I Was Wrong... It Was So Wrong...

Rating: Null/10 (15 June 2012)

I was wrong... It was so wrong... to think that Prometheus might be a hidden gem that will reveal more of its treasure on repeated viewings. Because watching it again only refreshed my memory of what disappointed me two years back. Is it really a prequel to Alien or is it a standalone feature that shares only strands of DNA with that horror masterpiece? As it turns out, there is still no definite answer to this question.
Set in the late 21st century & taking place in the same universe as other films of Alien franchise, Prometheus concerns a team of explorers who discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth in the form of a star map & embark on a journey to meet their makers. But what they actually end up discovering is a threat that could lead to the annihilation of entire human race on planet Earth.
The movie opens with some breathtaking shots of landscapes that you generally expect in a Terrence Malick film & from then on it's a journey downwards as it neither scares nor thrills. Directed by Ridley Scott, it's heartbreaking to find him ruining the very universe which guaranteed him a spot in film history and although he plays with many themes in the story, not one of them is executed properly.
The screenplay is an utter nonsense as the plot is full of loopholes and even though it raises some pretty good questions through its thematic elements, it never answers any of it & provides an excuse of an unnecessary sequel as a cover up for its lazy script. Cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, Editing could've chopped so much here, music hardly contributed anything. but Visual effects is pretty impressive & wonderfully detailed.
Coming to the acting department, the entire cast of Prometheus delivers a forgettable performance with only Fassbender & Rapace managing to impress in bits n pieces. Other than a handful of characters who didn't do much anyway, the rest are present as death fodders only & there isn't one moment that made me care about any of these dull people's lives. Even the creatures aren't scary or intriguing by any means, damn it.
On an overall scale, Prometheus isn't just a disappointing feature but is badly filmed too as almost nothing works in its favour & this wasn't expected from the director who defined this very genre with his 1979 masterpiece. The only consolation comes from its visuals but that's also useless when you don't have an engaging story to back it up. Ridley Scott's movies either work big or fail big. And Prometheus, unfortunately, belongs to the latter.