Meh

Rating: 5/10 (10 June 2012)

Ridley Scott has mastered the flawed masterpiece. Most of his movies have flashes of brilliance, but he doesn't quite seem to be able to fully realize all of his ambitions. Prometheus is no exception. This prequel to the Alien series gives us an origin story to the "space jockey" that was found in the first Alien. Unfortunately, it never quite achieves the level of suspense that it aspires to nor is it particularly thought provoking as a science fiction film. What it can offer is brilliant production design and an excellent performance from Michael Fassbender. But this isn't quite enough for me to recommend it.
Scott attempts to imbue his Alien formula with a Kubrickian mystery regarding the origins of life on Earth- an ambitious task. Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace) and her boyfriend Charlie uncover several identical inscriptions on archaeological expeditions that they believe will solve the mystery of the origins of human life. Their discoveries lead them to a planet in a solar system that is similar to Earth. Along with the Captain and crew of the Prometheus, owned by the Weyland Corporation, Shaw and Charlie excavate a cave that is eerily similar to the derelict space craft from Alien. From there, they encounter alien and some not so alien enemies that threaten Earth.
The film's greatest strength is its dense visual design- no surprise for a Ridley Scott film. He should seriously get a lifetime achievement award for best visual filmmaker. The cast is also good for the most part. Noomi Rapace, a scientist who believes that Aliens created the human race yet clings to her Christian faith, captures the innocence and enthusiasm demanded by the script. Charlize Theron plays the bitchy representative of the Weyland corporation very well. Fassbender, however, steals the show as an Android whose motivations are mysterious. The other cast members are adequate, nothing to write home about. For the life of me I don't understand why they cast Guy Pearce as an old man though- the makeup was terrible. There are some underdeveloped relationships in this movie too, particularly between Charlize Theron and the ship's Captain.
The movie's largest failures are in the suspense and story departments, however. Ridley Scott's movies almost always start out slow, but even when the pacing is supposed to pick up in Prometheus it just doesn't feel suspenseful. The villains aren't particularly scary, partially because we see them in almost the first shot of the film. Mystery is key when it comes to monster movies, and the only mysteries in Prometheus come from its poor writing. The motivation of the enemies remains a mystery, but not in an intriguing way. Furthermore, all of this movie's talk about the origins of life and the motivations of the creators of the universe don't really amount to anything.
On a side note, I've heard people say that scenes were probably taken out of the film that were vital to the story, and a director's cut will be able to fix its problems. This may be true, but why can't Scott make a movie that doesn't need a special "director's cut" to work? Shouldn't he be able to get it right the first time? Anyway, I can't endorse this film as a horror movie or a science fiction story. It is ultimately far too dull. I think Ridley Scott has lost his touch.