Falls below expectations

Rating: 7/10 (4 July 2012)

There have been many films that have played with the idea of human origins. The speculation continues as more interesting ideas come to surface regarding the issue. Ridley Scott's much anticipated Prometheus provides an interestingly fresh outlook into the beginnings of mankind and human civilization as it tries to deal with the questions as old as time itself - Where have we come from and what is our purpose? Set about 80 years into the future, the film follows a group of scientists millions of miles away from Earth in search of our 'roots'. Deducing from cave drawings of ancient civilizations, they discover an Earth-like planet that was worshiped by the cavemen and curiosity leads them to the alien land where they find they are not as welcome as they had hoped.
The movie explores a new concept and is fairly successful in keeping your interest throughout the 124 minutes. There is no doubt that Ridley Scott and his team have gone into immense detail to create an extrinsic atmosphere but there are times when the elaboration gets a little taxing. There are also a few over-the-top sequences and clichéd moments that take away from the impact that the film intends to achieve.
Visually, the film is a delight. The actors are adequate in their respective roles but the scope of performance remains limited as visuals and special effects become the primary focus of the film. Overall, the film manages to keep the audience intrigued and guessing even though it has its ups and downs. Ridley Scott fans will probably be able to better appreciate the film, especially the ending.