Prometheus has landed

In 1979, Dallas, Kane and Lambert stared at that massive shell of a corpse, sitting silently aboard an unknown craft on LV-426 and we’ve been wondering ever since. Wondering and imagining who he was. Where did he come from? Where was he going? Why was his ship full of eggs? Did he deserve his fate?

 

The “Space Jockey”, as he would come to be known, has remained an enduring mystery and source of debate amongst enthusiasts of the Alien franchise since that first glimpse of him. Now, in 2012, director Ridley Scott returns to the landscape he created and lifts the lid on its secrets. Well…….sort of.

 

Prometheus has received mixed reviews, but I think most of the negativity stems from individual expectations.

 

If you went into this film believing it to be a direct prequel to Alien – that the credits would roll as the distress/warning beacon was picked up by the Nostromo – then you were bound for disappointment. Because it isn’t.

If you expected it to tell the full back story of the Space Jockey – which school he went to and whether he preferred Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat – then this film will fail you. Because it doesn’t.

 

The Space Jockey, or “Engineer”, remains that enduring mystery, but we have been given a tantalising glimpse behind the curtain.

Prometheus isn’t an Alien film. It’s a Prometheus film, but it shares the Alien DNA. Ridley Scott has brought back the feel of his original vision, while at the same time creating a new one.

Like the Alien franchise, the theme of motherhood resonates throughout, as does a constant feel of unease, awe and outright terror. Any fan of the Alien films will delight in ticking a checklist of references, but they should also be prepared to be left with questions unanswered.

 

Prometheus is a film that gets you thinking, scouring the Internet, arguing with friends down the pub – debating the big questions. And the small ones. And when has that ever been a bad thing?

 

Whether Prometheus gets a sequel or two and we see events come full circle to those dark discoveries on LV-426, remains to be seen. I just hope it does so at its own pace and tells its own story, rather than pander to those disappointed by the first outing. Be patient. Big things have small beginnings.

   

Go see it. Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender alone, are worth the ticket price. This is a great film that deserves to be enjoyed and debated.

 

Prometheus – are you seeing this? You should be.