Prometheus(2012)

Prometheus is a sci-fi thriller directed and produced by Ridley Scott. It is the fifth part of the Sci-fi Horror Franchise “Alien” and it is a Prequel to the 1979 hit “Alien”. The Film is about the an Expedition to the Planet  LV_233 which is supposed to inhabit the engineers- the beings responsible for the creation of mankind.

Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron,  Guy Pierce , Idris Elba, Logan Marshall green.

Plot and Summary:

The film starts at some `3500 BC with a humanoid Alien drinking a black portion and disintegrating itself. A spaces ship flies away in the background.
Present day, Scientists Elizabeth Shaw ( Noomi Rapace) & Charlie Holloway( Logan marshal green) discover some ancient relics of people from ancient civilizations worshiping some constellations, The scene then pans to the Ship Prometheus where everyone except David( Michael Fassbender) is in hyper sleep chamber. They arrive at LV_233, the planet considered as the home to “the Engineers”.  It is then do we realize the plot of the film, Mr Weyland( Guy pierce) who is long dead tells the crew the need of the expedition through a holographic projection – “ to find our creators and to ask them the most significant question for humanity – What is our purpose?” Then Elizabeth and Charlie explain their findings on earth and set out to look for the engineers in Dome like structure which the find on the planet. Do they find the Engineers and what happens to the expedition is the plot of the film.

Michael Fassbender plays David, the Andro-Humanoid robot in the Prometheus. I cannot say he is the negative character in the film but has a unique role to play in the film. He tries to imitate Human behavior by behaving like Humans, Eating and in all other aspects. Though he is said to no emotions as a robot he expresses many when he tries to understand the dreams of Elizabeth and his hatred towards Charlie (he even ends up killing him). It’s really mystery weather he was acting of his free will or was he obeying orders from weyland).  There are some interesting conversations between David and Charlie when they talk about the creation and when David asks Charlie “What If they told you that they created you because they could, just for the fun of it”. Of all the crew members David understands what is there in the Plant from the beginning and chooses to reveal very little at a time and in many times manipulates the truth, Even to Mr Weyland when they meet one of the Engineers at the end of the film.

Elizabeth Shaw can be considered as the protagonist of the film( similar to the character of Lambert in Alien 1979). It is her character’s will which pulls the film through. Elizabeth gets pregnant with a Alien in between the film , which she takes out of her body through a Bypass surgery( really on of the badass scenes in the film). She then immediately gets ready to meet the engineers in the last scene which proves to be unsuccessful. Even at the very end of the film when she gets a chance to return to earth she chooses to travel to the origin of the “Engineers”, A lone pursuit for the truth. It is a conversation between David and Elizabeth which proves to be too good in the film, after everyone dies and David tells Elizabeth “What does it matter to know the truth about them now”. To this Elizabeth replies “To me it matters, maybe that’s what it is to be human”

To a “Non- Aliens fan” this film is fully understandable. For those who have watched Alien(1979) this film is on a whole another level. What Ridley Scott has done is create a prequel to a film in 1979, which is like making a prequel to one of the Iconic films ever done in Hollywood and it is every bit to the impact which the franchise created from 1979-2000. The film answers many questions which we had while seeing Alien (1979). Where do these Aliens come from, what is the mysterious ship which we see and what has happened to the crash site? True Brilliance!

Verdict:

Prometheus stands out not just in the Plot and the Performances but the concept of the film itself. To give a beginning to a evergreen film such as Alien takes a lot of guts. Ridley Scot proves his mettle again and again. I don’t know if he had a plan for it a long time ago or he just thought of it. But it is sheer genius. Prometheus opens up a separate track to the Alien franchise, since the plot is not even close to getting over in the current film. Hope that Ridley Scott has some plans for the sequel.