Prometheus (2012)

I’ve been meaning to write this review for some time but currently have about seven different projects on the go at once so it has gotten shifted down my list of priorities. I still don’t have much time to write this so it’s going to be a very quick review.

Firstly I’d like to say that whilst this isn’t the best film I’ve ever seen, it’s certainly not the worst and despite some of the criticism it’s receiving I think it is a great film. When I sat down and the opening credits rolled, I was treated to an absolutely spellbinding introduction to the film, I honestly thought Ridley Scott was about to hit one out of the ballpark Blade Runner style. Indeed for the first fifteen minutes of the film I was convinced this was going to be the case. The opening soundtrack was so haunting and definitely gave the impression that I was in for a treat. The shots of the ancient Earth were filmed in Iceland, a place which I swear to myself I will eventually visit. Apparently they took Scott two weeks to shoot but by God they work. And even after the introduction the film still seemed to be shaping up to be a classic.

Unfortunately the film doesn't continue anywhere near as profoundly as it begins. It settles down and eventually becomes a run of the mill science fiction thriller, not a horror film as some were expecting.

The film lends credence to the ancient astronaut theory which whilst I think is bullshit, nevertheless is an intriguing idea. There are also some intriguing concepts within the film. Scott does seem to like exploring the idea of synthetic life and continues to do so in this film through Michael Fassbender who plays the android David. Michael Fassbender evidently borrows more of his andriod style from the replicants of Blade Runner than Bishop of the Aliens sequel. Still he is probably the most interesting character in the film. He is forced to obey orders arguably against his better judgement. The film also insinuates that he is bitter about being told that he doesn't have a soul and the film also insinuates that he feels very differently about the matter. His reaction to being told that 'he's not a real boy' is subtle but noticeable. I'd have to say he acted well throughout this film.

Charlize Theron's character Meredith Vickers is also arguably an android but this is left ambiguous in the film. She plays a cold and sterile character - selfish and spoilt but the film strongly hints in a number of places that she may too be artificial.

Noomi Rapace's character Elizabeth Shaw was evidently meant to echo Ellen Ripley from the original alien films. Even though she had coaching lessons to perfect her British accent it still slipped in places and didn't quite work though the film is set in 2093 so perhaps it's forgivable.  Nonetheless she plays a great and charismatic character who you genuinely root for.

Even though this is a prequel to alien, it's not a strict prequel and until the last couple of minutes, it could really be regarded as a film entirely unto itself. That said, there are some definite crossover moments such as finally after 33 years revealing what exactly the space jockey from the original Alien film actually was.

There were some poor points in the film. Guy Pierce's makeup was terribly done although he acted the part well. The film didn't tangle my intellect as much as I would have liked it to but then again what more can you expect from a summer blockbuster? The science team didn't exactly strike me as being elite either which detracted from my enjoyment a little. The CGI is well done. This is definitely a film that will divide people as to its quality but I think ultimately any fan of Scott films will enjoy. Others will find something to gripe with. The film is marginally better in 3D than it is in 2D (I watched it in both) but ultimately the difference is a moot point.

I would say overall that Prometheus is a great film, it's not stellar and it's certainly not Ridley Scott's best but it's an enjoyable ride and much better than some of the crap being released these days. Definitely worth a watch for any fan of science fiction.

Finally the film is evidently intended to be the first of perhaps a trilogy so it will be interesting to see where the unanswered questions go in the next films (should they get made).

In Time (2011)

It’s with a heavy heart that I write to tell you that I’m reviewing the trailer for another film… and that it stars Justin Timberlake. Ok he’s not that bad really but the plot of the new film he’s in that’s set to be released this October possibly is.

Directed by Andrew Niccol of Gattaca fame, In Time depicts a future where everyone stops aging at 25 years old and will die one year later unless they are able to purchase more time. Time is the universal currency of this film and the more a person has, the longer they’ll live. When the title character (Justin Timberlake) inherits a massive amount of time from someone he soon finds himself on the run in an attempt to keep it. Or something along these lines anyway. It sounds very much to me like a twisted version of Logan’s run (which was decent to be fair).

Despite the concept of this film sounding a shade crap, I have faith that Niccol will do something interesting with it and faint hopes that it will be as good as Gattaca – very faint hopes I might add. With names like Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy it does have a chance. In truth I think it will end up feeling a bit more like Limitless than being a classic but no doubt it will be a good yarn anyway.