A sort-of-but-not-really prequel to Alien.

Rating: 6/10 (30 June 2012)

Mix a fairly straightforward story of murderous aliens with deep, metaphorical themes about the creation of the human race, and what do you get? Apparently, you get a confusing mess. Prometheus, the so-called prequel to Alien, is a tad too ambitious for its own good, bringing up far too many questions and ideas that it neither answers nor follows up on. The film's cast is a group of largely unlikeable characters, with the exception of a brilliantly-acted android. The movie was directed by the accomplished Ridley Scott, so of course the movie looks gorgeous, but that's one of the only things it's got going for it. If you're anticipating a welcome return to the Alien franchise, then you've still got some waiting to do.
From the opening scene of the film, it's clear that Prometheus is a bit of a mixed bag. It becomes very obvious that the story is going to revolve primarily around an original science fiction idea, with no more than a few nods to the Alien mythology. The title of the movie is revealed segment by segment, like the first Alien, but that's just about as much similarity as the two films share. If you're paying good attention and you know your stuff, you may find some Alien Easter eggs to appease you, but they are few and far between until the climax of the film.
This leaves the rest of the two-and-a-half hour running time to explain no less than the origins of humanity. Naturally this leads to many profound and thought-provoking questions; but the kicker is that the movie never answers them. This is what's so disappointing, infuriating, and ultimately underwhelming about it. So many questions, big or small, are left unexplained, rendering the entire movie, in many ways, pointless. I hear that the prequel sequel to the prequel (?) will act as a second act to this film and answer these questions for us, which I would absolutely love. But as a standalone film, Prometheus really falls short in the storytelling department. It aches for resolution.
There are also a few problems with the cast in this movie: either they're unlikeable, or their characters are just plain dumb-asses. The main character Elizabeth Shaw, portrayed by Noomi Rapace, is annoying. There's no other way to describe her. This is my own personal opinion here, and everyone else may feel differently, but her naivety, stupidity, and lack of a character arc made her a pretty obnoxious character. Her boyfriend was also stupid and annoying, and wasn't acted very well. I also found myself eagerly anticipating the deaths of the equally obnoxious supporting cast. Idris Elba, Guy Pierce, and Charlize Theron gave serviceable performances in their respective roles. Michael Fassbender as the android David 8 was by far the best part of the film, and he completely stole the show.
Moreover, the movie looked amazing. The special effects were top-notch, the cinematography was inspired and beautiful, and the movie had some haunting and memorable imagery. This is a Ridley Scott film after all; he's pretty damn good at this. The creature design was fantastic, the humanoid aliens looked cool, and the futuristic technology was awesome. The aforementioned opening scene, though lacking explanation, was breathtaking to look at. The 3D added some depth, but is definitely not necessary.
Once this film receives a sequel, I have a feeling we'll all like Prometheus a lot more. In fact, it may go on to become a science fiction classic. But right now, this movie doesn't stand well on its own two feet. I give it an optimistic 6 out of 10 stars.