Monday was all about The Dark Knight Rises and Tuesday was the day for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but today the only movie that we can think about is Prometheus. 20th Century Fox released the first trailer for Ridley Scott’s science-fiction epic this morning and none of us can stop thinking about it (seriously, it’s that amazing).
But what does the trailer tell us about the movie itself? Thus far very little information about the new film has gotten out and this is the first time that we’ve seen actual footage from the movie (not counting those silly trailer previews that started coming out earlier this week). After watching the first look at Prometheus for the thousandth time, I decided to make a list of things that it teaches us about the film. So without further ado, here we go:
There Are Alien References All Over The Place.
Prometheus was born as a prequel to Ridley Scott’s classic 1979 film Alien, but somewhere along the line there was a major shift and it was said that the project was actually going to be an entirely original film separate from the xenomorph universe – but we’ve had our doubts. Leaks from the set have suggested that there will be some connection, but Scott has denied them all. But this trailer has Alien DNA all over it. For starters, the way that the title is revealed is a perfect mimic of both the opening of Alien as well as that film’s first trailer. Speaking of that trailer, Prometheus even goes as far as to use the same music. Oh, and have I mentioned that we clearly see the space jockey seat at the 44 second mark? Watch the first Alien trailer below to see what we mean.
This Is Ridley Scott’s Return To Sci-Fi All Right, But It’s Also His Return To Horror.
One of the reasons why Prometheus is such a big deal is because it marks Ridley Scott’s return to the science-fiction genre after nearly 30 years. Between Alien and Blade Runner, he quickly established himself as one of the luminaries of the sci-fi and then moved on to do other things for the last three decades. Looking at it through that lens, though, is only seeing half the picture. Proven by today’s trailer, Prometheus is as much a horror film as it is a science-fiction film, and Alien is the only time he’s ever worked in that field. The opening narration is chilling, but it’s the atmosphere of the entire trailer that has been giving us the shakes all day. Scott’s newest movie looks absolutely terrifying and we can only hope that it lives up to his 1979 classic.
They May Not Be Xenomorphs, But We Are Dealing With Some Sort Of Alien Creature.
As I pointed out in #1, Ridley Scott has vehemently denied that the xenomorph will appear in Prometheus, but if you look at the trailer closely it’s obvious that our poor humans (and one android) are definitely dealing with some sort of alien race. Stopping the trailer at the 34 second mark reveals what seems to be some sort of extraterrestrial head, and later in the trailer there’s what looks to be some sort of mutant leaping down on top of one of the scientists (though I suppose that could just be a disfigured human). What is it exactly the crew is dealing with? At this juncture we have absolutely no idea, but given the atmosphere of the trailer we can assume that it’s something not that is going to greet our protagonists with hugs and candy.
Ridley Scott Hasn’t Lost His Touch.
I’m willing to admit it: my faith in Ridley Scott has been shaken in recent years. While American Gangster was excellent, his most recent movie Robin Hood was a total bore, Body of Lies was a mess, and A Good Year was just a mess. It’s just for that reason, however, that a return to the director’s roots was in order, and it looks like it has done him well. In addition to crafting a trailer that is more than a minute of unbridled terror, some of the visuals are stunning, from the cloudy surface of what seems to be an alien planet to the ships flying through space. The film has all the makings of a true science-fiction epic, and the credit for that must go to Ridley Scott.
Is This Going To Work In 3D?
Now to talk about the one part of the Prometheus trailer that gives me pause: the 3D. Oh, what’s that? You didn’t realize that Prometheus is in 3D? Well, you have to actually pause the trailer on the last title card and look at the print in the bottom right-hand corner to figure it out. But it’s not the lack of advertisement of the technology that’s giving me pause. As everyone knows, the biggest problem with 3D is the fact that audiences are forced to wear sunglasses indoors and that affects the brightness of the film in a negative way. While the trailer may not be the best litmus test, Prometheus looks fairly dark and bleak as it is, meaning that the brightness factor may hit this one even harder than most films. The last time we encountered something like this was Fright Night this past summer (a vampire flick in 3D) and that did not turn out well. Hopefully this will be a different story.
