Ridley Scott Double Bill: Alien [1979] and Prometheus [2012]
This past week, I had a bit of an extraterrestrial overload. I watched two of Scott’s most talked-about films, the sci-fi/horror classic Alien (which spawned three sequels and a crossover series with Predator) and one of the most hyped films of this year, Prometheus which, as the British director has stated, is not a prequel to the 1979 film but merely shares “its DNA”. I liked them both quite a bit, albeit for different reasons.
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Written by: Dan O’Bannon
Cast: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm.
Alien brings a level of sophistication to the sci-fi/blockbuster game that we are not used to seeing, and it’s amazing that it achieves this even when showing us some of the most disgusting creatures ever captured on film. The visual effects haven’t held up so well, and anything involving computer screens or consoles looks hilariously outdated. That’s practically the only hindrance, as the art direction is remarkable and the Nostromo looks suitably futuristic even 33 years later. A lot of care and artful skill went into designing the film’s alien creatures, and it definitely shows. The casting is another high point. There are great actors all around but Sigourney Weaver is the standout. She commands the screen while her iconic character, Ripley, undergoes a significant change. Kudos must go, as well, to director Ridley Scott and writer Dan O’Bannon. The scenes in their movie drip with blood and tension, creating a science fiction tale that relies on classic suspense as well as old-school gore.
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Written by: Damon Lindelof, Jon Spaihts
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Patrick Wilson.
Prometheus, while not a direct prequel of Alien, does share some of its iconography and there are definite similarities between Weaver’s Ripley and Noomi Rapace’s Shaw. While not as well-made, there are echoes of Scott’s cult hit all over this one. Yes, it teases with deep questions that it doesn’t respond (maybe in the sequel). Yes, the plot has a lot of inconsistencies and the characters sometimes act in inexplicable ways, but it is also so damn fun! I had a blast and I needed that, since I hadn’t had any fun at the movies for a while. The flaws of Prometheus didn’t bother me too much, as I was too caught up in its beauty. The visuals (cinematography, costume design, art direction) are stunning and the cast, as a whole, is even better than Alien’s. Although every character could’ve used more development on paper, the actors make the most of them on screen. Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron are commendable but ultimately play second fiddle to Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace. The former does cold and detached brilliantly while the latter takes all of Ripley’s toughness and infuses it with her own sensibility. Oh, and forget the plot holes and the shortcomings of the script, Prometheus’s biggest misstep was the idiotic casting of 44 year-old Guy Pearce as nonagenarian Peter Weyland (in awful, J. Edgar-style makeup, no less).
Fernando, I really dig those posters did you design those yourself? I enjoyed Alien enourmously and Prometheus is quite a spectacle. I would encourage everyone to see Promethues at the theater and I really enjoyed it but it has a ton of flaws many of which you mentioned in your review. Quite frankly the script by Lindelof just was not very good, which is not surprising after Lost and Cowboys and Aliens.
LikeLike
No, I didn’t design those myself. I wish I could, but I have no talent for design, haha! I always try to include fan art with my reviews and I found those in a Tumblr page.
And you’re right about the script. That’s the main issue with Prometheus and what prevented it from reaching its full potential.
LikeLike
Ahah funny, I actually wasn’t too bothered by Guy Pearce’s casting, more about the plot, so we’re on exact opposite on that front 🙂 As for Aliens, I agree that anything involving computer screens or consoles looks hilariously outdated, I think that goes for a lot of movies about technology (i.e. The Net), but so long as the story and acting are good, it can still be timeless.
Interesting posters you used here, Fernando!
LikeLike
“so long as the story and acting are good, it can still be timeless” Yes, I agree 🙂
Thanks, Ruth! And about the posters, I always try to include fan art with my reviews 🙂
LikeLike
That’s cool Fernando, keep that up 😀
LikeLike
Loved your reviews. You know where I stand on these films. Absolutely love them. You should see Aliens (the 1986 sequel from James Cameron). I’d say it’s even better than the original Alien, but to me, both are of five-star quality. One of the few sequels that exceeds the original noticeably. I can easily see you giving it a 4.5 out of 5 grade.
Also, there were a few things I wanted to point out in your Prometheus review. One was here in the beginning, when you said, “Prometheus, while not a direct sequel of Alien…”. You mean prequel, right? Because the events of Alien take place after those of Prometheus, yet it explains Alien in a more philosophical tone. Also, I noticed the nonagenarian makeup on Guy Pearce, but I wouldn’t quite say it was as awful as in J. Edgar. In that biopic, I found the makeup to be one of the only blatant problems, and it tended to be distracting. I don’t think I was all that distracted with the makeup in Prometheus. Regardless, I’m glad you had fun with these two films. Did you see Prometheus in 3D?
LikeLike
Yes, I plan on watching Aliens very soon. I’m curious to see what Cameron brought to the franchise.
And YES! I meant prequel, thanks for noticing. Guess I was distracted or something. I’ll fix that right away.
No, I didn’t watch it in 3D. Did I miss out on much?
LikeLike
Nice combo there Fernando. If only the look of Prometheus and the tension and script of Alien could be combined: Scott would have achieved a certain classic.
LikeLike
You’re right about that. And thanks!
LikeLike
I enjoyed Prometheus, but I really love Alien. It’s one of my favorite films. Great reviews! Nice idea to combine them.
LikeLike
Thanks, Mark! 🙂
LikeLike
Apparently Guy Pearce was cast because of some scenes that were not used with him as a young man, including some viral campaigns. His contract was locked down before they could cast someone age-appropriate.
Great reviews! I still need to rewatch Alien and Aliens while Prometheus is still fresh for me.
LikeLike
Thanks Andy! Well, they should’ve kept Pearce for the younger scenes and cast an old guy for the rest of the film. How hard can that be? It would’ve looked so much better!
I still have to see Aliens!
LikeLike
Yeah, I totally agree.
Aliens was actually the first film of the franchise I saw, so I actually prefer it over Alien but both films are almost incomparable since Aliens is action-y where Alien is horror-y. Look forward to seeing what you think!
LikeLike
I’ll try to watch it soon! I’m interested in seeing what Cameron brought to the franchise.
LikeLike
Brilliant post, Fernando (sorry I’m so late in commenting!). I watched all the Alien films (even the Predator ones; I’ll never get that time back) pre-Prometheus and I wish I hadn’t as it warped my expectations a little. I’m glad this didn’t happen for you, though.
Once again, perfect movie posters – your use of different posters is one of my favourite things about your blog!
LikeLike
As soon as I finished watching Alien at home, I went to the theater and watched Prometheus. Barely an hour passed between both movies, hehe. I think it was actually a good thing that I had Alien so fresh in my mind, that I was able to recognize some of it in Prometheus. I guess I compared them in some ways but always had in mind that they were both good for different reasons.
I’ll try to watch Aliens soon and see how it’s similar/different to Alien and Prometheus.
And thanks for liking the posters! I try to add something different to my reviews 😉
LikeLike
Pingback: Movie Questionnaire « Committed to Celluloid
Pingback: 2012 in Review « Cinemaniac Reviews
Pingback: And the nominees are… « Committed to Celluloid
Pingback: Spotlight on the finest performers of 2012 | Committed to Celluloid
Pingback: My top 10 films of 2012 (yes, in March) | Committed to Celluloid
Pingback: Movie Jail Relay Race | Committed to Celluloid
Pingback: The Counselor | digitalshortbread