Prometheus

Along with The Avengers and Batman, Prometheus was(is) at the top of my must-see list for 2012. I've seen it twice(as I have The Avengers), and am happy to report that this wasn't a result of technical faults(it's mostly 'cause I film-cheated on my wife and saw it before her)! I'm also happy to report that I enjoyed Prometheus even more the second time!
I don't think I'm spoiling anything when I say Prometheus has some links to the Alien franchise? The proverbial face-hugger was let out the egg when the first trailer premièred some weeks back - and the Giger-inspired designs were there for all to see!
In the directors chair sits Ridley Scott, the man responsible for the very first Alien film. Scott had much to live up to, yet a considerable amount of confidence had been bestowed upon him, based on his phenomenal out-put since Alien in 1979.
Save for the first trailer, I made a concerted effort to avoid any further trailers or tv spots for Prometheus. As excited as I am to see all these movies, I'm getting a little tired of being exposed to them in their entirety, in under 3 minutes! I know it's show-BUSINESS, but surely trailers are there to tempt and to tease audiences, not potentially turn them away? Anyway, I believe not seeing or reading anything prior to it's release, made Prometheus a far-more entertaining affair - rant over!
The film begins with stunning arial shots of primordial-like landscapes, devoid of any life. This sequence alone makes any doubt in Scott to deliver, simply disappear. The cinematography is breathtaking throughout - this is certainly a movie to see on the big screen, and rewards those who see the value in continuing to go to the 'pictures'.
The visual elements of this movie are certainly the stars - from the design and physical manufacture of everything to the special effects and afore-mentioned photography - this film will stay with you for these reasons alone.
The film has a pretty great cast to boast about also. Noomi Rapace is convincingly sympathetic in the role of Elizabeth Shaw, a scientist with untapped survival instincts. Michael Fassbender excels in the role of David, the android. Charlize Theron and Idris Elba are also strong, as Meredith Vickers and Janek, respectively - two employees of Weyland Industries, one more directly than the other. The supporting cast are solid throughout. Too many to mention here - 17 crew in total.
Shaw and her partner Holloway(Logan Marshall-Green) discover a repeating image in ancient human hieroglyphs, which are known to have existed independently of one another - by hundreds of years in some cases. The two scientists are convinced that this image holds some credence to the existence of extraterrestrial life - and consequently the origins of human existence. The image shows a constellation similar to Earths solar system - one that could potentially sustain life. The scientists find this constellation, and the crew and ship Prometheus are tasked with finding it and potentially making contact - a meet and greet, if you will!
Ok, first things first, Prometheus is not an Alien film. It shares it's timeline and takes place in the same universe, but is not part of the same story. Ridley Scott and his team have made a very different movie with Prometheus - and have taken pains to emphasise so.
The plot for example, asks many questions about where we came from - and consequently challenges are beliefs in both religion and evolution. It comments on human existence and our curious nature. As we continue to question our origins and where we came from, we rarely think to question our legacy, as slowly but surely we get lost in technology and our delusions of grandeur.
Despite these deeper themes, there is still much fun to be had - in what is essentially a thriller. After the teen-friendly Predators and Alien vs Predator movies, I was happy to find myself horrified once again. Not that Prometheus is any more violent than these movies(if anything it's less), but certainly more psychological - creeping under the skin and staying with you long after the credits have rolled.
I believe the lingering issue most people will have with Prometheus is that it asks about as many questions as it answers. This is no bad thing. This movie breeds discussion and conjecture - no doubt we'll be surmising until a sequel is made. I'm sure there is a larger story to be told here. There's certainly plenty of time to fill between the end of this movie and the first Alien movie. I for one would definitely come back for more - and despite my own curiosity, would be happy for them to leave just a few of these questions unanswered - 4/5!