PROMETHEUS: GIMME SOME SCI- FI LOVIN

PROMETHEUS: GIMME SOME SCI- FI LOVIN 

 

It seems to me, it is safe to say that not many socially functional people have much interest in the science fiction genre until that one big film takes over. Because when sci- fi is big, it is HUGE. There is a constant flow of sci- fi/ horror films released that are easily ignored, in fact unheard of, until you browse the shelves in Asda and come across films that would make Hannibal Lector himself squirm in discomfort (Alien Raiders? The Thaw?).

 

And so, the sci- fi films that make it big time really are the giants of the genre. For example, Splice in 2009 I had no strong desire to pay £7 to see, but will be the first person to grab it from the cheap DVD section and love just for the pure sci- fi- ness of it. See, for me, there are two types of sci- fi films: those which possess narratives based on fictional scientific technology, and those which are fully absorbed in the science fiction tradition (my fave!). Splice was the latter. Full of primal scene references, teratology, wombs bursting open and sexual bending, it covered all the science fiction traditions. And Ridley Scott with science fiction genre giant Prometheus has brought this back in vogue.

 

Technology has also held a special place in the science fiction heart, but Transformers eventually managed to make that boring. And although there was a quick folly into environmental sci- fi somewhere between The Day After Tomorrow and the apocalyptic I am Legend, the comic book film has arguably taken over the genre and reformed it in its likeness. However, Prometheus has finally stolen the genre back. Full of existential exploration, it takes on one of the biggest science fiction theme of all; the origin of man. But what about Avatar, I can imagine many asking. The biggest film of 2009, probably the biggest ever, surely this is a genre giant? Mais non, I reply. Unfortunately, it is part of my sci- fi group that is based on fictional scientific technology. As was not quite so subtly suggested in the film, the genre was a vehicle for more Pocahontas style issues, and never really engaged with its own science fiction genre but remained disconnected from it. Similarly, Battle: Los Angeles was one of those annoying alien films which didn’t seem to have any aliens in at all, and may as well have just been set inIraq and saved a lot of time and expense!

 

In fact, the only science fiction films of the last 30 years which achieved highest box office success of their respective years apart from Avatar have been Star Wars films and a 1 or 2 others dotted around during particularly dull years. Star Wars, the film that any fan will bite your head off to remind you of it’s western style narrative, which although did spawn a new branch of the genre, it further distanced us from its pure form.

 

Which is why, for me, it’s hats off to Prometheus. Of course its not without flaws. I personally found it never quite reached epic status in the way Alien, and I was constantly egging on the screen to burst into life with a tirade of face hugging violence. However, a return to sci- fi origins to me is something to be celebrated. Don’t get me wrong, I love genre mixing and new sub genres emerging, but at some point, its nice to be reminded that the masters of our progenitors still exist.