Engaging sci-fi that was over-hyped but still satisfying

Rating: Null/10 (29 September 2012)

Advertising for me is something that I regularly still fall into the trap of; products that look amazing and promise the world but yet cannot ever really deliver the way they suggest. With summer blockbusters this has worn off a little bit for me and generally I do not get excited by the big trailers or the hope of fans that the new blockbuster will be the "best film eva"; such things are generally followed by equally silly claims at the other extreme when of course the film cannot live up to the marketing hype. So it was with Prometheus, a film I was happy to catch one the crowds had been and gone. It was also a film that I didn't pay attention to the trailers, hype or reviews – nor was I in a frenzy simply because it was a part of the Alien franchise, a franchise that now has more misses in it than hits.
The ideas with Prometheus did interest me though and of course it helped that they were presented within a multimillion pound film. The film explores a planet used by the original creature from the first Alien film which was overcome by some infection; a team of scientists discover more than they bargained for and it all goes to pot. As such it is familiar territory even if it must be said that the film doesn't ever really directly touch the Alien creature as we know it (or at least not till the final scene – a scene that feels inserted because the fans need to see the Alien and also come back with their money for the next film). The tone of the film does though and in essence it is a horror movie with good ideas as creatures of one sort or another pose a threat to the humans. I found it quite tense at times even if it is never a frightening or as consistently tense as I would have liked it to be. It does still deliver plenty of horror of a sort though and I enjoyed the bigger picture which it fits into – I can understand why some were not satisfied with this aspect of it, but for me it was fine.
The special effects are impressive but it is a credit to the overall film that they are never the reason I was engaged; the effects mostly were just part of the story. The cast feature plenty to look at as well, with lots of names and heavyweight talent. Rapace isn't quite Ripley but she is a good lead. Fassbender is solid and manages to make good with the role despite walking a very familiar path. Theron is a good addition while Guy Pearce is a surprise and almost unrecognizable behind his makeup. Elba has a weak American accent (not sure why – he was brilliant with it in The Wire). Wong continues to make himself something of a cult when it comes to being involved in British sci-fi.
Prometheus may not be the brilliant Alien prequel that it was marketed on, but it is still an interesting sci-fi horror that fits into the bigger picture and delivers a satisfying yarn with strong special effects.