Ridley Scott’s science fiction film “Prometheus”, released in 2012, is hotly contested by the public. “Prometheus” is a prequel to Scott’s 1979 classic “Alien” and explores the origins of that film’s central monster. In “Alien,” the Xenomorph is introduced as an ineffable, terrifying creature (part teeth, part asp, part phallus) that a human crew stumbles upon during a routine deep-space mining expedition. Its origins are shrouded in mystery, making the creature extraterrestrial. “Prometheus,” however, ignores the events of the “Alien” sequels that preceded it, moving back in time to about 30 years before “Alien.” From there, it follows another crew on a mission to find the aliens they believe are responsible for creating humanity in the first place.
Many fans of the “Alien” film series find “Prometheus” disappointing, especially those who prefer it when the franchise is more action- and gun-oriented, such as in James Cameron’s “Aliens.” Scott’s prequel, on the other hand, is slow, intoxicating, and features characters behaving illogically. Likewise, a mysterious black goo, discovered on the distant planet where most of “Prometheus” takes place, possesses a wide variety of mutagenic and reproductive abilities that are never properly explained. Other people will probably bring up the film’s climax, in which two characters fleeing a massive, rolling, triangle-shaped spaceship think nothing of running at a 90-degree angle to its current trajectory. You don’t have to look far to find someone who found the film disappointing when it was initially released.
Some critics loved the film, however. The late Roger Ebert gave “Prometheus” four stars, admitting that its heady science fiction ideas about the origins of life in the universe were like catnip to him. Currently, “Prometheus” has a 73% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is available to stream at your convenience on Hulu.
Prometheus is awesome, actually
The plot of “Prometheus” is full of religious symbolism. The film opens on primordial Earth, after which a tall, statuesque, pale-skinned alien humanoid drinks a strange, self-destructive liquid. The humanoid’s body decomposes and melts into a nearby river, where its DNA is seen (in microscopic close-up) seeping into the ecosystem. This being, known as the Engineer, seeds the Earth with his own DNA. Millions of years from now, humans will evolve on Earth based on this imprint. Engineers are our divine creators.
Fast forward to 2089, and a religious archaeologist named Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) has discovered ancient cave paintings indicating that Engineers last visited Earth approximately 2,056 years ago. Using the paintings as a map, she and a team of scientists board a ship (the USS Prometheus) to visit a distant planet where the aliens may be coming from. What they discover, however, is fraught with mystery and disquiet. They discover the corpses of the engineers, as well as semi-organic cartridge depots resembling haunted houses. The scientists are half-stoned and terrified, so they get lost easily, despite their better mapping technology.
A sinister android named David (Michael Fassbender) is also present, and he seems to know more about the mission than he lets on. He discovers the aforementioned goo and begins secretly feeding it to his teammates. The goo alters DNA and causes human bodies to act as cocoons for other, more terrifying alien monsters. Any non-Engineer monsters they find on the planet seem to have evolved specifically to take human lives, either through violent attack or more disgusting means of forced reproduction. Elizabeth also discovers that the Engineers intended to transport all of these killer creatures to Earth. Why do engineers want to kill us?
Prometheus is a Christmas movie
It is strongly implied that the Engineers intended to exterminate humanity because we had the temerity to crucify Jesus Christ. Yes, “Prometheus” is that direct. Indeed, it is suggested that Jesus of Nazareth was actually an engineer, probably sent to Earth to check on the humans his species had created a few million years before (as shown in the prologue). When we rejected Christ’s message of unity and love, engineers went crazy and spent the next 2,000 years designing special biological weapons. By extension, the alien Xenomorphs seen in “Alien” were just additional weapons in this engineers’ arsenal. It is worth noting that there are Christmas trees aboard the ship Prometheus, strengthening Christian bonds. “Prometheus” is a Christmas movie.
Ebert loved this sort of thing and noted it in his review of “Prometheus.” He compared the film to Golden Age science fiction stories and appreciated that “it raises questions about the origin of human life and has no answers.” Ebert also wrote:
“The film then develops scenes of horror comparable to “Alien”, although this relies more on the action and weapons than on that film’s use of shadows and silence. For me, the most haunting scenes involve the team members exploring the passages and caverns inside the pyramid, obviously unseen in eons, and their experiences with some of the hibernating alien beings.”
Ebert was expansive, even if he did not constitute the majority. Some critics felt the film was distant and illogical. Many, as noted above, disliked the film’s slow pace and lack of action. Online critics have made videos dissecting the film’s alleged plot holes. “Prometheus” still remains highly contested today.
Personally, however, I agree with Ebert. “Prometheus” is a stone-cold classic. Many of us are with Ebert.
