Movie Review: Prometheus

     If anyone was asked to list off their top five films they felt deserved a prequel, it’s very unlikely Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi/horror Alien would be featured. The film held its mysteries but that only added to the slowly unfolding horror as the audience as well as the characters could never get a firm grasp on just what was going on. Wouldn’t a prequel destroy the mystique of it all?

     Thirty-three years later and Scott has returned with the answers in his prequel that isn’t a prequel, Prometheus.

     I’ll be honest; when I first came out of the midnight screening I attended I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the film. Sure I enjoyed it – I enjoyed it a lot – but the whole thing seemed to sit awkwardly between wanting to be a full-blown Alien prequel and starting its own mythology, and it appeared notably hampered by this. It is with great afterthought I can happily report this film delivers on both fronts, though it can struggle to show it.

     In the year 2092, the exploratory vessel Prometheus lands on LV-223; a moon that is the focal point of numerous cave paintings and murals from ancient civilisations. Is it a simple star map, or an invitation to meet our creators? It is this divide of Science vs. Faith that drives the film and sets up many of its bigger ideas. On the one hand you have Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), a firm believer in God, and on the other, her scientific and romantic partner Dr. Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green); their constant bashing of heads over the divinity of the situation as they lead the Prometheus crew on the expedition personifies this ongoing struggle as more questions are added to the equation. Why were we created? Could we be just as easily destroyed? What right do we have to meet our creators? What are the consequences of wielding the tools of creation?

     While most of these questions remain profoundly ambient throughout, the answer to that final question is simply ‘catastrophic’. Coming across the ooze that can both birth and destroy life, the crew soon find out such toys should not be played with as strange mutations occur and a certain all-too-curious robot could spell doom for the entire crew.

     Ah yes, David. The film’s themes of creation come full circle as the created become the creators, as Weyland Industries places its most advanced android onboard the Prometheus. David is played by Michael Fassbender with a staggering coolness and distance; he is both loveable – his stoic attitude giving some of the best laughs of the movie – and terrifying, his true motives masked under an emotionless exterior. Is he helping the team or helping himself? Hints throughout suggest he may wish to prove himself by surpassing his human masters, violently, but maybe he is just trying to find himself amongst these humans? He is searching for his purpose as much as the human scientists are by trying to find their creators. He has a calm complexity to him, and that, along with Fassbender’s fantastic portrayal, makes him the standout character of the movie.

     It says a lot that an emotionless robot is the best character in the film. Truthfully, characters are Prometheus’ weakest point. For the most part, they are criminally underdeveloped and lack depth. Rapace’s Shaw and Idris Elba as Prometheus’ captain are two standouts alongside Fassbender, but the remaining cast are very two dimensional. Charlize Theron is great as the cold and calculating Vickers, but that’s all she is with no evolution of her character (kind of ironic considering the themes of the film); the same can be said for most of the supporting cast, while the rest are forgettable cannon fodder. This makes it hard to get emotionally invested in any of the ship’s crew as they start dropping like flies, leaving some of the more action-heavy or supposedly shocking scenes feeling a little hollow. That’s not saying the film fails in delivering thrills, however. There are some great action set pieces, and, while we’re not talking copious amounts of horror here, the film magnificently channels the intensity of Alien in a couple of scenes. One sequence in particular had me clawing into the fabric of my seat as it unfolded. You’ll know exactly which one I’m referring to when you see it.

     It’s at this point I should probably mention how goddamn beautiful this film is. Scott has always been one for fantastic cinematography, and this is him at the top of his game. The introduction and opening credits in particular are gorgeous and will blow you away – this is one of the few films I recommend going to see in 3D, it truly is an impressive, worthwhile experience. The first third of the film, as we are given slow panning shots of the Prometheus’ interior before the crew are awoken from hypersleep, feels like it is taken right from the beginning of the original Alien. The set designs later on in the film are also as epic and horrific in size and scope as they were 30 years ago. It is beautiful, suspenseful and eerie, creating something that fans of the franchise will feel right at home with.

     Prometheus is a film with big ideas and a competent story to keep them afloat, but there are times when it feels like it’s trying to tell more than one tale. The marketing seemed to strangely suggest that this was an Alien prequel but also something else entirely, and it was spot on. At times it can feel like an odd balance, the film feeling stuck in an awkward position between trying to set up the 1979 movie while also attempting to launch its own ideas. Like I said earlier, I came out of the cinema feeling unsure as to whether I had watched a good film or not because of this. That may sound like a weird feeling to have, but it’s true – I knew I had enjoyed the film, but upon first watching it seemed to be telling two entirely different stories and it was hard to comprehend what I’d just watched. It’s a testament to how thought provoking the film can be that after thinking it through, my opinion shifted from “this is a really good film” to “this is a really great film”.

     I suppose that’s the best way to define Prometheus. It is a film that on the surface can feel confounding and heavy handed, but its big ideas, thrilling set pieces and brooding intensity more than make up for any shortcomings it suffers from. Go into the cinema with an open mind, and you’ll be taken on a journey you’re not likely to forget anytime soon.

Rating: 4 / 5

Movie Review: The Avengers

A running theme in The Avengers is the concern over just how well an assembled group of superheroes can work together, and watching the film it’s hard not to see that as some kind of metaphor for the colossal risk Marvel took in bringing it – the first true superhero mash-up – to the big screen.

The Avengers is the payoff of all that build up of “Marvel’s Cinematic Universe”, first established in Iron Man way back in 2008, as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Reyner) team up to take on an alien invasion of apocalyptic proportions. It is not an easy melding for the heroes as they struggle to cooperate, and going in to the film one would be forgiven for wondering just how this dynamic was going to work. Here we have SIX superheroes from five different movies, each with their own backgrounds – some that need more fleshing out due to their supporting roles in previous films – and big personalities. It is often said there is too much of a good thing, and after the somewhat disappointing Iron Man 2 and Thor, it could be argued the superhero world was getting a little crowded. How are these characters meant to work together believably? And how on Earth are they and all of their baggage supposed to fit into a single 140 minute film?

Fortunately, the answer to these questions is a resounding ‘brilliantly’. Writer and director Joss Whedon is a master of ensemble casts, showcasing here the same brilliant dialogue and character interaction that made his short-lived series Firefly such a fan favourite. Let’s not beat around the bush here; The Avengers is an action movie through-and-through. There is enough action here to give any of Michael Bay’s Transformers travesties – err, films – a run for their money, but what sets Avengers apart from other CGI explosion-fests is that the action that takes place away from the CGI and explosions is just as entertaining. The verbal sparring between characters as they bicker amongst each other is not only integral to the group dynamic plot but hilariously entertaining, and there are enough fantastic, laugh-out-loud one-liners to put Roger Moore-era James Bond to shame.

Of course brilliant writing and direction only gets you so far, with the cast being possibly the biggest deciding factor in a character-driven piece such as this. This is where building off the backs of established film franchises has paid off – ever since Marvel hatched this plan to build their so-called Cinematic Universe, they have meticulously cast their heroes down to the very last detail. Every choice has been inspired, with Downey Jr. in particular becoming synonymous with the role of Tony Stark. With each of the heroes, with the exceptions of Black Widow and Hawkeye, having their own films to flesh out their characters and back stories, The Avengers wastes little time in character establishment, instead focusing upon their interactions and the action set pieces they find themselves getting into. It works, but anyone wishing to see this film would be highly recommended to go back and watch all of the Marvel Studio films in order to best get acquainted with the characters. That’s not to say the cast is underdeveloped or unchanged from their previous outings – character arcs are logical and make sense within the group dynamic, advancing each hero ever closer to the eventual team-up. Many people were waiting to see Mark Ruffalo’s take on Bruce Banner and the Incredible Hulk, and I am delighted to say that not only has he matched Ed Norton’s previous portrayal, but exceeded it and rocketed to the coveted most-valued-player spot in this ensemble of heroes; many audience pleasing moments come at the hands (and fists) of the big green meanie. His interactions with Stark and Thor are especially fun. Black Widow is also vastly improved over her first appearance in Iron Man 2, becoming a genuinely likeable character, miles ahead of her previous two dimensional role, thanks to some great moments between her and Hawkeye – the two most unknown heroes of the group complement each other fantastically. This isn’t even mentioning the great supporting cast. Marvel film regulars Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) turn in memorable performances, and newcomer Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) is a character that will be of undoubted interest in future movies.

I have only one gripe with The Avengers, and it stems from this overwhelming sense of team bonding that the film revolves around. As mentioned earlier, Avengers is chocked full of massive action set pieces, and the final act of the film is a non-stop thrill ride. The movie excels in this, but there are certain moments – though great on their own merits – in this homestretch of the movie that felt unnecessary. How many times must we see more enemies pouring in from every given direction followed by a montage of the Avengers doing what they do best to more and more generic creatures? Don’t get me wrong; it’s all fun, and it’s all certainly pulse-pounding, but I did find myself wondering when we were finally going to get the resolution of the epic spectacle on more than one brief occasion. The sheer enjoyment the sum of its parts brings means the film does not suffer from this, however. I’ve also seen some complaints regarding the simplicity of the story, and it is true that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) fronting an army of mysterious aliens and bringing them to Earth does not make for the most brain teasing plot, but when the film is already juggling so many characters and trying to establish the Avengers as a legitimate superhero team, anything more robust could have found the film leaning into the Spider-man 3/Iron Man 2 territories of over-bloated incoherence. Hiddleston, much improved from his turn in Thor, provides enough of a charismatic villain for the heroes to buttheads with that the story feels satisfyingly balanced as a backdrop for the formation of the titular team.

The Avengers is a rare occurrence where literally all of the elements have come together to make an absolutely brilliant film. Whedon and his stellar cast have managed to make this absolutely insane idea completely viable and utterly believable within the realms of the Marvel universe; it’s funny, it’s exciting and small gripes cannot stop it from being a hell of a lot of fun. Marvel hasn’t been this entertaining since the original Iron Man.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

My Thoughts on the Mass Effect 3 Ending

If you haven't been living under a rock lately, you'll be all too aware of the backlash the ending to BioWare's Mass Effect 3 has been getting. It's understandable that a game that is meant to tie up a trilogy will no doubt come under immense scrutiny from the fans the series has gained over the years, but the response has been overwhelming.

Overwhelmingly bad.

I've been hearing cries of "it makes no sense!", "it gives no closure!" and "give my money back!" since about a day after the game was released. Many are even signing up to a number of petitions to get BioWare to change or add to the endings in downloadable content.

Well, I've finally beaten the game and witnessed the ending for myself.

My initial thoughts? I can't believe it's getting the backlash it is.

Here's my opinion of the ending, beware of spoilers (and also beware wall of text!):

The final section of the game, from the fleets arriving through the Mass Effect relays to the ground assault and to the final push to the Citadel and the confrontation upon it is - no exaggeration - possibly my favourite moment in gaming. Ever. That section is an amazing end to the series. I was seriously sat so close to the edge of my seat as it unfolded, the scenes aboard the Citadel especially.

Now, most people seem to be flying off the handle once Shepard gets taken directly to the Catalyst. I've seen people saying it doesn't make sense and seems corny - yes, I found it a bit cheesy that this being had chosen the Earth kid as the form that it would take for Shepard, but the concept of the scene itself is show stopping. Here we are; we have built our forces for three games, forced our way through the enemy lines and now we stand at the precipice - the moment where galactic history will change forever. Three choices; three very hard choices. I sat staring at the screen for a good 5 minutes weighing up what I should do. All this time I have been hell-bent on destroying the Reapers, but with that comes the cost of also destroying myself, all advanced technology and the Geth, who have recently become fully sentient and brokered peace with organics. I could go the way of the Illusive Man and choose to control the Reapers, but can one man handle such a feat without succumbing to indoctrination or madness and end up destroying what he wishes to protect? Finally, I could merge organics and synthetics, reaching the "next step of evolution" - but what does that mean exactly?

I wondered, what would it mean to merge these lifeforms? I can imagine it would be horrific to the general populace of the galaxy. The thought of it is horrific to me, thinking of it now - my very being changed into something new, something different. But is it something better? Thinking back to the rest of the game, there seems to be a very distinct running theme of organic/synthetic metamorphosis; Shepard's doubts as to whether he is human or an artificial creation (that one's been around since the start of ME2, no less), EDI receiving a body and becoming ever more human, the Geth becoming sentient and becoming an integral part of the galactic community. Being paragon, my Shepard saw the positives of these ideas - he helped EDI fall in love/feel human emotions, he brought the Geth and Quarians together; he saw what good can become of this. So, I went for it - I merged the two beings, feeling that all of my experiences in the game (hell, even from first meeting the Geth and the organic/machine-hybrid Saren at the very beginning of the first game) paid a part in making that choice. To me, it felt like the natural progression of evolution for this universe, and the natural culmination of the story.

Bravo, BioWare, bravo. You made a real philosophical, thought provoking ending, in my opinion.

Now, that doesn't mean I'm entirely happy with the ending, of course. The Mass Effect relays are destroyed in the process of spreading this energy - I can get behind that, as it seems like the most lore-logical way of making that happen. But why was the Normandy leaving through a relay? Why wasn't it with the rest of the fleet - in fact, what happened to the rest of the fleet? And my crew? I know they got back aboard the Normandy (well, at least some of them did), but how? Did it make a return to Earth before it retreated? Why, when, how? This needs explanation.

What also needs explanation is what becomes of the crew - and the rest of the galaxy - now that the relays are destroyed. I believe it could be implied by the after-credits scene with the old man and the child that the planet they crashed on becomes populated, but how do they do that with such a small crew? That gene pool is waaaaaaaaay too small, but then, perhaps - in the Merge ending, at least - this newly evolved race does not reproduce in the same way? Of course, the planet with the man and child could be any other planet where humans were left once the relays were gone. This needs explanation. Same with what became of all the other races.

And one last thing, I speak of how the brokering of peace between organics and synthetics made the ending relative for me, but I believe there should have been an option where Shepard can rebuke the Catalysts idea that the two races will always battle - he did just do the impossible by making peace between Geth & organics, surely he can argue against the options given to him at the end and try and convince the Catalyst to just leave with the Reapers and let the races get on with things and see what becomes of the galaxy on their own terms. Perhaps this could be added in the DLC everyone who hated the endings wants; leave the original endings intact (while adding an epilogue to explain the discrepancies I brought up earlier), but add a 4th option ("Resist"), where Shepard has to battle Reapers/the Catalyst to destroy them on his own terms and free the galaxy.

Phew, that was long!

All in all, I'm really happy with how things turned out as an ending to the series. The game as a whole is fantastic and, despite the lack of explanation, I feel the endings were a fitting end to the impossible battle Shepard, his crew, and the galaxy as a whole faced. If Bioware do add new endings/add to the existing endings in DLC, I'll be happy to get more closure, but I certainly don't believe the series is "ruined", like many people do, with the endings we have now.

On Hiatus

You may have noticed there's been little in the way of new posts lately, even a lack of quick news updates.

Never fear, I'm not going anywhere, I'm merely putting this blog on the back burner while I work on another project - details of which will surface here when it nears completion.

You may hear from me now and again, but for the most part this blog is temporarily closed until I'm finished with other things.

'til we meet again...

BR

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer Released

Last night saw the opening of the final Harry Potter film, and with it the first trailer for The Dark Knight Rises; the third film in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.

Watch it here and enjoy. (EDIT: Now in gorgeous HD!)

Portal 2 Soundtrack VOL. 2 Now Available

Valve is being very kind and posting its soundtrack to Portal 2 for free over a period of time. A few months ago we got volume 1, and now they've dropped volume 2. Still completely free of charge.

Get it here.

Sonic the Hedgehog Turns 20! Sonic Generations Demo Released

Today sees one of gaming's most endearing, most recognisable mascots turn the big 2-0.

SEGA's blue hedgehog, Sonic, has been gracing our consoles since his first outing in Sonic the Hedgehog on the SEGA Mega Drive (or the SEGA Genesis for you U.S. peeps!) and continues to this day. He's had some rough spots lately, with most of his 3D adventures being a little on the disappointing side and many fans longing for the days of the traditional 2D side-scrollers. SEGA tried to address this last year with the release of Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, but some rather floaty physics left people wanting more despite the better change in direction.

Now here we are in 2011, 20 years after Sonic the Hedgehog hit shelves, to the day, and SEGA have released a demo for the upcoming Sonic Generations, which sees the two designs of the character (short and podgy, as seen in the Mega Drive days and tall and lean, as seen in later years) teaming up across levels inspired by all Sonic titles to date. The demo showcases a really sleak HD remix of the original Green Hill Zone and it looks amazing, and plays just like the original title did all those years ago.

The demo is out on Xbox LIVE & PlayStation Network right now and has a 20 day limit on it so go download it NOW!