Prometheus is an underrated gem that deserves a second chance

Prometheus got a lot of hate during its release period, and then it disappeared into the void. The void that only spares the most beloved and hated of films, the rest of the middling bunch are consumed by it, never to be spoken of again. Prometheus did not deserve that fate. 

One of the reasons for its ill-fated demise was that Alien fans were expecting an Alien-like film. Before the film was released, Ridley and the team tried to ensure that it was not a sequel to Alien to manage people's misguided expectations. It was clear that Prometheus was in the same universe, but it wasn't obligated to follow Alien's formula, and it didn't promise such a thing either. The promo leading up to the release felt more like a homage to Alien than a promise of a true sequel. The film tried to reach further with its ambitious themes and ideas rather than being content with retreading them. It failed to convey some of them well but successfully achieved many of the rest. The result was a thrilling and layered narrative that deserves multiple viewings.

I watched this film again tonight and enjoyed the pacing, visual style and ambitious ideas more. I knew its flaws already, so my mind ignored them and focused on what clicked. I found out that there was a lot which connected. I think Ridley wanted to make something that advances the Alien universe by pushing it into more exciting territory. He created a very tight and suspenseful masterpiece, both visually and narratively, in the form of Alien in 79. After such a long break from sci-fi, if he wanted to come back, the last thing he wanted was to repeat himself by doing what's been done before really well. After I read Jon Spaihts' draft, it became pretty clear why Ridley got it re-written, at least semi-rewritten. The DNA changed a lot when Lindelof came in. I won't delve into which writer delivered a required script better; they both had strengths. In the final film, there were many great things under Ridley's direction, and all three deserve credit. 

The film's biggest strength is the creation of a new antagonist who can take the place of the original monster. David is that new monster. Unlike the original film, where the crew was aware and terrified of the beast that was hunting them, they were oblivious to the schemes and villainy of the monster. He lived among them as a colleague, but his web of deception and hidden motives were masked by his cunning outer persona that hid the monster underneath. He was capable of great horrors, which he does unleash later, yet the wolf wore the hide of sheep for long enough to trap the characters in its machinations until it was too late. 

There is an added layer to the character of David, which elevates it further than a creepy monster lurking in the shadows. The original beast had the sole purpose of hunting its prey, consuming and reproducing. David had grander ambitions. He was driven by greater existential questions and a sense of curiosity that a monster of lesser intelligence could not comprehend. Because of that curiosity, he did not antagonise out of malice and a desire to kill for a base instinct fulfilment but rather to understand and probe the more profound questions of mortality and creation. 

This is an evolution of Ridley himself because, unlike the first Alien, he is interested in asking more significant questions and delving into the relationship between man and his creation. The theme of creation and the relationship between the creator and its creation are explored through many characters. David wants to understand that relationship and deliberately infects a crew member to see what new creation takes place as a result. David's creator Peter Weyland wants to understand his relationship with the Engineers and the motives of those creators. There is a great scene where Peter Weyland, David and the Engineer come face to face. A creator who created man, who in turn created android, all come together. All with their own questions about creation. The meeting does not end amicably. The Engineer rips off David's head. Clearly, by ripping David's head off, he was trying to prove a point. But was it that he hated humanity's 'inferior' creation as compared to his own, or did he do it out of spite/jealousy, or maybe he just hated how pitiful and fragile Weyland and, in turn, humanity, seemed so he went on a rampage to prove his point. It's intriguing to think that David isn't fond of his creators, and our humanity's creator didn't seem pleased with us. So, in other words, we were hated by our creation and our creators.

There is a profoundly philosophical pondering about existence and the relationship between the creator and the creation that is hard to come by in a mainstream blockbuster of this level. 

Mind you, the film does have its blockbuster elements that come forward many times and remind you what a big budget and a great direction can conceive in terms of spectacle. It has all the positives and a few negatives that a blockbuster film provides. The spaceship is beautifully designed and feels authentic in its design language. The sets are big and created with attention to detail.  The world itself is meticulously envisioned. The landing sequence is a thrill that only big blockbusters provide. The discovery of organic structures and the subsequent crew expedition are genuinely thrilling. The set design is awe-inspiring, and the atmosphere of the world lends a great sense of authenticity that brings the viewer into the world and makes you feel a part of the crew team. Ridley can do great spectacle, and he always had an eye for cinematography and composition, which he has been reliably producing for a long time. However, there is a marvellous scene later on, which includes panic-induced self-operation, which shows that Ridley can conjure a great sense of tension and horror too. Now, as it happens with blockbusters, some characters make questionable decisions to further the plot or be fodder for a horror kill quota. But those are minor quibbles. The film executes great ideas with earnestness and care. The best sci-fi films always concern themselves with the nature of reality, the concept of mortality and creation, and the scope of the universe and our position within it. When a film can attempt those and do justice to the grand concepts, it has done its job as a good sci-fi film. Prometheus did that, and it deserves a place beyond the forgotten realm that harbours ordinary and forgettable films. Prometheus is anything but ordinary.