An Engulfing Vision Paired with an Underachieving Premise

Rating: 6/10 (17 September 2012)

Ridley Scott's legendary attention to detail is on full display here, although I couldn't help but wish for a more complete, uninhibited storyline to go along with it. For all his promises that this wouldn't just be a direct prequel to Alien, the director sure seems to stretch this concept to bring the two films together, rarely to the benefit of either. That's a pity, because while the core questions that Prometheus has to ask are worthwhile if not unique, its constant urge to poke and prod several of Alien's richest, most eccentric mysteries keep it tethered to the ground floor. A more compassionate cast may have smoothed over some of those rough spots, but this tight squad of explorers is thoroughly cold and conniving, naive and unlikable at their best. I wanted to adore this, and for the whole of the concept-heavy first act I did, but by the onset of the final standoff I'd been bucked like a fledgling cowboy. Fantastic, breathtaking special effects, stirring atmosphere and an astounding vision of near-future tech can only go so far.