Beautiful to look at, but not without flaws

Rating: 7/10 (7 September 2012)

Ridley Scott's Prometheus is a sci-fi film about a group of scientists who, after discovering clues about the origin of mankind on a cave wall, embark on a harrowing journey to the deepest parts of the universe in order to learn more about man's creators. What they discover on their journey is much bigger and more frightening than they could have ever imagined, and they are forced to fight for their lives as well as for the survival of mankind.
This film may seem ambitious in scope, but it is actually a sort of revamped spin off of Alien (1979) and its sequels. Alien is a film about a group of people on a mining ship in space who investigate a distress signal and ultimately end up finding more than they bargained for. The sequels expand upon that premise and follow the female lead as she continues to fight the Aliens.
Filmmaker Ridley Scott, who is known for classics like Blade Runner (1982) and Gladiator (2000), directed the original Alien as well, which garnered widespread critical acclaim and an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. The film is a hallmark in sci-fi cinema and remains, even 30 years later, one of the best sci-fi films ever made. That said, there are some definite links made between Alien and Prometheus that make Prometheus out to be a sort of prequel to the Alien films.
In terms of film quality, Prometheus is an incredible feat of cinematography. The visuals in the film are stunning. From the vastness of Prometheus itself to the alien landscape, the film is simply beautiful to look at.
The horror aspect of the film is also well done. It has numerous scenes that will undoubtedly crawl under the viewer's skin and make him or her cringe in a combination of disgust and awe. It is certainly not for those who are squeamish.
Additionally, although the acting in the film is not particularly notable, there are some standout performances by actors Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. Rapace's character, Elizabeth Shaw, is a passionate scientist with a strong sense of morality while Fassbender is particularly convincing in his role as the apathetic humanoid who accompanies the scientists on their journey.
There are, however, some aspects of the film that are lacking--that being the storyline and the characters. I found some of the characters' actions questionable and some aspects of the plot to be simply unbelievable. It is understandable for a sci-fi film to have certain otherworldly qualities, but those qualities are generally believable in that film's particular universe and context. In the case of Prometheus, there are moments where a viewer really has to suspend disbelief in order to continue enjoying the film.
I also found myself not really caring about some of the characters, which made me wonder if they should have been in the film in the first place. Despite these things, I was intrigued by the ideas that Prometheus introduced, and the film itself was visually arresting.
I would recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of the Alien films as well as to sci-fi fans in general. There are many links between this film and the original Alien that I think old fans of the series will appreciate and that will lead newcomers to check out the original, like I did.