Searching for Our Beginning

Ridley Scott finally returns to sci-fi, and the very franchise that brought him fame. Prometheus brings forth a much-asked question, “Is this a prequel to Alien?” Well the answer is yes – and no.

Prometheus takes place within the same universe as the Alien movies, with events that predate them. That said, it isn’t technically – an ‘Alien’ movie. Without giving too much away, the film is essentially about questioning our beliefs, and discovering a truth that could possibly doom us. It also brings forth some unconventional concepts and unsettling ideas that will leave you mind-boggled.

In Prometheus, the discovery of a star map among ancient diagrams from various archaeological digs suggests a chilling possibility that perhaps aliens ‘made’ us. So a privately-funded titular trillion-dollar spaceship is dispatched to the distant moon LV-233 to ultimately solve the riddle. Upon landing, the crew uncover far more than they bargained for.



Sounds cliché? Well, the movie isn’t, really. While it is inevitable that most of the cast will serve as alien fodder, a few, like Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace were the clear standouts. Fassbender’s portrayal of the curious android David is truly worth mention and Noomi is essentially this generation’s Ripley with her gripping performance. 

Charlize Theron and Idris Elba also add to the international cast.



 

Fans of the Alien franchise will be quick to catch certain details that will seem familiar. The popular cult-favourite ‘Space Jockey’ is (finally) prominently featured and referred to as ‘Engineers’, but I’m not quite a fan of how they look like under their helmets. The film might lack the ferocious intensity Alien had, but once it shifts from ‘discovery’ to ‘all-out horror’, it is quick and satisfyingly relentless.



A certain scene of a crew member conducting a self-performed C-section is plain hair-raising and will have you clawing the cinema chair.

Prometheus isn’t ‘Alien: The Beginning’, but it does serve as an interesting testament to Ridley Scott’s imaginative sci-fi ideas. There is also hint of a potential sequel, however at that point you’ll be left with more questions than answers.

4 Stars out of 5