Prometheus: It's kinda like a prequel...maybe?

Elizabeth Shaw believes she has found a clue to the origin of man. Together with other scientists and explorers she travels to the far reaches of the universe and discovers a planet that might hold the answers she seeks. But what they find on that planet could not only lead to her destruction, but that of all life on Earth.

So what should one expect from Prometheus? First and foremost, it was a visual feast. Director Ridley Scott filled every frame of the film with so many interesting things (landscapes, cool tech/gadgets, spaceships, etc.) that it was next to impossible to not keep one's eyes glued to the screen (if you have the chance to see it in IMAX 3D, I highly recommend it). Scott was also able to squeeze out as much suspense and thrills as possible  in order to keep the audience at the collective edges of their seats. While not equaling Alien in this regard, Prometheus certainly held its own against other recent science fiction films. Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron also provided tremendous turns in their individual roles. Where the film faltered was in its story, which aimed high content-wise, but failed to deliver any real answers to the heavy handed questions it posed. The story did not concern a bunch of space truckers being chased on their ship by a big, nasty nightmare of a xenomorph, rather it pondered just where we as humans came from (against the back drop of a number of nasty things attempting to harm the human protagonists). Were we created by the Engineers (the beings that Shaw and her co-horts discover on the planet)? If so, who or what created them? These are questions that can be tackled/explored within a science fiction film, but the script just posed them and never presented the audience with an opportunity to get enough information to come to their own conclusions. This, along with unexceptional dialogue and the fact that the story was extremely difficult to follow, left the audience feeling alienated (no pun intended) and wanting everything in the film to be just as spectacular as all of the amazing visuals they were seeing on screen.

It's funny but while getting ready to go to the theater and check out Prometheus I found myself thinking, "it's going to be great to finally see a good sequel in the Alien film series." However after the credits started rolling, I realized that my attitude (which I am sure was shared by Alien fans), was the wrong one to have. It is true that there are certain links to the original Alien universe in Prometheus (Weyland Yutani remains an evil corporation, androids are nefarious and dark haired heroines kick butt), but this film is done almost a disservice by the weighty expectations fans of the series have unfairly placed upon it.

Prometheus was not another Alien, which may be disappointing to some, but its visual flair and solid acting made it a worthy companion piece to the series.

Grade: B-

The Descent: (or why I'll never go into a cave ever again!)

Today's film audiences have acquired a sort of "seen it all, heard of it all" attitude toward movies and this is especially true in the horror genre. Think about the number of Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween movies you yourself have watched. Now think about how pedestrian the scares and chills have become as each successive sequel has come out. You might start to wonder if there are any films out there that can actually scare you? I think this one might do the trick.

A year after a tragic event, six friends decide to go caving. However after they become trapped in those caves, their friendships are tested as they must struggle to find a way out and also face a horrifying terror that unknowingly stalks them.

Writer/director Neil Marshall was able to turn what could have been a cheesy and predictable horror flick into an absolutely terrifying white knuckle experience that had the audience pinned to their seats until the final credits rolled. He was able to do this by first creating a group of characters that the audience could identify with and feel for. It’s true that the group of friends was comprised of all women, but they were far from damsels in distress. Each had their own uniqueness and held their own against not only the natural elements, but the evil creatures they encountered. Marshall, paying homage to Ridley Scott’s Alien (an obvious influence on the film), only gave the audience noises and quick glimpses of those creatures in the early parts of the movies, building the tension to an overwhelming degree until they finally appeared and scared the bejesus out of everyone (cast and audience). The audience was so unnerved and on edge throughout due to not only the lack of light in the caves, but their cramped nature as well (claustrophobics need not apply for this one). The Descent will make you sweat, laugh, cringe, scream and everything else a good horror film should.

Grade: A