Prometheus

David (Michael Fassbender) is the most fascinating character in the movie. An android precursor to Alien’s Ash and Aliens’ Bishop, he seems to learn his way of communicating from watching Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia (a parallel is immediately drawn between the two actors – and Fassbender just might be in the same league). But we’re never entirely sure of David’s motives or allegiances; during a key climactic scene, the filmmakers wisely keep ambiguous what, exactly, is going on in this machine’s head.

Credited writers Jon Spaihts (The Darkest Hour) and Damon Lindelof (Cowboys & Aliens) didn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence in this project. But Prometheus has a lot on its mind, and raises a lot of questions that are (mostly) left unanswered. It’s also gorgeously shot in muted tones by cinematographer Dariusz Wolskiby and fluidly directed Scott, returning to the realm of sci-fi following his classics Alien and Blade Runner; those films weren’t instant successes with critics or general audiences, and Prometheus doesn’t seem to be, either. But it’s an undeniable experience, and the kind of flick whose reputation will grow with age.

In 3D, the film looks pretty phenomenal; it’s expectedly dark and dim, and the press screening at CineStar Anděl was even misframed, cutting of the sides of the picture (in the main title, the ‘P’ and the ‘S’ were both sliced in half). But director Scott has shot, framed, and edited this thing perfectly: the 3D is never a distraction, and adds some depth to the experience. While never especially memorable on its own accord (no Comin’ at Ya! overkill), the 3D is subtle and effective; it is, perhaps, the best use of the technology I’ve seen since Avatar, though that’s not a ringing endorsement.