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Prometheus: A Brief Review


Well, I just went to see Ridley Scott’s newly released Prometheus, which I predict will do excellent business over its opening weekend.
More later, but I will say this. First, it’s a heck of a scary movie, and admirably written and directed as far as that goes.
Second, it is indeed premised on intelligent design, but pretty much the darkest possible interpretation of ID. The origin of DNA and of the first life is the key question being investigated by the protagonists, heroes and villains alike. Signature in the Cell, anyone?
If the source of the design in life isn’t a benevolent deity, as all those wicked fundamentalists believe, there’s always the possibility it’s a malevolent humanoid civilization from another star system, as in Prometheus.
Without spoiling the plot for you, one of the first characters to, uh, pass away under rather unpleasant circumstances is a biologist who earlier protested that the space ship Prometheus‘ mission — to explore an alien planet in search of life’s intelligent-designing “engineers” — is a crock because it flies in the face of “three centuries of Darwinism.”
Despite the ID theme, I can’t recommend this movie for ENV’s family audience. Better to stick with a nice, uplifting, and scientifically solid Illustra Media documentary.

David Klinghoffer

Senior Fellow and Editor, Evolution News
David Klinghoffer is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and the editor of Evolution News & Science Today, the daily voice of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, reporting on intelligent design, evolution, and the intersection of science and culture. Klinghoffer is also the author of six books, a former senior editor and literary editor at National Review magazine, and has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Seattle Times, Commentary, and other publications. Born in Santa Monica, California, he graduated from Brown University in 1987 with an A.B. magna cum laude in comparative literature and religious studies. David lives near Seattle, Washington, with his wife and children.

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