4) Prometheus (2012)
Is it a prequel? Isn’t it? It’s hard to know how to feel about Prometheus. Beautiful, lavish and slow-moving, it feels like a direct revolt against the comedic rubbish that preceded it: a deliberate attempt at asserting the artistic cultural merits of this universe.
Humanity’s forefathers, the Engineers, take center stage. They’re the Space Jockeys from the original film and the clue to unlocking the meaning of human existence. A group of archaeologists head to the planet LV-223 on the vessel Prometheus to study the Engineers’ remains and find out more about mankind. But surprise, surprise, when they land on this slab of rock, they discover they might not be alone and that the old forefathers don’t take kindly to this intrusion.
Fans of the original Alien movie will love the slow, creeping tension, but they might be disappointed by the lack of actual Xenomorph action, besides a very smaller teaser as the credits roll. Prometheus is clearly set within the Alien universe and offers several nods to Scott’s previous film, but it’s curiously unwilling to engage any of its major plot points, or reveal any of its cards. Who are the Engineers? Why do they want humans dead? And were they the forefathers of both humanity and the Xenomorphs, too?
True, Prometheus is designed to open up a wider canvas for director Ridley Scott and his writing team, and the upcoming Alien: Covenant will feature both David (Michael Fassbender) and Shaw (Noomi Rapace, likely in a cameo) as it expands on its lore, but as a self-contained story, Prometheus disappoints. In the end, it’s a lavish and beautiful production but a relatively empty experience. The cast, the stage and the setting are all up to scratch, but the story amounts to 120 minutes of soul gazing without a tangible payoff.