If I Ever Leave This World Alive

Science fiction thriller “Prometheus” brought audiences back to the terrifying world of aliens and gave actress Charlize Theron her second consecutive blockbuster this summer after scoring with “Snow White and the Huntsman” the week prior. Previously helmed as a prequel to the “Alien” series, film creator Ridley Scott chose to portray this as a standalone film with some elements of the original 1979 “Alien” starring Sigourney Weaver. “Lost” writer Damon Lindelof was brought on to rewrite the script after it took several years for this story set nearly eighty years into the future to get off the ground. After a two year voyage in space, a ship named Prometheus arrives on a planet that is thought to be inhabited with aliens responsible for the birth of humans according to cave paintings found in various parts of the globe.

A team was developed with the help of a mysterious, ailing funder to find out if these aliens are alive and how exactly we are linked to them, but after the ship makes its landing it quickly becomes clear that these aliens are hostile toward humans. Noomi Rapace stars as Elizabeth Shaw, an archaeologist with strong beliefs in God and is desperate to find out if these aliens are truly the “engineers” she believes them to be. It was somewhat of a surprise to see “The O.C.” star Logan Marshall-Green cast in such a high profile role as Rapace’s love interest and partner. Theron plays Meredith Vickers, one of the funder’s employees sent to keep an eye on the crew and control the situation, but has her own agenda. The film tackles such issues as Faith and Science just as Lindelof’s ABC show did for six seasons. It was very interesting how Scott chose to develop the aliens in this film as they technically did not have to be replicas from his past films.

Theron was not the only familiar face on board the ship, as “X-Men: Origins” actor Michael Fassbender plays David, an android who acts as the ship’s butler and liaison to the project’s billionaire funder, ensuring that his dying wishes are granted. Fassbender gave perhaps the best performance of the film from his devious actions as a robot obeying his master to his immeasurable amount of knowledge; at one point he toyingly whispers “there is nothing in the desert and no man needs nothing.” This movie certainly echoed the original, but lacked character development and actual horror with the exception of a few scenes; whereas the original “Alien” had a cast of five, this one has nearly twenty. Just as in the footsteps of Theron’s previous hit, “Prometheus” made over $50 million in its first weekend after premiering on June 8^th 2012. A sequel seems imminent as the door is left wide open at the end of the film with so many unanswered questions and possibilities to go from here.

Old Time Rock & Roll

Steven Spielberg’s science fiction drama “Super 8” leaves audiences nostalgic for the good old days of family films and fills your heart with awe as one of the top movies of the summer centers on a group of young teenagers in 1979. The film tells the story of five kids whose production of a movie gets sidetracked when a train accident leads to an unidentified creature wreaking havoc on their small town.

Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning, sister of Dakota Fanning, star as two young teens who become fascinated with quite possibly the most interesting thing that has ever happened in their lives. Fanning’s debut role easily overshadows any movie her older sister has starred in; she is truly beyond her years. Courtney plays Joe, a young boy with an attraction to both monsters and Fanning’s Allie, while also seeking the approval of his father after his mother tragically died four months earlier.

After the train wreck, the scene is flooded with military personnel and secret agents who question the small town’s inhabitants on exactly what happened. Before long, dogs start to go missing, shortly followed by people, leading Joel’s father, Deputy Jackson, played by “Friday Night Lights” star Kyle Chandler, to take matters into his own hands.

The movie opened on June 10th boasting over $35 million in its first weekend and landing in the number one spot. The film would go on to gross nearly $300 million worldwide by summer’s end with a budget of $50 million. The film is a smart blend of 1980’s classic “The Goonies” and Spielberg’s original extraterrestrial film “E.T.,” with a mix of special effects that hint J.J. Abrams’ “Cloverfield,” who also wrote and directed the film.

The old-time movie touch combined with the over-use of words like “wicked” and “mint” brings audiences back to a simpler time where movies did not rely on special effects or bloody gore, but instead on the story and the characters that make it all worthwhile. The time that this film takes place brought a great music soundtrack back to life for a new generation to appreciate; my advice: see it with your father.