‘Prometheus’ peek fires up critics
Director Ridley Scott unveiled the first 3-D footage of “Prometheus,” his highly anticipated “Alien” prequel, in London on Tuesday and movie writers were in awe. Or at least they were in awe of the trailer and 13 minutes of footage he showed.
“We were treated to that tantalizing trailer montage of everything going gloopy and haywire – unfamiliar egg chambers, things entering people’s eyes,” writes the Telegraph’s Tim Robey.
They also were treated to appearances by the flick’s main stars — Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace, the stunner who played Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish/danish version of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
They’re all part of what British blog Pocket Lint says “could be the best science fiction film made in years” when it’s released in the U.S. on June 8.
Prometheus is the ship the 17-member crew takes to a distant planet, which an ancient cave painting on Scotland’s Isle of Skye indicates is as habitable as Earth.
It’s no surprise the team finds it’s not the best place to visit after they are awakened from a three-year voyage in 2092 by a hunky blond android, Fassbender.
It’s only a matter of time before there are screams of “‘What IS that?’ and ‘Take us HOME!’ ” reports Robey.
Scott teases that “Prometheus” does indeed contain “the equivalent” of “Alien’s” famous chestbursting scene.
Still, he insists, the sci-fi flick that has fanboys salivating will stand on its own — and “barely contains any ‘Alien’ DNA now.”
Scott calls the “Prometheus” characters’ stories important. “One of the problems with sci-fi is that everything has already been used up: suits, corridors, ships,” he said. “But if you start with the characters, you can come up with the evolution for different looks.”
Theron is among the eye-catchers: As hyper-tough Meredith Vickers, she drops and starts doing pushups when removed from suspended animation. Her colleagues buckle over with space sickness.
Theron deferred when asked about any parallels to Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley.
“That’s more Noomi’s character” she said.