"Prometheus" is Director Ridley Scott's return to the sci-fi universe of "Alien." While it doesn't (really) feature everyone's favorite post-Freudian xenomorph, it's very much a part of the world complete with devious corporate leaders, white-blooded near-human androids and a spaceship's crew who are for the most part more interested in getting paid and getting home than pursuing any higher calling.
The basic premise is the same as god-awful 'reality' show "Ancient Aliens" which airs on the 'History' Channel: Our ancestors were created and guided by powerful, ultra-intelligent aliens because otherwise how could you explain Stonehenge or Easter Island (since obviously anyone who didn't have an iPhone, HDTV and e-mail account couldn't have been very clever). Maybe if "Prometheus" were coming earlier in the decade I'd feel more forgiving to its central conceit, but it isn't and I don't - it just feels insulting and that's no way to kick off a movie.
Aside from re-visiting the universe of his seminal sci-fi film - a great idea in itself as its world has always seemed ripe for exploring - Scott is also repeating himself in ways that aren't so fun. The corporate big bad, played ably by Guy Pearce under layers of old-person make-up, is just too one-dimensional, as are most of the characters, even with what is basically a very able cast. Once the cast attrition sets in as our ragtag crew are picked off by... something, everything feels so been-there, done-that that overall I found it hard to care about much of anything.
There are a couple of bright spots in the performances. First off is Michael Fassbender, often the best thing in any given movie, who does a great job of portraying 'David,' the apparently servile and perfectly polite droid-servant who has a lot more going on under his surface (and like his droid predecessors in "Alien" and "Aliens" does a remarkably good job of continuing to speak calmly after being ripped apart). David gets the most interesting character beats and has a wonderfully satisfying (and chilling) character arc.
The other truly three-dimensional performance belongs to Noomi Rapace, who plays the overly curious archaeologist determined to find the truth about our species' origins on the desolate planet where the bulk of the film takes place. Rapace doesn't get material that's nearly as interesting as Fassbender's (no-one does in this film), but it's nice to see her really taking to a not-Lisbeth-Salander role. She also does a terrific job with the film's most intense sequence as she performs a particularly harrowing self-surgery that is the very definition of 'pro-choice.'
In the end, this just felt like a wasted opportunity to me. The "Alien" universe is so ripe for story-telling and it deserves better stories than this one. It's still a pleasure to watch Scott's skilled craftsmanship and the lovingly crafted set-design, imaginative use of CGI and location shooting. I may hate the central premise of the film, but it's fun spending time in such a detailed and textured world - if only there were characters and a narrative to match it.
I'm not giving up hope, though. Apparently there is a "Prometheus 2" in the works and if it can go deeper into the story and world without needing to do the whole naive crew discovery / cast attrition / final girl schtick that this film does, it might be something special.
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