Hyped: Prometheus

Prometheus. 

That word on its own should have a lot of people buzzing. 

For those that don't know, Prometheus, produced and directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator), is set within the world of Alien and is technically somewhat of a prequel, while aiming to set up its own complex story and mythos. In comparison to the huge timespan since the first film, I'm relatively a new comer to the franchise. My first exposure to the infamous xenomorphs was as a young thirteen year old in around 2004 when a friend introduced me to the PC first person shooter Aliens vs Predator 2 (2001). If the thought of AVP leaves a bad taste in your mouth, know that not all mediums have dealt with the premise as horrible as the films; this was a hell of a game. After that I inevitably watched the films, experiencing their relationship to the games in a very backwards manner: "OMG, the APC is just like it is in the game!" *nerdgasm*. And then, with mere months under my belt as an Alien devotee, I watched as the franchise was seemingly squandered by the Alien vs Predator franchise. 

Until: A New Hope. News began to trickle down the vines that Ridley Scott, having put down the idea at the start of the AVP franchise, was once again in talks to direct a new Alien film. Although initially a direct prequel, Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek) was brought on board in 2010 to rewrite the initial script as a standalone film of sorts, with the potential to spawn a new franchise. As many Lost fans can attest to, such news brought about instant glee followed by sudden fear. This man is a great writer; he knows how to deal with multiple characters whilst creating an intriguing world and forcing viewers to keep watching as a stream of mysteries and exciting story developments are thrown at them. He also has a reputation for breaking hearts by not fully delivering on said mysteries. Having said that I still love seeing his name attached to a project, and what harm could he do to my heartstrings in one, two hour sprint, right? Right?!

Then came the trailer. I'm not talking about the teaser trailer that I watched on a shared computer in a backpackers in Cape Town with a pair of dodgy headphones. I'm talking about the second trailer. The one that sent chills down the spine of every Alien fan who saw it. This one:

This trailer just gets me, you know? From the first amazing wide shot to the jam packed final moments, I'm on the edge of my seat every time. This trailer obviously stands on its own as something of beauty, but the trinkets of Alien mythology scattered throughout it really speak to the fans of the franchise: the derelict spacecraft from LV - 426 (in flight!!), the hint of a new species that might very well be the predecessor to the xenomorphs, and the most exciting, the supposed promise of an origin story for the Space Jockey from Alien. While having a minuscule amount of screentime in the origin film as a dead relic, fans have speculated the creature's origin ever since the original films release, with Scott himself spurring theories that the creature might have played a part in the origin of the xenomorphs. Luckily, that now waits to be seen.

It is already evident that the film is faithful to the atmosphere of the series, with what looks like a perfect mix between the style of Alien and its sequel Aliens by James Cameron. While drawing its feelings of isolation, claustrophobia, and exploration from both, the scale of this film is reminiscent of Aliens, and looks to be even bigger. With Aliens being hailed as one of the best science fiction films of all time, and my favourite of the franchise, that can only be a good thing. Even the cast fits the mould of an Alien film, with a multi-gender/racial cast featuring strong female characters, and the token creepy android.

The ultra-futuristic style of the trailer at first had me concerned that the film would go the route of Star Wars before it, using the excuse of advancements in CG to completely change the style of the universe. However, as Lindelof has pointed out in interviews, the Nostromo was a mining ship, and its gritty retro-future design as opposed to the design of ships in the trailer can be accounted to its own age and place within the world. Still, I hope traits of that design are evident in the film, along with the alien style created by H. R. Giger for the first. 

I am very interested to see how this film plays with the framework of the original films and then goes on to raise new questions and explore new themes. Scott and Lindelof have both expressed the importance of the themes in the upcoming film, stating that the film deals with questions regarding the origin of humanity itself. I expect that this theme itself will connect with the origins of the space jockey, the unnamed creatures from the film, and the xenomorphs from the original franchise.

All in all, my excitement for this film cannot be overstated. With two weeks until its release, it wont be long until I can devour its gloriousness with my eyes and see for myself whether it lives up to its hype. If you haven't at least seen the first two Alien films yet, do yourself a favour; it will only add to your excitement for this film.

Tom

Game over, man. Game over!