Prometheus (2012) – Review

The year is 2093 and a small team of explorers, spearheaded by the accomplished archaeologist, Doctor Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), find a structure on a distant moon, hoping it shows clues to the origin of mankind, only to soon realise they are not alone on the desolate exomoon, LV-223. An appealing film that was somewhat criticised upon its release in 2012 – Prometheus is now streaming on the Display+ platform.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof, Dan O’Bannon
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Logan Marshall-Green

Ridley Scott is widely known for his original Alien franchise, so when Prometheus was scheduled for release, a flick in a new potential trilogy, people were excited to see how the new productions would eventually pan out, starting with Prometheus. It’s worth noting that Alien Covenant (2017) followed Prometheus, and there are strong rumours that there is to be a third movie in the not-so-distant future.

Visually, the film was spectacular and it’s hard to find any major flaw when it comes to the cinematography, costume design or set design put before us. Each of the stunning settings were appealing, with some incredibly intense and at the same time, memorable scenes included too, which also made perfect use of the special effects. It’s probably worth noting too that Prometheus was nominated for an Oscar in the category of ‘Best Achievement in Visual Effects’, ultimately losing out to the winner, Life of Pi.

There are, however, some flaws when it comes to Prometheus and its one-hundred and twenty-four minute runtime. Some would regard the picture as being too much like an adventure film, with very few moments of action and a multitude of slow, drawn-out scenes included, with little to no actual payoff stemming from them, especially in the first half of the flick.

In terms of the cast, some stated that it was too broad and widespread for a film of this nature, with several characters being on display. Noomi Repace starred as Elizabeth Shaw, while Michael Fassbender adopted the role of David – it has to be said that these two commanded the majority of screentime, with the most notable support coming from the likes of Charlize Theron, Logan Marshall-Green, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce, who appeared as Meredith, Charlie, Janek and Peter, respectively.

Overall, Prometheus may not have been for everyone, but if you’re sustainable to Sci-Fi flicks with stunning special effects, tremendous visuals, and a stacked cast, then Prometheus is worth the watch. As noted previously, Prometheus was soon followed by its sequel, Alien Covenant (2017), and hopefully there will be a third instalment to follow in the near future. Prometheus is now streaming on Disney+.

“Sometimes to create, one must first destroy.”

David – Prometheus