The Prometheus School of Running Away from Things

Prometheus is the sort of prequel to Alien that answers almost nothing about its universe. After the abysmally bad Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, both franchises decided to go their separate ways. The idea for a prequel came long before the crossover happened. James Cameron had the idea, but Ridley Scott ended up being the one to return. His ideas were interesting to say the least. Since I knew it was going to be a big deal, I made much more of an effort to see Prometheus. Being underaged, my mom had to accompany us. Which wasn’t too bad, since the movie barely earns its R rating.

Prometheus is set between the years 2089 and 2093. It follows a crew/cast of scientists that travel to a distant planet on the ship Prometheus. Elizabeth Shaw hopes to find an extraterrestrial species she believes is responsible for our creation. The philosophical pseudo religious nature of the story can come off as pretentious at times. Her crew includes the captain Janek, supervisor Vickers, her lover Charlie, and an advanced android named David. Michael Fassbender’s performance is a clear standout. For a bunch of smart people, they really do make a lot of dumb decisions. Like touching everything they see or only running in straight lines.

The aliens they do encounter are a bit overly complex. There’s black goo that can either make you sick or turn you into a zombie and a snake-like creature that serves no purpose. The only real question answered is who the Space Jockeys are. They’re big white humanoid “gods” referred to as Engineers. The goo mixed with sex, creates a squid baby, that grows into a giant that facehugs an Engineer, and creates a creature that only sort of looks like a Xenomorph. It’s all very confusing, and so is Guy Pearce in old person makeup playing another Weyland. Prometheus has stunning visuals, but it’s a little over ambitious for its own good.

An Engineer

Followed by: Alien Resurrection & Alien: Covenant