Art & Entertainment
Archaeologists Search for Birthplace of Humanity in Sci-Fi Horror
Dateline: Scotland, 2089. While
spelunking along the shores of the
Isle of Skye, archaeologists Char-
lie Holloway (Logan Marshall-
Green) and Dr. Elizabeth Shaw
(Noomi Rapace) discover an
ancient painting etched into the
ceiling of an abandoned cave. The
uncanny researchers immediately
discern that the primitive picture is
an invitation from aliens to visit a
moon located in a remote constel-
lation that might very well have
been the birthplace of humanity.
Fast-forward a few years and we
find the curious couple already en
route to LV-233 on a daring expe-
dition to find proof that people
were created not by God but
genetically engineered by sentient
K AM ’ S
C APSULES
Movie
Reviews by
Kam
Williams
beings from another galaxy. It is
unclear how unearthing such evi-
dence will affect the faith of Dr.
Shaw, a devout Christian who
always wears a cross that was a
gift from her late father (Patrick
Shaw).
As the spaceship Prometheus
approaches its destination, Cap-
tain Janek (Idris Elba) and his
crew of sixteen are roused from a
cryogenic state of hibernation by
a doting, concrete
blond android named
David (Michael Fass-
bender). Upon landing,
however, command of
the
operation
is
assumed by Meredith
Vickers
(Charlize
Theron), a coldhearted,
corporate executive
employed by Weyland Corpora-
tion whose late CEO (Guy
Pearce) underwrote the trillion-
dollar mission.
The trip is just a job to the jaded
Vickers who is skeptical about
what she refers to as “the scrib-
Idris Elba co-stars in ‘Prometheus’
bling of dirty little savages in
caves.” In fact, she orders the dis-
embarking explorers to refrain
from making any direct contact
“Gladiator,” “Black Hawk Down”
and “Thelma & Louise”). At this
juncture, the picture proceeds to
divide its time between raising
probing philosophical
questions about the
intersection of science,
religion and ethics, and
gratuitous
graphic
depictions of body
invasion, mutation, and
gruesome vivisection.
Although initially
conceived as a prequel
to “Alien” (1979), also
directed by Scott, the movie was
ultimately released as a stand
alone adventure. Regardless, this
riveting, visually-captivating and
thought-provoking sci-fi is well-
enough executed to recommend
‘In space, no one can hear
you scream, except perhaps
God’
with aliens.
Of course, contact with alien life
forms is precisely the point of
“Prometheus,” a high body-count
horror flick directed by three-time
Oscar-nominee Ridley Scott (for
for avid sci-fi fans, even if the
heavy-handed, faith-based sym-
bolism (“Where’s my cross?” and
“After all this, you still believe!”)
gets to be a bit much.
A thinly-veiled intro to the
“Alien” franchise revising that
classic’s tagline to suggest: In
space, no one can hear you
scream, except perhaps God.
Very Good IIII
Rated R for intense vio-
lence and brief profanity.
Running time: 123 min-
utes
Distributor: 20th Century
Fox
ONLINE
Scan our QR code with your app.
theskannermobile.com
Page 10 The Portland Skanner June 13, 2012