Prometheus

Ridley Scott comes back to the Alien franchise he helped create with a film that is set before the first but isn't a prequel. Must depend on your definition of prequel. It is true the story doesn't lead directly into Ripley's own but it so heavily anticipates it that prequel seems a fair label. That said, the film stands alone perfectly well without requiring any prior knowledge of past films.

The plot boils down to archaeologists discover maps to alien worlds. Rich executive sends them to a far away planet. Exciting discoveries are made there. Then the screaming and the running start. But in amongst all the grooey scenes of extra-terrestrial terror, taking great delight in rendering people helpless, questions start to rise. Who made us? Who made them? Why do we care? Does it matter? Can androids learn to be human? How does alien evolution work? None of these really get answered which for me was a strength of the film. It dares to paint a picture big enough to ask those questions and leave you to ponder them providing great rewatch value and pub conversation.

On top of all this the film is fantastic to look at. Classic dark alien interiors, tunnels and spaceships are supplemented with expansive barren wastelands broadening the scope of the saga and making it feel more epic than before.

Viewed on its own terms this is an outstanding return to sci-fi from the great director. It doesn't feel like other Alien films because it doesn't really follow the predator and hunted template, nor does it derive much tension from the scenes where things are going wrong. But the fact it is different does not mean its bad. I predict in time a lot of negative critics will see how wrong they got it and realise how good this film is.

Carancho

In Buenos Aires solicitors are first to accident scenes to get insurance details and rip off victims in claiming their compensation. These are the vultures or Caranchos.

Following one of these vultures as he despairs of his life and tries to break free we meet an ambulance driver training to be a doctor and take a fairly depressing trip through the corruption, backhanders, favours and extortion that are part of the everyday in Argentina.

It's an interesting subject but the film doesn't quite seem to nail the message it wants to put across. This is in large part due to a huge shift in tone half way through the film as it leaves slow burning political drama behind and takes on high violence gangland drama instead. Both parts work well on their own but don't gel properly leaving a feeling you haven't quite seen the film anyone was aiming for.

The Raid

An Indonesian SWAT team look to take a tower block held by the local crimelord who sets the inhabitants on them. Carnage ensues.

The publicity for the raid focussed on comparisons with Die hard but these are a bit duff. Die hard had a charismatic villain stealing the show. The raid has a grubby man with no vision beyond survival. Die hard had professional mercenaries tooled up with military grade weapons. The raid has machete wielding drug dealers. They both have a tower. Die hard was an action film. The Raid is a martial arts film.

The difference is significant. The bad guys here lay down guns so they can have a proper fight. And fight they do. Brutally. Time and again as a neck snaps or an ankle breaks the audience ooh and erghh in unison as henchmen and policemen alike are knocked down. And the fights are done with a whirling choreography that constantly astonishes. Hollywoods constant cutting to disguise the fact the actors can't really fight has no place here. But neither has the long wide shot to show the action. Instead, the camera dances in the middle of the fight, snapping with punches, whirling with throws and putting us right in the heart of the murderous halls. The characterisation and plot are certainly flimsy but the fight sequences are more than enough reason to search this film out.