Too Much of a Good Thing

 I don't know if any of you caught this news today, but Ridley Scott has decided that after Prometheus is finished and ready to show, he's going back to the world of Blade Runner. The initial reaction across the internet seems to be jubilant - not only are we getting Scott's return to the Alien series, but he's following it up with another adventure in the world of Replicants. Whether Harrison Ford's Rick Deckard is involved or not is unclear, but it seems to wed earlier news of a sequel or prequel to Blade Runner being "in the works" and solidifies its status as a "must see." I guess.

 Please don't misinterpret my hesitation - I'd rather have Ridley Scott revisit that universe than someone trying to mimic him or to see a pale imitation. I'm just not sure that I really want or need another Blade Runner movie; especially a Blade Runner movie that follows a new Alien film. It's been made clear by people close to the production and critics who saw the presentation at Comic Con that Prometheus is not simply a "science fiction film with some Alien DNA" but is, in fact, a prequel to Alien. Not maybe, not in an obscure way, but that it simply is, and 20th Century Fox is playing coy with that fact. As an outside observer, I need only look at the costumes, set design, or officially released photo to tell you this isn't just a movie "similar" to Alien. And that's not a bad thing - Ridley Scott and James Cameron often talked about returning to the series, so it's nice to see that one of them did. It's in 3-D too, which might sound studio mandated (and hell, it might have been) but one only need look at Scott's cinematography to see why a sense of depth could be result in something very special.

 I'm looking forward to Prometheus, make no mistake; but following a return to one triumph with the return to another triumph - albeit a long fought, hard to win one - seems unnecessary to me. What I enjoy about Ridley Scott is his willingness to try all sorts of different types of films, successful or not. Despite superficial comparisons, Kingdom of Heaven and Gladiator aren't at all alike, and he made Black Hawk Down, Hannibal, and Matchstick Men in between. None of those movies are historical epics or science fiction classics, or even necessary all very good (I'm on the record hating Hannibal). I don't want to speculate too much here, but Scott is wrapping up Prometheus after a string of moderately successful films (Body of Lies, American Gangster) and a few out right flops (A Good Year, Robin Hood). Could it be that working on another Alien film, something well celebrated and hotly anticipated, has given way to wanting to continue working in territory he's lauded for?

 Because I would know. Because any of us would know other than Ridley Scott, but I don't imagine that's actually why he's interested in Blade Runner nearly thirty years later. He hasn't really made anything vaguely sci-fi or fantasy since Legend, so two in a row is a bit surprising. The Alien films have always opened themselves up to other avenues of exploration, but I don't even know where another Blade Runner film would go, or would need to go. I'm satisfied not knowing what happened to Deckard and Rachel, and as much as Battlestar Galactica has moved to give me something else to associate Edward James Olmos, I can imagine how he might figure into a new Replicant hunter's story. Or something.

 Honestly, I can't decide whether I'm less interested than most because there doesn't seem to be a purpose for more Blade Runner or because Ridley Scott is so keen to do it on the heels of making Prometheus. It's like he's reliving his early filmmaking days, but with stories we already know and treasure. One sounds promising, but two might be too much of a good thing...