Last night, I saw "Prometheus" in 3D. It is a prequel to the "Alien" movies and reveals a surprising origin to the Xenomorph aliens.
It was a visually astounding movie, in which the visual experience was greatly enhanced by the 3D effects. The scenes with holographic computer displays looked amazing every time. The sense of scale conveyed throughout the movie was meant to give the impression of tiny humans isolated on a vast alien moon far away from our home planet.
I've long been a fan of the art of H.R. Giger, whose 'biomechanical' aesthetic and creature designs were the inspiration for the original "Alien". Giger's influence was also apparant in this movie. There was an strong contrast between the brightly-lit ship of the title, the Prometheus, and the menacing Giger-esque ancient structures the crew found on their expedition.
Basically the story revolves around the highly-interconnected history between humans, the Xenomorphs, and a race of humanoid aliens, the Mala'kak (called 'The Engineers' in the movie). When you also add in the influence of the android David, the complex interactions between all of these beings in the movie makes the ideas of 'creator' & 'creation' irrelevant.
Although there is a connection with the Ancient Aliens theme that's popular right now, it is done in a way that is more profound than silly.
The story admittedly had a few plot points that were borderline ridiculous, even by sci-fi standards. However, the overall impact of the film allowed me to overlook these flaws and enjoy the though-provoking questions the movie raised.
The fictional Alien universe is a rich source of material & "Prometheus" made it much more interesting. This was a movie well worth watching, especially if you enjoy a mind-bending blend of science fiction & metaphysical speculation. One of my brothers saw it before me & said it produced more questions than answers. If done the right way, that can be the best kind of movie.
Alien Life Cycle by H.R. Giger
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