A disappointing addition to the Alien & Predator universe (mini review)

Rating: 8/10 (25 September 2013)

After all the hype I'm quite glad I saw 'Prometheus' over a year after its initial release. The mixed reviews made me inquisitive before I watched it, and any fears I had regarding its quality were unfortunately realised in the second half of the film. It seems to be confused with its own identity at times, with some scenes ostensibly desperate to link to the Alien and Predator films that take place before and after it, while others suggest Ridley Scott wanted to break free from those shackles and head in a different direction as a stand-alone film.
The crew of the Prometheus ship consists of seventeen members, so such a large number inhibits any claustrophobia that you may have felt such as in Alien (1). There's also the usual android that makes you question his true intentions! We're in familiar territory here.
'Prometheus' attempts to answer questions fans have had for thirty years regarding the origin of the large humanoid creature found in the chair during the opening sequences of Alien (1). When we're finally introduced to a live being of this species there's more of an underwhelming feeling than that of exhilaration. From this we also start to get pulled in to some sub-plots that are never truly resolved, though this may be combated in the Blu-Ray special features 'alternate intro & ending' that have yet to be watched. It reminds me of initial reviews of the film, which saw critics give it the unfortunate tag-line of 'more questions than answers'.
Acting is generally of high quality, though the dialogue is so ordinary that none of the cast ever really need excel themselves. The performance of android David (Michael Fassbender - X-Men First Class) is perhaps the only standout.
Overall it's a slightly disappointing addition to the Alien and Predator universe, but one that fans like us will feel compelled to add to their collections simply for completionist purposes. Certainly it's better than Predator 2 and both Alien VS Predator films: 7.5/10.