Prometheus (2012), directed by Ridley Scott, stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Logan Marshall-Green, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Benedict Wong, Kate Dickie, and Emun Elliot. Taking place in the Alien universe, the film follows a team of researchers on a distant planet who discover the remnants of an ancient civilization that may hold clues to the origins of the human race. As the hostile environment threatens their lives at every turn, it becomes clear that the ancient beings known as “engineers” were not the benevolent race the crew had initially hoped for. This, along with the secret agenda of David (Fassbender), the crew’s android, leads to a fight for survival where their search for their beginning may ultimately lead to their end.

Although the film features an A-list cast, it’s disappointing to note that not a single actor besides Fassbender is particularly memorable. That being said, no one is particularly bad either, they just revert to playing the kinds of characters they’re known for. Good casting, but predictable performances. Fassbender is the only real standout and it’s no wonder considering that his character has the most meat on the bones script-wise. The AI characters throughout the Alien franchise always seem to be the most interesting, but this film takes it to the next level because its central themes are focused on ideas such as creation and what truly makes something/someone “human.”  These themes were only barely explored in previous films which results in Prometheus feeling like the most thematically complex and intelligent installment in the franchise. On top of this, the film ties in the series’ overarching theme of motherhood with this film’s more general creation theme. At the end of the day, Fassbender saves the cast from utter failure when considering how little the script develops the majority of its characters. It’s heavy on theme but light on character. 

The film boasts a handful of heady sci-fi concepts such as the complex relationships between creators and their creations and how the creator can often see their creations as lesser. This theme is complicated when the film points out that this behavior often goes against the intention of the creator in the sense that they often make creations with the intention of them doing things that the creator cannot. It also explores the idea that creators (of humans in this context) may not always be the benevolent beings the “creation” props them up to be. The exploration of both these ideas points to what Ridley Scott does so well within the universe that he created: finds the dark/horrific edge to recognizable sci-fi themes/tropes. As opposed to his AI masterpiece Blade Runner (1982), which is a more empathetic exploration of AI, Prometheus is a more pessimistic exploration. This all results in a uniquely creepy tone that uses mystery and philosophy to its advantage. It eventually leaves you with the creeping idea/theme that individuals are often the creators of their own demise. 

When considering this overarching theme, some of Scott’s initially questionable writing decisions make much more sense. For example, there are multiple instances where characters make absurdly stupid decisions that go against any intelligence they were initially established to have such as an infamous scene where a character gets crushed by a slowly falling structure that could have been avoided by moving 5 steps to either her right or left. These are frustrating moments if one isn’t considering the theme of self-destruction, but if their destructions were unavoidable, they wouldn’t be self-destructions.

I imagine these themes of creation will get many religious viewers up in arms over the fact that it initially seems to do away with traditional religious origins for the human race. That being said, I think they’re predictably taking a very basic (and plain incorrect) reading of the themes. The film takes its time to point out that if one believes in a higher power, that belief should be infallible. That’s why it’s called “belief.” If we ever knew for sure, it would be fact. If humans were to find that they were created by an alien race, that shouldn’t hurt one’s dogma because the simple question of “If they created us, who created them?” can always be asked. Even with all the inherent horror that comes with the theme that our creators could be pure evil, it’s balanced by the idea that the existence of unlimited evil only further proves the existence of the opposite.

This is debatably the best-looking film in the franchise but these visuals aren’t just surface-level. They often juxtapose the perilous situation the crew finds themselves in, but they also support the thematic juxtaposition between the expected beauty of creation and the dark realities the film presents. 

Once one gets over the fact that the iconic Xenomorph aliens are absent from the film, the replacement aliens known as “Engineers” are quite chilling. You can tell that they were intentionally designed to look like humans, but without the physical traits that we recognize as inviting or communicative. If a viewer can detach themself from their fandom, the Engineers are some truly effective villains. 

These connections to the larger Alien franchise are where the film ends up running into some struggles. It feels like Ridley Scott wanted to make a new, original sci-fi film, but the studio wouldn’t fund it unless he connected it to Alien. The thing is, it’s clear that Scott didn’t have any interest in doing so. This leads the film to only be connected to Alien in the most superficial of ways. The only meaningful connection here is thematic, but that doesn’t quite justify putting it in the same universe. Because the connections are so weak, it just ends up making the audience ask “Why?” It also doesn’t help that the story doesn’t lead into the overall mythology even once.

Overall, this a great but flawed sci–film that is heavy on themes and visuals but not much else. Its issues unfortunately feel caused by clashing creative visions as opposed to a lack of skill/care. That being said, I find this to be a film that becomes more intriguing with each rewatch. As mentioned before, I think this is due to the side of me that is disappointed with this as an Alien prequel. If you can go in with the right expectations, there’s no doubt that this is a satisfying sci-fi experience. B