Ultimately somewhat disappointing

Rating: Null/10 (11 August 2012)

I was too hyped up walking into this movie, I freely admit that. The idea of Ridley Scott returning back to his beloved Alien franchise set my expectations too high and I walked out feeling let down and disappointed. Which annoys me, because as a standalone film this one isn't too bad, really. The imagery, the tone, the atmosphere, the mood, some of the main characters... these all work very well. The very first minute of this film is amazing, with sweeping landscapes and haunting music. But then we get introduced to our main plot and my interest basically died.
Why, you may ask? Because it's the goddamned Alien and Aliens all over again! We have somewhat meek, but internally strong female lead, we have an unexplored alien planet with a spooky atmosphere, we have a ship with a grim future ahead of it, we have a crew full of personalities, we have an android, et cetera, et cetera... And all of those things would have been just fine in a standalone film. But when you realize that this movie is tied to the Alien franchise, you instantly start comparing the movies and that is the sole fact that kills this movie. It's nothing new, nothing extraordinary or exciting. It's just a director recycling his old ideas and giving them a new coat of paint. Once I realized this fact about ten minutes into the film, I could instantly tell just how the movie was going to go along. And I was right, spot on even.
And yet, it's not a bad film. It's disappointing, yes, but it's still enjoyable to watch. Sure you're expecting a bit more, but you can still appreciate it as a prequel or a tie-in as it does answer some of our questions and gives us new insight into the franchise. In addition, the cast is pretty solid (special mention to Michael Fassbender, who's brilliant in his role as David), the score is very good, the imagery keeps impressing and the plot, while nothing new, is at least solid and watchable.
Though on the other hand there are some minor plot holes, the supporting characters are not developed properly and I really didn't like Charlize Theron's take on her role. It lacked spunk, in my honest opinion.
Would I recommend this to Alien fans? Yes, even with all things considered. It is a solid movie and decent tie-in to the franchise. Just don't expect too much beforehand and you'll be fine.