Prometheus - The Alien Connection

Well, hullo, Space Jockey. Been waiting 33 years for you.

WARNING: MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS FOR PROMETHEUS (AND ALIEN, OBVIOUSLY) AHEAD. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE FILM, STAY THE FLYING FUCKBAGS AWAY.

As I stated in my Prometheus review on Saturday, there are some very divisive feelings on this film so far, with some labeling it as Ridley Scott's Phantom Menace, some calling Damon Lindelof and Jon Spaihts horrible scriptwriting hacks, and many unfavorable comparisons to Alien abound. And while some comparisons to Scott's former monster movie are certainly warranted, I felt that comparing Prometheus to it is rather unfair. While Prometheus may not be as good as Alien (though, as stated in my review, I enjoyed the hell out of it), it is also aiming for a different tone, and also aspires to heights far higher than Scott's 1979 film did. As such, with all the negative contrasts appearing on the Internet, I chose not to rewatch Alien before going to see the movie (though I did rewatch Blade Runner earlier this week, but that was more just because it's one of my favorite movies), and I felt that probably helped me from avoiding comparisons. Nevertheless, there were many verbatim lines and visual references between the two, and my many viewings of Alien still lingered in my mind. And now, I wish to explore in words the exact vein between Prometheus and Alien. Is it a prequel or not? MAJOR SPOILERS AFTER THE PHOTO, AND POSSIBLY IN IT:

Yep. Body armor. A tad disappointing, but had to be to fit with the movie's themes.

OK, here it is: Prometheus is completely, totally, unmistakably, and 100% certainly an Alien prequel. Despite all the misdirection thrown around by Lindelof, Scott, and others over the last couple of years, saying keen fans would recognize "strands of Alien's DNA" and such, it is pretty clear that they are set in the same universe (despite some backwards prequel tech, but that's technically explainable by the fact that the Nostromo was a simple commercial towing ship, while the Prometheus was a super-advanced, prototypical science vessel), and deal with a very similar chain of events. Tossing aside scenes like Shaw wandering around skimpily dressed (like Ripley in the original's climax) or Holloway telling David that "we are leaving", much as Hicks informed the Colonial Marines in Aliens (I DO like that Scott references James Cameron's film as well, thus recognizing its importance, in spite of his disappointment at being left out of that sequel's development), or hell, even how the title fades into existence in the same way Alien does in its credits (or as both did in their respective teaser trailers), the movie has many visual and technological references, like the hypersleep pods, the land rovers, the similar-looking spacesuits (even if the new films' suits are a bit more fanciful in design), and of course, finally answering the multi-decade question: Who the hell are the Space Jockeys? And as it turns out, they're pretty much our God, referred to in the film as "the Engineers" (I'm just gonna keep callin' em Space Jockeys, K?). They created us, and then became displeased with us, so they chose to destroy us with the help of the black goo (It's implied, at least I think, that Jesus Christ was a Jockey, and that his crucifixion is what caused them to turn on us). The iconic elephant-ish design from the original film turns out to be simply body armor (which, as I stated above, was slightly disappointing), covering up the giant white hairless humanoids inside, but it fits with the movie's themes of life and creationism and such, and still, the humanoid design, combined with their awesome costume design, was still pretty damn effective (it didn't hurt that the one Space Jockey we see alive was played by none other than Gregor Clegane). It's also implied, through the evolution caused by the black goo (which I will get to in a moment), that the Space Jockeys planned to use the goo as a bioweapon to wipe out humanity, to "clean out planets", such as suggested in the plot elements suggested by Scott and Spaihts years ago, back when it was a definitive prequel. Also, in a wise move for creative freedom, Scott chose to use a new planet, LV-223, instead of bringing back LV-426, allowing them to work with a whole different planet, derelict ship, and Space Jockey, so that when the ending doesn't match Alien, it doesn't matter, since IT'S NOT EVEN THE SAME DAMN PLANET (I emphasize this because a lot of people have suggested this constitutes a plot hole. Idiots). The black goo's power is eventually shown, from when David infects Holloway, who then proceeds to put his own goo into Shaw, and that goo festers inside her uterus, leading to the birth of a beautiful little alien tentacle monster (in just about the only sequence of the film I'm truly shaky about; I agree with the haters that the logic there is a bit flawed, albeit not totally senseless). Due to the goo's accelerated evolution, the tentacle monster grows to enormous size, allowing Shaw to use it to kill the Last Jockey when it comes for her, jumping on top of it, and eventually splitting the Space Jockey's chest open. And that's about it, thanks for reading.

Oh, right, I forgot! Yeah, and then this thing erupts from the Jockey's chest:

If the original xeno's head is a phallic reference, then I'm an erect penis.

Now, I was totally surprised the film actually went this way. I went in fully prepared to see no Xenomorphs at all, and then, while we did not get the Alien Warrior's final form, we were shown that the black goo's Shaw-Holloway tentacle baby was basically a giant facehugger, and that the above-pictured Proto-Xeno is most likely the Jockey's chestburster. Many moviegoers complained that the Proto Xeno looked goofy, or not Giger-ish enough, but I won't hear it. It's most likely not even the final  form of this particular little xeno, and that it will grow into a big giant God-Alien, or something like that, maybe even being the mother of the entire Xenomorph race, laying a bunch of eggs in the abandoned derelict ship that the Nostromo finds. I know, 30 years is a bit little for evolution like that, but with the black goo's accelerated evo path, who knows what's possible? Besides, the idea that the aliens that gave Ripley so much grief in the series started with a goo-lovechild between Shaw and Holloway is INSANELY AWESOME in my book. Also, the Proto-Xeno's appearance bolsters the idea that the black goo was planned to be used as a bioweapon. Maybe the Jockeys even knew that the Xenos (or something like them) would be born from the goo, and THEY were the bioweapon. DAMN. So many possibilities, so much to ponder. 

I will not deny that Prometheus does feel incomplete at times, almost like it needs a sequel to be completely told. But isn't one of the points of movies, especially in the case of those from Ridley Scott, to cause debate and get people talking about ideas and theories? Prometheus, though it may not be as smart as it claims, ultimately gets me to keep thinking about it, and that's why it's one of my favorites of the year so far (it's pretty close to a tie with The Avengers, which I loved for almost the opposite reasons), and is indeed a return to form for Scott. Bring on the sequel. From the opening weekend's draw, it certainly seems like a strong possibility.

It's not the same explosion, but it's a great one nonetheless.

Prometheus Review & 2012 Recap

Humanity, Black Goo of Death, Easter Island Heads, the usual alien creations

So, I'm back. After a very long hiatus (5 months, my last review was of IMAX MI4, a Blu-ray I own now LOL), due to the increasing pressures of real life, I'm going to return to (at least) writing movie reviews, with maybe some TV (I'll review Season 5 of Breaking Bad, maybe Falling Skies if I watch it). Also, I'm going to rate out of 10 now. 5 stars is so imprecise and unnecessarily convoluted, don't you think? And honestly, I couldn't think of a better kickoff of my return to blogging than the review of one of my most anticipated films of the year, Prometheus. FYI, my favorites of the year so far are The Avengers (that was pure fun), The Cabin in the Woods (gloriously meta comedy-horror), The Grey (effective survival tale with a powerhouse Liam Neeson), and Chronicle (the best found-footage flick I've seen). As for disappointments, Haywire was OK but a bit of a disappointment (more expected from Soderbergh), and Snow White and the Huntsman was a colossally unexpected turd, just a joyless plodding fantasy. I have yet to see The Hunger Games or John Carter, but plan to in the future. Anyway, enough recap, on to Prometheus. Read the review following this oddly creepy Michael Fassbender photo. BTW, this will probably end up being an EPICALLY LONG review.

Charlize Theron and old Guy Pearce, mummy and daddy.

Prometheus is, of course, a movie with a massive hype machine that's been around it since the project was announced as an Alien prequel over three years ago. First it was a Carl Erik Rinsch-directed prequel (who went on to do 47 Ronin with Keanu Reeves, GOD HELP HIM), then a Ridley Scott-directed, Jon Spaihts-scripted prequel (who went on to write that massive turd, The Darkest Hour), with various rumored titles, including Paradise (now stated to be the title for a potential Prometheus sequel) and Alien Harvest (reminded me way too much of Alien Resurrection). Then Damon Lindelof, the co-creator of Lost, was hired to rewrite, and suddenly, the project took on a whole new scope. Scott and Lindelof were said to be taking the story in a more original standalone direction. I'd love to read Spaihts' original draft, which apparently had the same basic story outline as the final film, but included the classic Alien tropes, including facehuggers, chestbursters, full-fledged Xenomorphs, and so on. Lindelof apparently suggested to him that the familiar elements had a very "been there, done that" feel, and that the story would survive cutting them, for a grander and more epic-in-scope piece. Eventually, about a year and a half ago, Prometheus was announced, and much to my surprise, would be released in 2012. Casting soon followed, with Noomi Rapace, Fassbender, Idris Elba, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce (who had more screentime in his viral TED Talk 2023 clip than in the actual movie), and others signing up for roles. And as some great marketing, mesmerizing trailers, and constant hints about the movie's tenuous connection to the Alien series continued, anticipation grew to an all-time high. And now, the weekend of the film's release, people are ready for legendary director Ridley Scott's long-awaited return to the genre that made him what he is: science fiction. And now, my verdict on Prometheus, shortly after this unrelated photo of a space jockey:

Time for me to ride my derelict all the way home.

Prometheus was never going to be a movie that truly fulfilled its audiences' hopes and dreams, as the hype train was going too fast, but still, the reactions to this movie have been damn polarizing so far. Some are labeling it as Scott's triumphant return to glory, and some are labeling it as his Phantom Menace, a movie that totally failed to live up to expectations. Some on the Internet have been critical of plot holes (there aren't any if you interpret the movie a little differently), flat characterization, a slow pace, and a shaky threadbare story. They have also called out the movie for asking big questions about life and humanity, and then just not bothering to answer them. And honestly, I just think they're overreacting to certain flaws, and then just are angry about ones that aren't there. However, what irks me the most is that people keep directly comparing it to Alien, as if the two are identically styled genre pics. Prometheus isn't remotely like Alien from a genre standpoint, as while Alien was basically a bigger-budget B-movie (admittedly, an unbelievably well-executed one), Prometheus is more like taking the tech of the Alien universe and transposing it onto 2001 or Blade Runner. Not that it is as good as either of those, mind you. Make no mistake, Prometheus has some pacing problems, its story is a tad thin, and only a few characters in the cast are really interesting. It is also most definitely the least of Scott's three sci-fi movies, lacking the straightforward horror narrative and drive of Alien and the incredible depth and thematic complexity of Blade Runner. However, I still think that it's at least the best space movie (sci-fi is such a broad term) since Duncan Jones' Moon, and is indeed a worthy and triumphant return to the genre for Scott, who, pushing 75 years of age, still has astounding filmmaking chops. His direction really is some great stuff, providing us with some of the best visuals ever seen on film. You'd think that with age, modern moviemaking tech would seem ALIEN to him (geddit??), but damn if the man hasn't missed a beat in his 35-year career in the business. I personally think that the visual effects displayed here trump those of even Avatar, as I feel that while it pulled out all the stops for its visual splendor, Prometheus does it effortlessly (and reportedly for $100 million less as well). Lindelof's script is easily the weakest aspect of the movie, as it fails to establish the more ancillary characters beyond a few broad strokes (Rafe Spall's Millburn is basically the plant version of Matt Hooper from Jaws, while Sean Harris' Fifield is the viewer identification character, who also serves as the guy that's only there to get paid. But hey, Kate Dickie as the ship's medic and and the two pilots get none at all). Really, the only characters who matter remotely are Rapace's Shaw, Fassbender's android David, Theron's Vickers, Elba's Janek, Pearce's Weyland, and Logan Marshall-Green's Holloway. But all of them get at least a little solid characterization, only bolstered by their superb acting. Noomi Rapace makes a solid Hollywood leading debut as Elizabeth Shaw, following in Sigourney Weaver's Ripley's footsteps quite admirably as a feminine warrior figure. Theron becomes basically a female, sexed up Burke from Aliens as Meredith Vickers, Elba's Janek is a lovably sardonic ship captain, and Marshall-Green's Holloway is a love interest with a target painted on his back (albeit one with a fairly developed personality). The real standout is Fassbender, who plays David with a perfect placid creepiness, combining aspects of Ian Holm and Lance Henriksen from the Alien movies with the replicants from Blade Runner. Marc Streitenfeld's score has also been cited as a flaw, with some calling it inappropriate or even embarassing. Once again, I disagree wholeheartedly, as while Streitenfeld's pastoral theme would be wrong for Alien, Prometheus is not a horror movie, and his score is both wondrous and tense when need be. Dariusz Wolski's cinematography makes for some beautiful imagery. And that's it for my review from a execution standpoint. I'm going to write a separate article to attempt to explain its connection to Alien. In short, Prometheus is a return to form for Scott after a string of mediocre flicks, and while it's flawed, I think it's one of the best of the year thus far. I like it the more I think about it, and I find that while it doesn't answer the big questions it poses, it instead leaves them open to interpretation. I feel that appreciation will increase in the years to come, and that one day, it will be remembered as a genre standout, if not a classic.

Prometheus gets a 9 out of 10.

Movies- The Death of Original Ideas

REALLY? WITH ALIENS?!!!

Last week, I happened to catch the trailer for Peter Berg's Battleship, supposedly based on the board game (which I enjoyed as a kid) of the same name, and let me tell you, it looked completely and utterly terrible. It looked like some weird and pointless amalgamation of a naval war film and either Transformers or Battle: Los Angeles, and Liam Neeson being in it aside (he's becoming more and more of a paycheck actor these days anyway- remember Unknown and Clash of the Titans from not too long ago??), it looks the latest crapfest infesting the summer box offices. The film industry, a business just beginning 100 years ago, has now been heavily mined of any original idea still lingering on the surface, and while there's endless source material to draw from, the fact that we've now arrived at movies based on board games and toys shows that the industry's original ideas days are numbered. Of all the films I've seen in the last five years or so, the only one that I could really argue for being original is Christopher Nolan's Inception, and even that owed strands of its DNA to films that came before, such as The Matrix. Other than that, we've had an endless deluge of comic book movies (WAY TOO MANY SUPERHERO FILMS), previous film franchise sequels, reboots, remakes, or re-imaginings (coming out this month alone is a reboot of Planet of the Apes, another sequel in the completely pointless Final Destination series, another sequel to Spy Kids that Robert Rodriguez has basically forced upon us, and a remake of Conan the Barbarian). In addition, we're getting re-imaginings or reboots of classic fairy tale works of film and literature that no one is exactly clamoring for, such as last year's Alice in Wonderland (which grossed over a billion worldwide, showing that people just don't care), or Sam Raimi's Wizard of Oz "preboot" Oz, The Great and Powerful, and hell, there are TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT films in development based off of Snow White. Another clear sign that original ideas in film is dying is the top-grossing success of James Cameron's Avatar. With many critics hailing it as a "masterpiece" when many of its ideas were directly ripped from other films, as well as it grossing nearly $3 billion, shows that even unoriginality can pass for the opposite these days. However, there are a few projects that show at least a little hope on the horizon, such as Ridley Scott's upcoming Prometheus (which I will surely be reviewing when it comes out next June), as well as Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (or well, really anything that guy comes out with is eccentric and original). Prometheus is an especially interesting concept, as it started out as an Alien prequel (which, despite my criticisms of lacking in originality, I would admittedly be excited about due to Scott's participation), but then apparently evolved into something "more" of deeper meaning. As much as we forge ahead through boring and pointless studio pics like Battleship or Final Destination 5, there will hopefully always be a Prometheus or Inception there to remind us what true imaginative filmmaking is all about.

This one image is about all I have to hope for

Battleship (ugh) opens May 18.
Prometheus (image above) opens June 8.