Cinematic Releases: Prometheus

Ridley Scott finally returns to the franchise he helped create with his Alien prequel, Prometheus. While it's not quite the movie I hoped for, it's still an extremely strong entry in a genre that has been lacking vision in past few years. If anything, Prometheus is one of the most visually appealing movies I've seen in 2012.

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Prometheus is not a complete disappointment but has some delivery issues that will hopefully be fixed in a director's cut on Blu Ray. The studio's presence can be felt all over this work as several scenes felt shortened to suit the constraint of a two hour movie. I truly felt there was a LOT missing in the movie. I'm sure it's somewhere on a cutting room floor just waiting for the eventual three hour cut. This is a movie (unlike others) that could definitely expand with some more tinkering.

The visuals are another story. Everything about the film is eye candy. The CGI work is bar none some of the best I've seen recently and the landscapes are rendered perfectly. From the opening sequence forward, I thoroughly enjoyed the visual spectacle of Prometheus. They did an absolutely phenomenal job matching up that distinct feel of the original Alien. And there is smoking aboard the Prometheus. I loved that nod to the Nostromo.

I walked away from Prometheus with a feeling that a new franchise will be spawned from this film. I just hope that it's as good of a sequel as Aliens was and will up the ante with more character development and stronger dialogue. Don't go in to Prometheus with the idea that this will be as good or better than Alien. That's a hard movie to live up to. But, Scott delivers a unique prequel that builds a solid foundation for the stories that take place after and beyond Prometheus.

related article: Alien