Not Promethean But A Good Sci/Fi Yarn

Rating: 7/10 (12 June 2012)

Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" is epic science fiction with spectacular visual effects, a momentous tale about the origins of the human race and the additional task of acting as a prequel to Scott's classic 1979 "Alien" which introduced us to the doomed crew of the Nostromo and the life-form with retractable teeth, a ravenous appetite and enough acid in its veins to make a potential victim think twice about shooting it. For the leading role of a scientist trying to unlock the secret of human life Scott chose Swedish actress Noomi Rapace who delivers the right combination of toughness and scientific curiosity. Her performance is one of the best things in the film. Michael Fassbender is excellent in his most unusual role to date as the ship's android charged with the responsibility of making sure everything runs smoothly while the crew of the ship Prometheus lie in suspended animation during their long journey through space. Although emotionless Fassbender's character has a mischievous side that sometimes seeks out ways to precipitate misfortune for the members of the crew. Charlize Theron is effective in the smaller role as the captain of the expedition funded by a wealthy, elderly industrialist played by Guy Pearce. This is a great looking film from the set design to the cinematography to the visual effects. They did a great job. And as already noted Rapace and Fassbender give exemplary performances. So I would say this is a pretty good picture definitely worth seeing. The problem area is the screenplay which is serviceable but hardly inspired given the aspirations of the film. You wouldn't expect to see 1950's type sci/fi idiocies in a film of this importance but unfortunately we do. So if you don't go expecting "2001" you should be happy with this big, well-acted sci/fi opus.