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Discovery of a Signal: An intercepted signal coming from the Moon is a classic, high-stakes science fiction
trigger, a compelling event that triggers this (fictional) mission to the
Moon.
Prometheus is a 2012 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof.
Distributed by 20th
Century Fox. It is the fifth installment of the Alien film series and features an ensemble cast including Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron. Set in the late 21st century, the film centers on the crew of the spaceship Prometheus as it follows a star map discovered among the artifacts of several ancient Earth cultures. Seeking the origins of humanity, the crew arrives on a distant world and discovers a threat that could cause human extinction.
Scott and director James Cameron developed ideas for a film that would serve as a prequel to Scott's science-fiction horror film Alien (1979). In 2002, the development of Alien vs. Predator (2004) took precedence, and the project remained dormant until 2009 when Scott again showed interest. Spaihts wrote a script for a prequel to the events of the Alien films, but Scott opted for a different direction to avoid repeating cues from those films. In late 2010, Lindelof joined the project to rewrite Spaihts' script, and he and Scott developed a story that precedes the story of Alien but is not directly connected to the original series. According to Scott, although the film shares "strands of Alien's
DNA," and takes place in the same universe, Prometheus explores its own mythology and ideas.
Prometheus entered production in April 2010, with extensive design phases during which the technology and creatures that the film required were developed. Principal photography began in March 2011, with an estimated $120–130 million budget. The film was shot using 3D cameras throughout, almost entirely on practical sets, and on location in England, Iceland, Scotland, Jordan, and Spain. It was promoted with a marketing campaign that included viral activities on the web. Three videos featuring the film's leading actors in character, which expanded on elements of the fictional universe, were released and met with a generally positive reception and awards.
Prometheus was released on June 1, 2012, in the United Kingdom and on June 8, 2012, in North America. The film earned generally positive reviews, receiving praise for the designs, production values, and cast performances. The film grossed over $403 million worldwide. A sequel, Alien: Covenant, was released in May 2017.
In the United Kingdom, approximately £1 million ($1.6 million) of tickets were pre-sold. 18,827 tickets pre-sold for the London IMAX, the largest IMAX screen in the country, which broke the theater records for the highest grossing week of pre-sales with £293,312 ($474,687), and the highest grossing first day of pre-sales with £137,000 ($221,717). It extended this record to 30,000 tickets sold and £470,977 ($737,588) earned, and become the most pre-booked film at that theater, exceeding the performance of high-profile IMAX releases including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and Avatar.
In North America, audience tracking showed high interest among males, but low among females. In the week before the film's release, predictions were conflicted on whether Prometheus or Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (the first family-oriented film of the summer), which were released simultaneously, would reach number 1 for that weekend. On June 6, 2012, Fandango reported that with 42% of daily sales, Prometheus was beating Madagascar 3. The online tracking for Prometheus surged with each additional promotional footage. Prometheus was predicted to earn approximately $30 million, and Madagascar 3 around $45 million. As the weekend approached, tracking suggested a $55 million debut for Madagascar 3 and $50–$55 million for Prometheus. Prometheus was disadvantaged by Madagascar opening in 264 more theaters and its adult rating.
PLOT
As a spacecraft departs a planet, a tall humanoid alien drinks a black liquid, causing its body to dissolve. Its remains crumble into a waterfall and the alien's DNA falls apart and starts to recombine.
In 2089, archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway discover a star map in Scotland that matches others from several unconnected ancient cultures. They interpret this as an invitation from humanity's forerunners, the "Engineers". Peter Weyland, the elderly CEO of Weyland Corporation, funds an expedition, aboard the scientific vessel Prometheus, to follow the map to the distant moon LV-223. The ship's crew travels in suspended animation while the android David monitors their voyage.
The Prometheus lands on the barren, mountainous surface near a large, artificial structure. The team explores the interior, discovering stone cylinders, a monolithic statue of a humanoid head, and the decapitated corpse of a large alien. Shaw determines the body is that of an Engineer and retrieves its head, intending to bring it back to Prometheus. The crew find other bodies, leading them to surmise that the species is extinct. Crew members Millburn and Fifield grow uncomfortable with the discoveries and attempt to return to Prometheus, but become lost in the structure. The expedition is cut short when a storm forces the crew to return to the ship. David secretly takes a cylinder vase with him, while most of them ooze a black liquid. In the ship's lab, the Engineer's DNA is found to match that of humans. David investigates the contents of the cylinder. He intentionally taints a drink with a minute sample and proposes a toast to the unsuspecting Holloway, who drinks it, having stated he would do anything for answers. Shortly after, Shaw and Holloway have sex.
Inside the structure, a snake-like creature kills Millburn, and sprays a corrosive fluid that melts Fifield's helmet. Fifield falls face first into a puddle. When the crew returns, they find Millburn's corpse. David separately discovers a control room containing a surviving Engineer in stasis and a holographic star map highlighting coordinates to Earth. Meanwhile, Holloway sickens rapidly. He is rushed back to Prometheus, but mission director Meredith Vickers refuses to let him aboard. At his urging, she burns him to death with a flamethrower. Later, a medical scan reveals that Shaw, despite being previously infertile, is now in advanced pregnancy. Fearing the worst, she uses an automated surgery table to extract a squid-like creature from her abdomen. Shaw then discovers that Weyland, Vickers' father, has been in stasis aboard Prometheus. He explains that he wants to ask the Engineers how not to die from old age.
A monstrous, mutated Fifield returns to the Prometheus and attacks, killing several crewmen before being killed by the captain of Prometheus, Janek. He speculates to Shaw that the structure was actually an Engineer military base that lost control of a virulent biological weapon. The structure also houses a spacecraft. Weyland and the team return to the structure, accompanied by Shaw. David wakes the Engineer from stasis and speaks to him in Proto-Indo-European to try to explain what Weyland wants. The Engineer responds by decapitating David and killing Weyland and his team, before reactivating the spacecraft. Shaw desperately flees and warns Janek that the Engineer is planning to release the menace on Earth to exterminate all life forms, convincing him to stop the spacecraft. Janek and the remaining crew sacrifice themselves by ramming the Prometheus into the alien craft, ejecting the lifeboat in the process. The Engineer's disabled spacecraft crashes onto the ground, crushing Vickers.
Shaw goes to the lifeboat and finds her alien offspring is alive and has grown to gigantic size. The Engineer forces open the lifeboat's airlock and attacks Shaw, who releases her alien offspring onto him. It thrusts an ovipositor down the Engineer's throat, subduing him. Shaw recovers David's remains and intends to reach the Engineers' home world in an attempt to understand why they wanted to destroy humanity. With David's help, she launches another Engineer spacecraft and departs from LV-223.
In the lifeboat left on the planet, an alien creature bursts out of the dead Engineer's chest.
CAST
Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw:
Rapace described Shaw, an archaeologist, as a believer in God with a very strong faith, and said that, "In the middle of the movie, things happen and she changes into more of a warrior. And in the end, she's such a survivor." To aid her method acting, she developed a complete backstory for Shaw, and worked with a dialect coach to achieve an English accent. She also asked her make-up artist to apply extra blood and sweat during filming to more accurately portray her character. Rapace said, "I was out there filming for about six months and it was super-intense, my body was in so much pain sometimes but it was absolutely amazing." She dismissed comparisons to the Alien franchise's Ellen Ripley. Rapace came to director Ridley Scott's attention for her performance as Lisbeth Salander in the 2009 drama film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She met Scott in August 2010, and by January 2011 she had secured the role. Actresses Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, Gemma Arterton, Carey Mulligan, and Abbie Cornish were all considered for the role during development. Lucy Hutchinson, who was eight years old in 2012, portrays Shaw as a child.
Michael Fassbender as David:
David is an android that acts as the ship's butler and maintenance man. It is designed to be indistinguishable from humans, and begins to develop "its own ego, insecurities, jealousy and envy." Writer Damon Lindelof stated that the character provides a non-human perspective on the film's events, and said, "What does the movie look like from the robot's point of view? If you were to ask him, 'What do you think about all of this? What's going on? What do you think about these humans who are around you?' Wouldn't it be cool if we found a way for that robot to answer those questions?" Fassbender said, "David's views on the human crew are somewhat childlike. He is jealous and arrogant because he realizes that his knowledge is all-encompassing, and therefore he is superior to the humans. David wants to be acknowledged and praised for his brilliance." In developing his character, Fassbender avoided watching the android characters of
Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986), and instead studied the replicants in Scott's 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner, with a focus on Sean Young's character Rachael, whose "vacancy" and longing for a soul interested him. Fassbender drew further inspiration from the voice of the HAL 9000 computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the "funny walk and economy of movement" of Olympic diver Greg Louganis, and the performances of David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth, Dirk Bogarde in The Servant, and Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia. David's blond hair was modeled on that of T. E. Lawrence. Scott favored Fassbender for the role; by January 2011 he was confirmed to have joined the cast, despite earlier reports that his agents had sought too high a fee.
Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers:
Vickers is a Weyland Corporation employee who is sent to monitor the expedition. Theron described the character as "a suit who slowly sheds [her] skin through the film," and also as "somewhat of a villain ... [who] definitely has an agenda." She stated, "Vickers is pragmatic, and desperately wants to control the situation." Scott wanted the character to lurk in the background of scenes watching other characters instead of being the focus. Theron said that this helped layer her character because "you're just so suspicious of her, instantly." The similarities between the appearances and mannerisms of Vickers and David were intended to raise the possibility that David was based on Vickers's DNA, or that Vickers is an android herself. After Theron was cast in the role, she developed three new scenes with Scott and Lindelof to expand her character. Physical action scenes, some of which involved her running through sand in 30-pound (14 kg) boots, were a problem for Theron. It was intended that Theron would portray Shaw, but a prior commitment to Mad Max: Fury Road prevented her involvement. When that film was delayed, she was able to rejoin Prometheus. Michelle Yeoh and
Angelina Jolie were considered for the role.
Idris Elba as Janek:
Janek is the captain of the Prometheus. Elba described the character as "a longshoreman and a sailor" with a military background. He said, "[Being the captain is] his life and the crew is his responsibility," and, "He's a realistic, pragmatic character. He has to get involved ... in a film with huge ideas, you need a character like this, who can go 'Wait ... why are we doing this?'"
Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland:
Weyland is the billionaire founder and CEO of Weyland Corp. Lindelof described him as having a massive ego and suffering from a god complex. Applying the necessary prosthetics and make-up to transform Pearce into the aging Weyland took five hours, and an hour to remove it. Pearce observed elderly individuals to gain insight into the movement for his character, as he found replicating the impeded physical movement the most difficult part of the role. Max von Sydow was Scott's original choice to play Weyland, but the casting of Pearce made it possible for him to portray Weyland as both an elderly character and a younger man who appeared in an earlier script draft.
Logan Marshall-Green as Charlie Holloway:
Holloway is an archaeologist and Shaw's love interest. Marshall-Green was cast after he was seen performing on stage "off-off-off Broadway." He described Holloway as the "X Games-type scientist," and said that he liked the character's "leap-before-looking" philosophy. He also said that Holloway "doesn't want to meet his maker. He wants to stand next to his maker. He's willing to go to the edge to get that." Describing the character's motivation, he said: "He goes to the extreme in everything he does, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse of the [Prometheus crew]. I think what drives him is the thrill of the search." Marshall-Green contrasted Holloway with Shaw, and said: "She's the believer. I'm the scientist. I'm the skeptic. I'm the atheist."
Sean Harris as Fifield:
Fifield is a geologist who has become mentally unstable after many missions. Harris described the character as "someone who can sense when things are up. He's your audience guy, going, 'Don't go in that tunnel. We should not be doing this!'" Fifield's bright red mohawk hairstyle was designed by Harris and Scott based on Scott's sketch of a man with a "severe haircut."
Rafe Spall as Millburn:
Millburn is a biologist. Spall auditioned for another role, but Scott wanted him to play Millburn. On his casting, Spall said, "Alien is one of the best films ever made, and it's a real buzz to be in a
space suit on an Alien set with Ridley Scott coming and speaking to you. It's incredible. That's why I wanted to be an actor, to be in a space suit on an Alien set."
Other cast members include Kate Dickie as the ship's medic, Ford; Emun Elliott and Benedict Wong as, respectively, ship pilots Chance and Ravel; and Patrick Wilson as Shaw's father. Ian Whyte and Daniel James portray Engineers.
BOX OFFICE & CRITICS
Prometheus was considered a financial success overall. After a strong start in North America, the film failed to meet the studio's expectations, but it continued to perform strongly in other territories until the end of its theatrical run. Prometheus earned $126.4 million (31.4%) in North America and $276.9 million (68.6%) elsewhere for a worldwide total of $403.4 million, making it the 18th highest-grossing film of 2012, and at its peak it was the 155th highest-grossing film worldwide unadjusted for inflation. The film made $31.8 million from global IMAX, making it the highest-grossing horror film in the said format.
Prometheus was released in 15 markets between May 30 and June 1, 2012—about a week before its North American release. The earlier start in these countries was timed to avoid competition with the start of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship the following week. On its opening day, which varies depending on the country, it earned $3.39 million in the United Kingdom,[198] $2.2 million in Russia, and $1.5 million in
France. The film earned $34.8 million during its opening weekend from 4,695 theaters in 15 markets, and debuted at number 1 in 14 of them, with an average of $7,461 per theater. Its overall rank for the weekend was third behind Men in Black 3 and Snow White & the Huntsman. Its opening weekends in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta ($10.1 million), Russia and the CIS ($9.80 million), and France and the Maghreb region ($6.68 million) represented its largest takings. By June 8, the film had opened in a total of 50 markets, and was also successful during its opening weekends in Australia ($7.2 million) and South Korea ($4.2 million). During its late August opening in Japan, the film earned $9.6 million.
In North America, Prometheus earned $3.561 million in midnight showings at 1,368 theaters, including $1.03 million from 294 IMAX theaters, and went on to earn $21.4 million through its opening
day. During its opening weekend, the film earned $51.05 million from 3,396 theaters—an average of $15,032 per theater—ranking second behind Madagascar 3 ($60.4 million), which made it the second largest opening for a film directed by Scott behind his 2001 thriller Hannibal, the third largest second-place opening, the ninth largest opening for a prequel, and the tenth largest for an R-rated film. The largest demographic of the opening weekend audience was over the age of 25 (64%) and male (57%). 3D showings accounted for 54% of ticket sales, while IMAX contributed 18%—the majority of which was accounted for in the 3D
figure. The film closed on September 20, 2012, after 105 days (15 weeks) in release with a total gross of $126.4 million. The figure made it the number 43 highest-grossing film to never finish a week as the number 1 film.
CRITICS
Prometheus has a 73% approval rating from 312 critics with an average rating of 7/10 on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, which says, "Ridley Scott's ambitious quasi-prequel to Alien may not answer all of its big questions, but it's redeemed by its haunting visual grandeur and compelling performances—particularly Michael Fassbender as a fastidious android." Metacritic provides a score of 64 out of 100 from 43 critics, which indicates "generally favorable" reviews. CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a "B" on a scale of A+ to F, while audience members under 25 rated it the highest at A−. Reviews frequently praised both the film's visual aesthetic, design, and Fassbender's performance as the android David. The plot drew a mixed response from critics, who criticized plot elements that remained unresolved or were predictable, tempered by appreciation for the action and horror set-pieces.
The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy called the film's visuals vivid, stunning, and magnificent on a technical level, and praised the performances of Fassbender, Rapace, and Theron, but wrote that the film "caters too much to imagined audience expectations when a little more adventurous thought might have taken it to some excitingly unsuspected destinations." Time Out London's Tom Huddleston wrote that "the photography is pleasingly crisp and the design is stunning," but that, "[t]he script feels flat ... the dialogue is lazy, while the plot, though crammed with striking concepts, simply fails to coalesce. After an enjoyable setup, the central act is baggy, confusing and, in places, slightly boring, while the climax has flash and fireworks but no real momentum." Emanuel Levy wrote that the writing was his only complaint about the film, which, he said, "is not only uneven, but promises more original ideas and thematic provocations than it can possibly deliver."
Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars, labeling it a "seamless blend of story, special effects and pitch-perfect casting, filmed in sane, effective 3-D that doesn't distract." Ebert wrote that Rapace's performance "continues here the tradition of awesome feminine strength begun by Sigourney Weaver in Alien," but considered that Elba's Janek has the most interesting character evolution. Ebert thought that the plot raises questions and does not answer them, which made the film intriguing and parallel to the "classic tradition of golden age sci-fi." He later went on to name it as one of the best films of 2012.
Total Film's Jonathan Crocker wrote that the plot successfully integrated itself with Alien's mythology while offering its own original ideas. Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum was positive towards the cast, particularly Rapace, and the cinematography. Salon's Andrew O'Hehir wrote that the film was "somber, spectacular and ponderous," but that the "portentousness and grandiosity ... is at once the film's great strength and great weakness" and criticized the characters for lacking common sense. O'Hehir also mentioned Wolski's cinematography and Max's production design. The New York Times' A. O. Scott criticized the story as weak, and argued that the narrative's twists and reversals undermine its "lofty, mindblowing potential." He said the film has no revelations, just "bits of momentarily surprising information bereft of meaning or resonance," and that Rapace is a "fine heroine, vulnerable and determined."
Variety film critic Justin Chang wrote that the film's narrative structure was unable to handle the philosophical dimension of the plot, and that Prometheus was lazily deferring key plot points under the presumption that a sequel would be made. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw wrote that Prometheus was "more grandiose, more elaborate—but less interesting" than Alien, and lacked the latter's "central killer punch." Ian Nathan of Empire magazine was unimpressed by Rapace—whom he described as an unconvincing lead—and said that with "a lack of suspense, threadbare characters, and a very poor script, the stunning visuals, gloopy madness, and sterling Fassbenderiness can't prevent Prometheus feeling like Alien's poor relation." The Village Voice's Nick Pinkerton wrote that the film is "prone to shallow ponderousness," and that Scott "can still mimic the appearance of an epic, noble, important movie—but the appearance is all." He criticized Rapace and Marshall-Green for failing to instill interest in their characters' relationship, but added: "There are a few set pieces here that will find a place of honor among aficionados of body horror and all things clammy and viscous."
James Cameron said: "I enjoyed Prometheus. I thought it was great. I thought it was Ridley returning to science fiction with gusto, with great tactical performance, beautiful photography, great native 3D. There might have been a few things that I would have done differently, but that's not the point—you could say that about any movie." However, despite his praise, he also said he thought it "didn't add up logically." And on that we agree.
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