Massively over-hyped

Rating: 4/10 (8 October 2012)

For starters, let's agree that this is a very pretty film - the artistry and CGI is superb................but unfortunately it takes more than pretty effects to create a film.
And especially a film that's a prequel to a true Sci-Fi classic - Alien................and what makes this film even harder to stomach is Ridley Scotts involvement - yep, the genius who created the Alien universe.
This film is so bad it actually makes AvP look deep and meaningful!!! For the flaws of that film, at least it had action even though the plot left a lot to be desired.
There are so many plot holes it's laughable.................and to be honest, the storyline is so similar to the original Alien that it's like watching a 'made for TV' budget remake of Alien a lot of the time (which would be forgivable in a way if it wasn't for the budget and Scott).
However, the original Alien had believable characters - each with their own distinctive personality, and oozed suspense and class.
With Prometheus you get a bunch of misfits. This is from the corporation that spent a Trillion dollars or so on the expedition..........with handpicked scientists who may as well have been recruited from the most under performing college on Earth.
Just arrive at the planet, do an atmospheric survey on entering the planets atmosphere and conveniently find the site they're looking for within a few minutes just by looking - really high tech stuff here.
Let's face it, on first entering the alien craft they decide to remove their helmets - great move considering they could contaminate the craft, or be contaminated by bacteria or virus.
Then you get the robot (which despite the script is a stand out performance by Fassbender). But rather than acting in any way scientific, he decides to keep pressing buttons and interracting with alien goo in a cavalier fashion.
Oh, and the holographic 'black box' that's used.................why so appallingly bad. Maybe it was meant to look 'other worldly', but it just came across as poorly defined out of focus shapes..............seriously, these are supposed to be super beings, and they couldn't master HD lol.
Then of course there's the way they casually open the ship up for anyone outside - without establishing whether it's safe to do so.
The way they casually push electricity through one of the 'engineers' heads..............like a bunch of school kids playing with frogs legs and electricity. Then make no explanation for why the head explodes.
Could go on with the list of flaws in this film - each one further detracting from any sense of suspense or believability. The ending in particular is dire - take the decapitated robot and fly off in search of the 'engineers' home planet................really!!!! The same engineers who created biological weaponry they couldn't control, and the same engineers who wanted to wipe out all life on Earth.
It's rumoured there could be more Prometheus films to come...............I hope not, unless the script, acting and direction is a million times better.
A film that started well, but rapidly went downhill from there.