a step towards his less edgy Hollywood output. I often wonder how different his style would be if The Abyss had gotten more praise. Same deal with Tarantino after Jackie Brown. Both films were more "mature" and focused but were met with lukewarm responses and they returned to the same old style of their previous films afterwards.