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Sophia Cazares
English 1010D-04
Dr. Sean George
09 October 2016
Prometheus
For this evaluation essay, Im going to be looking the movie Prometheus from director
Ridley Scott. Prometheus is a prequel to the Alien movie series. Set in the year 2093, a team
of scientists find several maps containing the same system of stars. They were left behind by
ancient civilizations all across Earth. The team of scientists interpret these maps as an invitation.
The team then follows the maps across the universe, in their ship named Prometheus, in hopes
to find the creators of the human race.
To evaluate this movie movie Im first going to compare it to the other movies in the
Alien franchise. Then Ill look at the storyline and the characters to see if they are realistic and
memorable. Finally, Ill evaluate the visuals and special effects.
My first Criterion is how it compare to the other movies in this franchise. Because this
movie is a sequel to the Alien movie series, Prometheus should live up to it. The Alien
movies have been cult favorites for decades and is one of the most iconic sci-fi movies series to
date. Prometheus definitely has the same feel as Alien, and echos Alien in a lot of ways;
but it creates a whole new world of its own. Although Prometheus relies a lot more on scenes
of action and weapons, it still creates horror scenes comparable to Alien.
For example, one suspense scene is when the crew members are exploring the passages
and caves of the alien planet, which is obviously unvisited in eons. The viewer gets a sense
something wicked lurks in tunnels. The tunnel walls are etched in freaky runes. While down in

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the caverns, the crew runs into with one of the hibernating alien beings, called the Engineer, and
then happen upon a cave full of eggs that contain xenomorph face huggers. Another one of the
best horror scenes is when Shaw, played by Noomi Rapace, finds out she is pregnat with an alien
baby. She uses a surgery machine, calibrated for use of men only, to have it taken out of her via
c-section. She didnt use any anesthetic.
Shaw is one of many unforgettable characters in the movie. The most memorable
character however is the android, David, played by Michael Fassbender. David sort of plays the
devils advocate in the movie. He is sentient, sensitive, curious, and treacherous. He has a feel of
innocence around him but at the same time is reminiscent of Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
While the movie is highly entertaining with the storyline and characters, one of the best
things about the movie are the visuals. The sense of scale that Ridley Scott has produced in
Prometheus is absurd. This movie entwines the visceral, creatural dread of Alien with some
of the quasi-mythic grandiosity of Chariots. (New York Times). The visual scheme is
captivating and the movie is unusually graceful. The eyes are pulled into a lovely and a
disconcerting sense of strangeness, with plenty of time to puzzle over the behavior of its
inhabitants. A huge vessel lumbers through the galactic void, and a diverse crew must contend
with menacing strangeness outside the ship, while growing paranoia grows within it.
The twinned opening scenes, are some of the most visually and mentally captivating. The
first involving a giant, alabaster-skinned humanoid sacrificing himself to propagate life on Earth,
while a huge spacecraft silently whirs off in the distance. The second scene is thousands of years
later, when two devoted to scientists find traces of this ancient giants presence. These two
opening scenes give a palpable sense of awe and wonderment.

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The virtuosity on display makes the weakness of the storyline the screenplay is done
by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof all the more frustrating. Prometheus kind of spoils
itself with twists and reversals that sort of pull the movie away from its visually stunning, mindblowing potential. The classic Alien fans will hold onto scraps of splendor and hope for better.
There are no revelations, only bits of momentarily surprising information bereft of meaning or
resonance.
Now with a release date of a sequel, Alien: Covenant, coming in 2017, hopefully there
will be answers to all the questions the film Prometheus has arose. And Hopefully Alien:
Covenant will finally give a all the loyal Alien fans a sense of greater understanding.

References
Scott, A. O. "Review: 'Prometheus,' by Ridely Scott, with Noomi Rapace." Nytimes.com. N.p.,
07 June 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2016.